Should you visit Bratislava or Sarajevo?
Should I visit Bratislava or Sarajevo? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Bratislava
The capital and largest city of Slovakia, Bratislava is set on the shores of the Danube River near the borders of Austria and Hungary. While the city is skirted by mountains and vineyards, its 18th century old town center is crossed with cobbled walkways and surrounded by historic landmarks and architecture. One such monument is the Bratislava Castle, set atop a hill overlooking it all-the old town, the river, and the bustle of people in the charming city below.
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.
Which city is cheaper, Sarajevo or Bratislava?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Bratislava is €68, while the average daily cost in Sarajevo is €53. 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 city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Bratislava and Sarajevo in more detail.
Accommodation
If you're traveling alone, you may be able to find a budget hotel or hostel for around €30. But for two people in a standard two-person hotel room in Bratislava the cost is €60 on average.
For a normal double-occupancy room in Sarajevo, €40 is the average cost for a hotel room. Also in Sarajevo, the typical price for a place to stay for one person is €20, such as in a hostel.
Food
The price of a meal in Bratislava can vary widely. However, the average price for food per day is €26 per person, and a typical meal will cost around €10 based on the spending of previous visitors. Less expensive dining options can be found by eating street food or at fast food restaurants.
In Sarajevo travelers spend around €24 a day on food. You can save money by choosing casual restaurants or food stalls, or you can spend plenty more by dining in nicer restaurants at every meal.
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Food
Meals for one day
Bratislava €26
Sarajevo €24
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Bratislava
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Bratislava.
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Bratislava Traditional Food Tour:
$102
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Traditional Food Tour:
$118
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Vegan Bratislava Food Tour:
$118
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Local Beer & Food Tour:
$128
Typical Food prices in Sarajevo
For Sarajevo, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Sarajevo
For Sarajevo, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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Traditional Bosnian Dinner with your Host Family:
$38
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A Taste of Sarajevo - Authentic Food Tour:
$49
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Dinner with locals:
$57
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Cooking Classes - Contemporary Bosnian cuisine:
$65
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Simple Bosnian Cooking Class Sarajevo:
$68
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Home-hosted Cooking Class: Cook and Eat with Bosnian family:
$74
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Bosnian Cooking Lessons:
$75
Local Transportation
The cost of a taxi ride in Bratislava is significantly more than public transportation. On average, past travelers have spent €9.08 per person, per day, on local transportation in Bratislava.
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Sarajevo than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend €5.26 on transportation in Sarajevo on average per day.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Bratislava
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Bratislava:
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Transfer Vienna Airport to Bratislava City:
$83
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Private transfer: Bratislava to Bratislava Airport (BTS):
$622
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Private transfer: Bratislava Airport (BTS) to Bratislava:
$622
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Private transfer from Bratislava to Vienna with Hotel pick-up and drop off:
$75
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Private transfer from Bratislava to Vienna:
$411
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Private transfer from Bratislava to Prague:
$730
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Private transfer from Bratislava to High Tatras(Poprad):
$822
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Private transfer from Bratislava to Budapest:
$627
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Private arrival OR departure transfer in Bratislava (hotel OR airport pick-up):
$22
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Private Transfer from Bratislava to Sofia, English-speaking driver:
$424
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Private Transfer from Bratislava to Prague:
$489
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Private Transfer from Bratislava to Krakow:
$261
Typical Local Transportation prices in Sarajevo
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Sarajevo:
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Tram Tickets (for 2)
€1.53
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Sarajevo
Also for Sarajevo, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Sarajevo Airport Transfer:
$15
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Private Airport Transfer: from Sarajevo to Sarajevo International Airport (SJJ):
$23
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Private Airport Transfer: Sarajevo International Airport (SJJ) to Sarajevo:
$23
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Private Transfer to and from Sarajevo Airport:
$25
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Return Sarajevo Airport Transfer:
$28
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Private transfer from Zagreb Airport to Zagreb:
$32
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Private Transfer from Sarajevo Downtown to Sarajevo Airport (SJJ):
$37
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Private Transfer from Sarajevo Airport (SJJ) to Lukavica:
$37
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Private Transfer from Sarajevo Airport (SJJ) to Ilidža:
$37
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Private Transfer from Sarajevo Airport (SJJ) to Sarajevo Downtown:
$37
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Private Transfer from Sarajevo Airport (SJJ) to Svrake:
$60
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Private Transfer from Sarajevo Airport (SJJ) to Krivoglavci:
$60
Entertainment
Entertainment and activities in Bratislava typically cost an average of €8.95 per person, per day. This includes fees paid for admission tickets to museums and attractions, day tours, and other sightseeing expenses.
Sightseeing expenses in Sarajevo, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of €8.86 per day, per person.
Tours and Activities in Bratislava
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Bratislava are as follows:
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11-Day Tour of Slovakia from Bratislava:
$1,914
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2 Hour Sightseeing Tour of Bratislava:
$32
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2-Day Highlights Tour of Slovakia from Bratislava Cicmany Vlkolinec High Tatras:
$1,263
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6-Day Tour from Slovak Folk Traditions:
$1,115
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6-Night Private Tour of Slovakia's Highlights from Bratislava:
$1,274
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Best customized walking tour with bonus:
$25
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Best of High Tatras - hiking tour:
$1,319
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Bratislava Bunker Tour:
$1,243
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Bratislava City Private Walking Tour:
$22
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Bratislava City and Castle Tour:
$100
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Bratislava Classical Walking Tour:
$21
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Bratislava Craft Beer Tour:
$81
Typical Entertainment prices in Sarajevo
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Sarajevo's activities, tours, and tickets:
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National Museum (for 2)
€7.16
Tours and Activities in Sarajevo
For Sarajevo, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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Svrzo House Entrance Ticket:
$3.73
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Museum Of Crimes Against Humanity And Genocide 1992-1995 Entrance Ticket:
$6.22
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Skip the Line: War Childhood Museum Adult Ticket:
$6.38
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GRAND SARAJEVO WALKING TOUR (history, arhitecture and art):
$14
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Sarajevo Grand Walking Tour:
$15
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Sarajevo Talkie-Walkie Tour:
$15
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Sarajevo Full Walking Tour:
$17
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Adventurous City Tour including Tunnel of Hope:
$19
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Sarajevo Full Walking Tour:
$19
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Tunnel Of Hope Tour:
$19
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Hardships and the Aftermath - Sarajevo Under Siege Tour:
$19
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Sensational Sarajevo Sunset Walking Tour:
$19
Alcohol
The average person spends about €9.14 on alcoholic beverages in Bratislava per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
Typically, people visiting Sarajevo spend on average €5.50 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
Sample the Local Flavors in Bratislava
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Bratislava:
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Burlesque show:
$37
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3 Hours Bratislava Pub Crawl Walking Tour with Beers & Bites:
$55
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Bratislava Wine Tour:
$75
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Bratislava 3-Hour Wine Tasting:
$93
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Bratislava Food and Wine Tour:
$100
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Bratislava Half Day Hubert Sparkling Wine Tasting:
$115
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Private Wine Tour to Small Carpathians:
$156
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Devin Castle Tour With Currant Wine Tasting:
$163
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Private Small Carpathian Wine Tour:
$214
Sample the Local Flavors in Sarajevo
Also in Sarajevo, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
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Small-group Wine Tasting Expiriance, with lunch in vineyard:
$80
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Bratislava and Sarajevo, we can see that Bratislava is more expensive. And not only is Sarajevo much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Sarajevo would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Sarajevo 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 Bratislava would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Bratislava than you might in Sarajevo.
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