A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Addis Ababa vs. Sarajevo for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Addis Ababa or Sarajevo?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

If you're trying to decide where to visit between Addis Ababa or Sarajevo, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.

Where Should I go: Addis Ababa or Sarajevo?

Addis Ababa

Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia and also the nation's largest when ranked by its population of over three million. There are also more than 120 international missions and embassies in Addis Ababa, making the city a hub for international diplomacy concerning Africa. Other draws include its thriving marketplaces, spicy food, and rich coffee.

Sarajevo

Sarajevo is the capital city of Bosnia and is one of the most culturally and historically interesting cities to visit in Europe. The city was at the crossroads where the Eastern and Western Roman Empires divided, and the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches divided. Today it is most associated with the Civil War that occurred here between 1992 and 1995. There are still many remnants of the war left, from the cemeteries that dot the countryside to the leftover damage done by bombs. Despite its brutal history, Sarajevo has begun to thrive again, both economically and as a tourist destination.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Cultural Tours in Bosnia and Herzegowina, and The Best Budget Tours to Bosnia and Herzegowina.


Which place is cheaper, Sarajevo or Addis Ababa?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

The average daily cost (per person) in Addis Ababa is $34, while the average daily cost in Sarajevo is $95. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Addis Ababa and Sarajevo in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Addis Ababa $19
    Sarajevo $28
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Addis Ababa $38
    Sarajevo $56
Compare Hotels in Addis Ababa and Sarajevo

Looking for a hotel in Addis Ababa or Sarajevo? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.

Hotels in Addis Ababa


Hotels in Sarajevo


Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.


Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Addis Ababa Hotel Prices and Sarajevo Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Addis Ababa $3.36
    Sarajevo $7.22
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Addis Ababa

Some typical examples of transportation costs in Addis Ababa are as follows:


  • Short Taxi Ride
    $0.23

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Addis Ababa

Also for Addis Ababa, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Private Transfer from Bole Airport Addis Ababa (ADD) to Addis Ababa: $152
  • Lalibela Full Day Tour with Guide and Transfer: $130
  • City/Airport Transfers-Addis Ababa: $35
  • City/Airport Transfer in Addis Ababa - Shuttles: $40
  • Addis Ababa Airport transfer and shuttle service(privet): $17
  • Addis Ababa Airport pickup and Transfer: $34
  • Addis Ababa Airport in/out transfer: $49
  • Transfer Services Addis Abeba Airport : $23

Typical Local Transportation Prices in Sarajevo

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Sarajevo:


  • Tram Tickets (for 2)
    $1.68

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Sarajevo

Also for Sarajevo, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Private Transfer from Sarajevo Airport (SJJ) to Jajce: $294
  • Private Transfers From Sarajevo Airport to Mostar Vice versa: $293
  • Private Transfer from Sarajevo Airport (SJJ) to Travnik: $264
  • Private transfer (FROM-TO) Sarajevo - Kotor - Budva : $264
  • Private transfer (FROM-TO) Sarajevo - Belgrade: $249
  • Private transfer (FROM-TO) Sarajevo - Dubrovnik: $246
  • Private transfer (FROM-TO) Sarajevo - Belgrade : $246
  • Private Transfer from Sarajevo Airport (SJJ) to Mostar: $244
  • Private Transfer from Sarajevo Airport (SJJ) to Tuzla: $235
  • Sarajevo ⇄ Mostar / Private Transfer: $219
  • Private Transfer from Sarajevo Airport (SJJ) to Živinice grad: $205
  • Private Transfer from Vareš to Sarajevo Airport (SJJ): $178

Is it cheaper to fly into Addis Ababa or Sarajevo?

Prices for flights to both Sarajevo and Addis Ababa change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.





