Should you visit Saint Petersburg or Dubrovnik?
Should I visit Saint Petersburg or Dubrovnik? 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.
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a beautiful city that sits on the eastern edge of the Baltic Sea. Its historical city center is threaded with canals and architecturally impressive buildings, leaving little doubt as to why this city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is the second largest city in Russia, but perhaps a favorite among travelers. The metropolitan area has a population of over 5 million as well as an impressive culture with fascinating museums, restaurants, and architecture. The city has no shortage of sights and attractions, and many days can be passed while you wander its intricate streets.
Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik, the "Pearl of the Adriatic", is a beautiful walled city in southern Croatia that sits on the edge of the Adriatic Sea. It's a small city, with only about 40,000 residents, but it's become one of the most significant tourist destinations in the Mediterranean. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The city was historically built on maritime trade, which is not surprising given its location near major Italian and Greek ports such as Venice, Bari, Corfu, and Trieste. It was a center of language and literature and was the home of many important poets, playwrights, painters, and scientists during the 15th and 16th centuries. Today its economy is dependent on tourism and it is one of the most popular destinations in the region. People visit the city for its impressive history, beautiful setting, great weather, and interesting architecture.
Which city is cheaper, Dubrovnik or Saint Petersburg?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Saint Petersburg is $65, while the average daily cost in Dubrovnik is $91. 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 Saint Petersburg and Dubrovnik in more detail.
Accommodation
An average hotel room with basic furnishings costs about $74 in Saint Petersburg For the most convenient locations and nicer amenities you can expect to pay a bit more.
An average hotel room with basic furnishings costs about $94 in Dubrovnik For the most convenient locations and nicer amenities you can expect to pay a bit more.
Food
Food in Saint Petersburg costs travelers about $19 per day on average. Restaurants can vary significantly in price, so choose wisely if you're trying to save money. Fast food and street stalls are typically your cheapest options, which sit down restaurants can be significantly more expensive.
Dubrovnik food costs typically run travelers around $30 per day. Eating every meal in a nicer restaurant will drive the cost up, and grabbing fast food or casual meals will help you save money.
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Food
Meals for one day
Saint Petersburg $19
Dubrovnik $30
Typical Food prices in Saint Petersburg
For Saint Petersburg, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Saint Petersburg
For Saint Petersburg, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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Enjoy Russian Delicacies in St Petersburg: Cooking Demo and Meal with a Local:
$80
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Private Dining: Russian dinner in a traditional St. Petersburg apartment:
$91
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Cooking Class and a Dinner with a Local Family (8 people max):
$92
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Off-the-tourist Path Food Tour:
$103
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Local Market Tour and Cooking Demo with a Homemade Russian Meal in St Petersburg:
$107
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Borscht and cabbage pie cooking class and dinner for small private groups:
$109
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FOOD TOUR. St.Petersburg:
$150
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Private Cooking Class: Learn the secrets of Borsch and Beef Stroganoff:
$166
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Private Cooking Class: Russian Blini with Red Caviar and Shchi soup:
$179
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Private Cooking Class: Russian Shchi soup and Blini with Red Caviar:
$187
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Private Cooking Class: Hands-on Siberian Pelmeni Making Workshop:
$188
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Private Cooking Class: Siberian Pelmeni, Stolichny salad and Borsch:
$212
Typical Food prices in Dubrovnik
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Dubrovnik:
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Seafood Dinner (for 2)
$34
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Dubrovnik
For Dubrovnik, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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Unique Sunset and Dinner Cruise in the Magnificent Traditional Karaka boat:
$96
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Old Town Food Tour:
$130
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Flavours of Dubrovnik - Food Tour:
$131
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Croatian Traditional Cuisine: Peka Cooking Lesson:
$149
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Traditional Cooking Class in Dubrovnik Countryside:
$164
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Cooking Classes Traditional Meals of Konavle region:
$166
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Dubrovnik Food Tour with Friendly Local Guide:
$167
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E-Bike Tour + Farm To Table Cooking Class:
$184
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Dubrovnik Food Tour by Vidokrug:
$192
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Rural Side of Cooking Class in Local Household:
$281
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Croatian Cooking Class in a Local's Home in Rural Konavle:
$1,753
Local Transportation
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Saint Petersburg than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend $7.43 on transportation in Saint Petersburg on average per day.
Dubrovnik'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 $12 per person, per day on transportation in Dubrovnik.
