We spent one month traveling through the Balkans from mid-June to mid-July. We considered doing one budget post for the entire region, but Croatia and Montenegro were significantly more expensive than Bosnia and Serbia, so we’ve decided to split up the budgeting posts to provide a more accurate financial snapshot of traveling in the Balkans. Here’s a detailed breakdown of everything we spent during 12 days in Croatia (spending several nights each in Zagreb, Zadar, Split & Dubrovnik) and four days in Montenegro (staying in Kotor).
Note: In Croatia, the Dalmatian coast was more expensive than Zagreb, which was fairly affordable. In Montenegro, we stayed in Kotor’s Old Town, which is probably the most expensive area in the country. I’m guessing the capital (Podgorica) or other areas in central Montenegro would be more affordable.
Croatia: $2,119.20
Transportation: $204.50
We exclusively used buses to travel within Croatia. Once we arrived at our Zagreb apartment, we never needed to take a taxi or even use the metro. Each time we bussed to a new city, we were able to walk to our accommodations from the bus station, then walk everywhere we wanted within the city. Each intercity bus ticket cost us $20 to $30 each, and we always booked with Flixbus. (Cheaper bus companies also run in Croatia, but Flixbus was comfortable, clean and accepted mobile tickets.) Average: $17.04/day.
Lodging: $761.38
Our Airbnb in Dubrovnik ($100/night) definitely pushed this average up. It was the most expensive room we’ve booked on this entire trip so far, but it was within walking distance of Old Town and it was really nice. Also, on July 1, the room went up to $131/night, so we’re glad we visited at the very end of June! Our other accommodations in Croatia all cost about $45/night through Booking.com. Average: $63.44/night.
Eating out: $562.56
We ate out for most meals in Croatia and enjoyed espresso drinks and alcoholic beverages most days. In Zagreb, we ate out for every meal, including big American-style brunches. Once we arrived on the coast (Zadar, Split & Dubrovnik), we typically bought yogurt drinks from the grocery store and split a pastry from a local bakery for breakfast, which was quite cheap. In Dubrovnik, which we knew would be the most expensive city, we also bought sandwich ingredients for our lunches and had a frozen pizza and bottle of wine for one dinner at “home.” Eating out was not cheap in Croatia, but considering the cuisine on the coast is very heavy on seafood, it’s not unreasonable. Truffle and squid ink dishes are also popular along the coast and are relatively affordable. Average: $46.88/day.
Groceries/household items: $150.43
In addition to groceries, we stocked up on full-size toiletries once we arrived in Zagreb because we don’t anticipate flying for a while, so we no longer need to worry about keeping everything under 3 ounces. Average: $12.53/day.
Entertainment (tours, etc.): $234.95
This total includes tips for free walking tours in Zagreb and Zadar ($15 each); a paid “war tour” in Zagreb to learn more about the Homeland War of the early 1990s ($54); admission to the Museum of Broken Relationships ($12); admission to Plitvice Lakes National Park ($76); and two tickets to walk the old city walls in Dubrovnik ($61). Average: $19.58/day.
Note: Croatia adopted the euro (EUR) as its official currency in 2023, which means things are more expensive than when they used the kuna (HRK). Plan for at least an extra 20 percent on top of our costs to account for the changes from 2019 to now. For example, the old city walls in Dubrovnik cost 35 EUR per adult in summer 2023 (~$38 USD) compared to 200 HRK (~$30) during our visit in 2019.
Gifts & souvenirs: $131
Did you know the necktie originated in Croatia? Members of the Croatian military (according to our tour guide, though many online histories of the necktie called them “mercenaries”) wore pieces of cloth around their neck. When they fought in the Thirty Years’ War, the French king liked the style and adopted it, sparking a larger tradition of wearing neckties (or cravats). Of course, Jonathan had to buy a real Croatian tie once he learned this! He also purchased a new tank top in Dubrovnik to supplement his travel wardrobe. And, as always, we purchased a few postcards and stamps. Average: $10.92/day.
Travel insurance: $74.28
We had travel insurance through World Nomads for $6.19/day. Travel insurance costs will vary depending on chosen plan, length of travel, location, etc.
Total: $176.60/day = $88.30/person* per day
Montenegro: $606.35
Transportation: $17.96
We stayed in the Old Town of Kotor, so the only transportation we used during our stay was round-trip bus tickets to spend half a day in Budva, a popular coastal town about 30 minutes south of Kotor. Average: $4.49/day.
Lodging: $157.15
We stayed right in Old Town for only $44.90 per night. We took an overnight bus to Mostar on our last day in Kotor, and our host was kind enough to let us stay in our room far past checkout (until 9 p.m., when we left for the bus station), so we also left a 20 euro tip. Average: $39.29/night.
Eating out: $198.90
We did not have a fridge or a kitchen in our Kotor apartment, so we ate out for every meal. Eating out in Old Town is not cheap, but again, much of the cuisine is seafood-based, so it’s not exorbitant. You can find more affordable restaurants by leaving Old Town, but we liked the atmosphere and convenience of eating within the walls. Average: $49.72/day.
Groceries/household items: $20.10
We made minimal grocery purchases in Montenegro; this amount is mostly cold drinks and stocking up on bus ride snacks. Average: $5.02/day.
Entertainment (tours, etc.): $181.87
This amount was actually all spent in 12 hours: on our amazing North Montenegro day trip! The day trip itself was $113.40 through TripAdvisor. We also chose to zip line across Tara Canyon (20 euros each), and there was a small entrance fee for Durmitor National Park to see Black Lake (3 euros each). Average: $45.47/day.
Gifts & souvenirs: $5.61
Postcards and stamps. Average: $1.40/day.
Travel insurance: $24.76
We have travel insurance through World Nomads for $6.19/day. Travel insurance costs will vary depending on chosen plan, length of travel, location, etc.
Total: $151.59/day = $75.79/person* per day
*Did you know we have a new page on the blog completely dedicated to Money & Budgeting? Check it out! We also list our country-specific costs on this page, but those numbers might differ a bit from the numbers shown here. The numbers in our detailed budgeting posts (like this one) are a true reflection of what we personally spent on our trip. The numbers on the Money & Budgeting page are meant to reflect what a typical tourist traveling at our comfort level can expect to spend. More details are available on our Money & Budgeting page.
Of course, you can always spend far less (or far more) than the numbers listed here or on our Money & Budgeting page. These figures are provided as a loose guide to help you plan travels within your budget range.
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