Food
  • Food Meals for one day
    Addis Ababa $13
    Sarajevo $55
Typical Food Prices in Addis Ababa

Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Addis Ababa:


  • Slice of Cake
    $0.05

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Addis Ababa

For Addis Ababa, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Cooking Class, Injera baking & coffee ceremony: $48
  • Food tour in Addis Ababa with airport pick-up.: $56
  • Yod Abyssinia Cultural Night: Dinner, Music, and Dance: $58
  • Totot Cultural Feast & Rhythm Show With Dinner: $60
  • Local Ethiopian Food Tour Addis Ababa: $62
  • Flavors of Ethiopia Explore Traditional Cooking Class : $67
  • Ethiopian cooking class: $68
  • Private City Tour with Folkloric Dinner: $80
  • Food tours in Addis Ababa tastever with lunch: $86
  • Addis abeba Full Cooking class.: $90
  • Half Day Food Tour Addis Ababa With Airport pickUp And Drop-Off: $90
  • Cooking class in Addis Ababa: $95

Typical Food Prices in Sarajevo

For Sarajevo, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:


  • Restaurant Dinner (for 2)
    $12

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Sarajevo

For Sarajevo, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Sarajevo food tour and city's sights : $94
  • Experience Bosnian Cooking Class: $102

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Addis Ababa $3.47
    Sarajevo $12

Tours and Activities in Addis Ababa

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Addis Ababa.

  • "Awash National Park Safari Experience": $280
  • 1 Day Addis Ababa City Tour: $180
  • 2 Day Lalibela Tours: $300
  • 2 Days Awash National Park Safari Tours: $311
  • 3 Days Meskel Festival Package-Addis Ababa City Tour/Debre Libanos Monastery: $256
  • 3 Days Trekking Simien Mountains Tours: $300
  • 4 Hour Addis Cuisine Tasting Tour: $65
  • 4 Hours Addis Ababa highlights city tour from Bole airport: $75
  • A Guided Tour of Addis Ababa That Includes a City Viewpoint: $65
  • A guided tour of Addis Abeba that includes a city viewpoint: $69
  • Addis Ababa +Mount Entoto View Point,Museums Palace Market Tours: $69
  • Addis Ababa AFull day experience history culture &local acti: $140

Typical Entertainment Prices in Sarajevo

Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Sarajevo's activities, tours, and tickets:


  • National Museum (for 2)
    $7.85

Tours and Activities in Sarajevo

For Sarajevo, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Beautiful National Park Sutjeska - Full day Tour: $70
  • 1984 Sarajevo Olympics Adventure - Half Day Tour: $76
  • 2 Days Private Guided Tour in Sarajevo and Mostar: $176
  • Bijambare Cave & Bosnia Spring Park: Half-Day Tour from Sarajevo: $151
  • Bijambare Cave Tour : $47
  • Bijambare Cave and Spring of River Bosna Tour: $48
  • Bosnia Explorer Tour: Highlights of Mostar & Tito's Bunker: $216
  • Bosnian Castles Tour: Vranduk Tešanj Srebrenik from Sarajevo: $139
  • Bosnian Kingdom Capitals: Travnik & Jajce Tour from Sarajevo: $151
  • Bunker: Tito's Secret & Boracko Lake Tour from Sarajevo: $177
  • CENTRAL BOSNIA | A medieval tour (Jajce + Travnik + Pliva lakes): $88
  • Discover Sarajevo Walking Tour with Local Guide: $18

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Addis Ababa $2.86
    Sarajevo $7.54

Sample the Local Flavors in Addis Ababa

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Addis Ababa:

  • Pub-crawl Tour ( locally crafted beer and wine tasting ): $58
  • Night Tour Addis Ababa beer and wine tasting: $65


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Addis Ababa and Sarajevo, we can see that Sarajevo is more expensive. And not only is Addis Ababa much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Addis Ababa is in Africa and Sarajevo is in Europe, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Addis Ababa would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Addis Ababa and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Sarajevo would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Sarajevo than you might in Addis Ababa.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Addis Ababa Expensive? and Is Sarajevo Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Addis Ababa or Sarajevo?

Addis Ababa has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Sarajevo. When comparing the sizes of Addis Ababa and Sarajevo, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.