Should you visit Lisbon or Sarajevo?
Should I visit Lisbon 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.
Lisbon
Portugal's capital city of Lisbon continues to grow in popularity as a travel destination. The cultural scene has come to life in recent years and the city itself is stunningly beautiful. It sits on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean and is made up of hills that create a dramatic and scenic layout. The city has many white-bleached limestone buildings, narrow alleyways, and a laidback charm that appeals to visitors.
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 Lisbon?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Lisbon is €103, 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 Lisbon and Sarajevo in more detail.
Accommodation
An average hotel room with basic furnishings costs about €92 in Lisbon For the most convenient locations and nicer amenities you can expect to pay a bit more.
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
In Lisbon travelers spend around €33 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.
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
Lisbon €33
Sarajevo €24
Typical Food prices in Lisbon
For Lisbon, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Lisbon
For Lisbon, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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Wine & Dine Food Tour:
$22
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History and Flavors Half-Day Food Tour:
$29
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Virtual Portuguese Cooking Lesson:
$31
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Live Online Cooking Class from Pastel de Nata with Filipa:
$39
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Live Fado & Alfama Tour with Traditional Dinner:
$40
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Bohemian dinner party on a beautiful rooftop near the coast:
$42
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3-Hour Self-Guided Locals' Food Tour:
$48
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The magic of Pasteis de Nata cooking class in Lisbon:
$53
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Bitemojo Self Guided Food Tour New To Lisbon:
$54
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2-Hour Pastel de Nata Cooking Class:
$55
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Zero-Waste Cooking Workshop:
$56
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Withlocals Your Way: Lisbon Personalised Private Food Tour:
$56
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
-
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
-
Simple Bosnian Cooking Class Sarajevo:
$68
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Home-hosted Cooking Class: Cook and Eat with Bosnian family:
$74
-
Bosnian Cooking Lessons:
$75
Local Transportation
Lisbon's transportation costs can vary by the type of transport chosen by visitors. Naturally, taxis and private drivers cost much more than public transportation options. On average, visitors spend €19 per person, per day on transportation in Lisbon.
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.
Typical Local Transportation prices in Lisbon
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Lisbon:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Lisbon
Also for Lisbon, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Óbidos Nazaré Alcobaça Batalha Fatima Private Transfer From Lisbon to Coimbra:
$280
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Transfers from/to Lisbon Airport to: Fátima Nazaré Alcobaça Óbidos Tomar Leiria:
$203
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Transfers from and to Lisbon-Algarve (Center Cities):
$625
-
Transfer/Transport:
$45
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Transfer to Povoa do Varzim:
$591
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Transfer in Private Vehicle from Lisbon City to Airport:
$18
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Transfer in Private Minivan from Lisbon City to Airport:
$22
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Transfer in Lisbon:
$50
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Transfer from Sintra-Cascais to Lisbon Airport:
$84
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Transfer from Lisbon to Óbidos (And Vice Versa):
$245
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Transfer from Lisbon to Évora (And Vice Versa):
$228
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Transfer from Lisbon to Vilamoura or Quarteira:
$398
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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Transfer from Sarajevo to Split with Herzegovina Tour:
$131
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Transfer from Sarajevo to Kotor+Herzegovina tour:
$148
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Transfer from Sarajevo to Dubrovnik with stops(Konjic,Mostar,Blagaj,Pocitelj):
$131
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Transfer from Sarajevo to Dubrovnik with Herzegovina tour:
$131
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Transfer from Sarajevo to Belgrade with visit Visegrad, Andricgrad and Drvengrad:
$123
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Transfer Sarajevo-Dubrovnik:
$156
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Transfer From Sarajevo To Tuzla:
$96
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Transfer From Sarajevo To Mostar:
$282
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Private Transfer to and from Sarajevo Airport:
$25
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Sarajevo Airport Transfer:
$15
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Sarajevo - Dubrovnik Transfer with Mostar Tour:
$351
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Return Sarajevo Airport Transfer:
$28
Is it cheaper to fly into Lisbon or Sarajevo?
Prices for flights to both Sarajevo and Lisbon 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.
Entertainment
Sightseeing, admission tickets, things to do, and other entertainment expenses in Lisbon can vary widely by price. On average, visitors spend around €19 per person, per day on entertainment and sightseeing here.
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 Lisbon
For Lisbon, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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Évora Private Tour from Lisbon:
$326
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Évora and Arraiolos - 8 Hour Private Tour:
$54
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Évora and Estremoz: Private Full-Day Tour from Lisbon:
$388
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Évora and Megaliths Full-Day Private Tour from Lisbon:
$315
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Óbidos Experience:
$40
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Óbidos, Alcobaça, Batalha & Nazare Private Tour:
$121
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10 Days Private Tour in Portugal from Lisbon:
$2,476
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10 Hour Private Tour: Lisbon, Sintra, Cascais and Estoril Highlights:
$213
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12-Day Portugal and Andalucia Tour from Madrid:
$1,595
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2 Day Street Art Private Tour from Lisbon:
$933
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2 Days Private Tour In the Algarve from Lisbon:
$682
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2 Days Tour to Heart of Serra da Estrela from Lisbon:
$398
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)
€7.15
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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1425 Days Under Siege Tour Sarajevo:
$31
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1984 Olympic Games Bobsled Track Tour:
$37
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1984 Sarajevo Olympics Adventure - Half Day Tour:
$38
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2 Hours Sarajevo Tunnel Tour with Guide:
$109
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2-Hour Romeo and Juliet Bridge Guided Walking Tour in Sarajevo:
$109
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2-Night Private tour to Mostar and Kravice Waterfalls from Dubrovnik or Split:
$319
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2D1N Sarajevo ⇄ Dubrovnik Tour via Mostar & Herzegovina (Herzegovina Journey):
$557
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3 Day Bosnia Combo Tour Package:
$718
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4 Days 3 Nights Luxury Bosnia Hercegovina Tour:
$1,804
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8 Days Bosnian Experience:
$1,148
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9 Days in Bosnia and Herzegovina- The Three Lakes Tour:
$4,977
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9D8N Bosnian Winter Holiday (Winter with Funky Tours):
$1,436
Alcohol
Typically, people visiting Lisbon spend on average €14 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
Typically, people visiting Sarajevo spend on average €5.50 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
Sample the Local Flavors in Lisbon
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Lisbon:
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Lisbon Pub Crawl:
$17
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Lisbon Pub Crawl with Free Drinks:
$18
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Lisbon Pub Crawl:
$18
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Lisbon 4-Hour Pub Crawl:
$18
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Alternative Pub Crawl with a Local Guide:
$28
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3-Hour Portuguese History & Flavors Food & Wine Tour:
$30
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Portuguese Wine Tasting and Cheese Lunch:
$44
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From Half-Day Wine Tasting Tour:
$50
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Christ the King and Arrábida Small-Group Tour with Wine Tasting from Lisbon:
$58
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From Private Wine Tour with Setúbal & Arrábida:
$61
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Sintra: Full-Day Tour from Lisbon with Wine Tasting:
$64
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Private Full-Day Arrábida Park and Wine Tour:
$67
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 Lisbon and Sarajevo, we can see that Lisbon 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 Lisbon would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Lisbon than you might in Sarajevo.
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