How Much I Spent Traveling in Bosnia & Herzegovina and Montenegro

About once or twice a year, I leave Andy at home and take a solo trip. My trip to Bosnia & Herzegovina and Montenegro was one of those trips. They’re both really pretty countries, and I enjoyed my time in each one. Here’s how much I spent traveling in Bosnia & Herzegovina and Montenegro, with 10 days in Bosnia & Herzegovina and 4 days in Montenegro.

Total Bosnia & Herzegovina and Montenegro costs

Amounts are listed in euros and US dollars. Montenegro uses the euro. Bosnia uses the Bosnian mark, which is pegged to the euro at 1.9558 marks to the euro, which means many places will exchange on a 2:1 basis.

758.42€ / $864.60 – accommodation
137.16€ / $156.36 – transportation
231.76€ / $264.21 – food and alcohol
69.90€ / $79.69 – activities
1,197.64€ / $1,364.86 – total

This does not include the cost of my flights from Berlin to Sarajevo and Podgorica to Berlin, which cost 307.52€ ($350.57).

Hotel costs in Bosnia and Montenegro – $864.60

I spent more time in Bosnia than I did in Montenegro, split up as follows: 3 nights in Sarajevo, 1 night in Jajce, 2 nights in Konjic, 4 nights in Mostar, 2 nights in Kotor, and 2 nights in Budva. However, my 2 nights in Konjic were free since I was staying with my friend Gigi, so my accommodation costs are split up over 12 nights. I averaged $72.05 per night for lodging. By country, that’s an average of about $51.22 per night for 8 nights in Bosnia and about $113.72 per night for 4 nights in Montenegro.

Transportation costs in Bosnia and Montenegro – $156.36

Getting around in Bosnia and Montenegro was pretty easy. The local bus systems were simple and seemed to run on time. They were also pretty cheap, with my most expensive bus ride costing less than $15. The buses in Bosnia charged 1-2 marks for luggage. There were also a few places where I had to get a taxi to the bus station. The more expensive legs of my trip were where I took a long distance taxi or private transfer.

Cost of food and alcohol in Bosnia and Montenegro – $264.21

I’m not going to lie – I was not impressed with the food in Bosnia, and Montenegro wasn’t much better. But at least most of what I ate was inexpensive, especially in Bosnia. I didn’t drink much alcohol, which is pretty normal for me when I’m traveling alone. For 14 days in Bosnia and Montenegro, I averaged about $18.87 per day. If I take out the 2 days I stayed with Gigi, since I only paid for a few snacks there, my average comes out to $22.02 per day for 12 days.

Cost of activities in Bosnia and Montenegro – $79.69

I didn’t do too many activities on this trip, partly because it was sooo hot I skipped a few things I normally would’ve done. Gigi and I did a food tour in Sarajevo that was comped. The most expensive things in this category were a tour to a bunch of viewpoints in Sarajevo for a little over $46, and my tip of a little over $23 for a free walking tour in Kotor. Everything else was for small entrance fees.

Bosnia & Herzegovina was definitely an inexpensive country. Montenegro was a bit more expensive, but both countries are relatively cheap places to visit in Europe. I’d definitely recommend traveling to both countries if you get the chance. They’re both beautiful in different ways, and Bosnia has such an important and sad history to learn about. For 14 days in Bosnia & Herzegovina and Montenegro, I averaged $97.49 per day.

You might also enjoy:

• How I Spent 10 Days in Bosnia & Herzegovina
• Kotor and Budva: How I Spent 4 Days in Montenegro
• How Much I Spent Traveling in Kosovo
• Or check out more real travel budget posts