Typical Local Transportation prices in Saint Petersburg
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Saint Petersburg:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Saint Petersburg
Also for Saint Petersburg, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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St Petersburg Airport Transfers : St Petersburg to Airport LED in Luxury Car:
$103
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St Petersburg Airport Transfers : St Petersburg to Airport LED in Luxury Van:
$89
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St Petersburg Departure Private Transfers from St Petersburg City to Airport LED:
$84
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Departure Private Transfer St Petersburg City to Pulkovo Airport LED - LuxuryCar:
$80
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St Petersburg Transfer from city hotels or Cruise port to Pulkovo Airport (LED):
$68
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St Petersburg Airport Transfers : St Petersburg to Airport LED by Business Car:
$63
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Departure Private Transfer St. Petersburg to Pulkovo Airport LED by Business Car:
$61
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Departure Private Transfer St Petersburg City to Pulkovo Airport LED - LuxuryVan:
$39
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Private Transfer from St. Petersburg City Center to Peterhof Palace:
$37
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Private Transfer from Peterhof Palace to St. Petersburg City Center:
$36
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St. Petersburg Pulkovo Airport (LED) to hotel - Arrival Private Transfer:
$36
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St. Petersburg to St.Petersburg Pulkovo Airport - Departure Private Transfer:
$36
Typical Local Transportation prices in Dubrovnik
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Dubrovnik:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Dubrovnik
Also for Dubrovnik, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Ultra - Private Transfer from Dubrovnik Port to Cavtat:
$9.41
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Transfers up to 3 persons to or from Dubrovnik airport to Dubrovnik:
$41
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Transfers to/from Dubrovnik:
$87
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Transfers to and from Ston area to and from Dubrovnik or Dubrovnik airport:
$139
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Transfers:
$68
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Transfer to or from Dubrovnik airport or Dubrovnik to or from Kotor and Tivat:
$226
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Transfer to from Slano up to 7 persons to or from Dubrovnik or Dubrovnik APT:
$89
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Transfer from airport to Dubrovnik:
$66
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Transfer from Dubrovnik to Split:
$423
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Transfer from Dubrovnik to Plitvice Lakes:
$1,173
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Transfer from Dubrovnik to Krka waterfalls:
$200
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Transfer from Dubrovnik airport to Kolašin (Montenegro) ski resorts:
$597
Is it cheaper to fly into Saint Petersburg or Dubrovnik?
Prices for flights to both Dubrovnik and Saint Petersburg 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 expenses in Saint Petersburg, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of $18 per day, per person.
Sightseeing, admission tickets, things to do, and other entertainment expenses in Dubrovnik can vary widely by price. On average, visitors spend around $18 per person, per day on entertainment and sightseeing here.
Tours and Activities in Saint Petersburg
For Saint Petersburg, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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1-Day Visa-Free Tour in St Petersburg with Faberge Collection:
$265
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1-day private Visa-Free tour in St Petersburg with Peterhof:
$257
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1.5-Hours Saint Petersburg's Metro Tour Hidden Treasures:
$25
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2-Day Small-Group Visa-Free Tour - Top Highlights of St Petersburg:
$20
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3 Hour Photo Shoot Tours St. Petersburg, Russia:
$564
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Basic 2-day tour in St Petersburg for cruise passengers:
$425
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Catherine Palace and Park: Private tour to Tsarskoe Selo:
$120
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Classic 2 Day Tour of St Petersburg Russia.No hidden costs.9 years of experience:
$349
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Daily Canon Shot at Peter and Paul Fortress + Museum of Revolution Private Tour:
$162
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Essential 2-Day Visa-Free Tour for Cruise Ships in St Petersburg:
$465
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Evening River and Canal Cruise Visas Included:
$86
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Guided Tour Peter and Paul Fortress, Cathedral and Prison:
$56
Typical Entertainment prices in Dubrovnik
For Dubrovnik, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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Boat to Lokrum Island (for 2)
$16
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Dubrovnik City Wall Tour (for 2)
$63
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Dubrovnik Cable Car (for 2)
$54
Tours and Activities in Dubrovnik
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Dubrovnik.
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'Up with the Chickens' or "Sunset chasing" Old Town Tour:
$16
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2 hours Elafiti Islands Private Tour by Barracuda 545:
$284
-
4 Days Montenegro-Albania-Kosovo Tour from Dubrovnik or Kotor:
$918
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4 days hiking tour Valbona Valley National Park from Dubrovnik:
$762
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4 hours Private Speedboat Tour to Elaphite Islands by RANIERI SUN CRUISER 23:
$477
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4-Hours Dubrovnik Elaphiti Islands & Blue Cave Snorkeling Tour:
$75
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4-Night Three Countries Tour from Croatia, Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina:
$954
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5 Days Deluxe Cruise from Dubrovnik to Split All Inclusive:
$1,534
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6-Night Independent Tour of Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast: Dubrovnik, Hvar, Korcula and Split:
$952
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7 Days Small-Group Tour from Dubrovnik to Athens via Albania:
$1,757
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8 h Private Speedboat Tour to Elaphite Islands by QUICKSILVER activ 675 open:
$584
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8 hours Dubrovnik Blue Cave Private Tour with boat:
$498
Alcohol
Typically, people visiting Saint Petersburg spend on average $9.88 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In Dubrovnik, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is $13.
Sample the Local Flavors in Dubrovnik
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Dubrovnik:
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Sunset Sea Kayaking and Wine Tasting Tour Dubrovnik:
$44
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Wine tasting and visit to Ston- Group Tour:
$60
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Peljesac Peninsula Wine Tour from Dubrovnik:
$61
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Day Tour of Korcula Island from Dubrovnik with Wine Tasting:
$63
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FAMOUS LEGENDS OF PELJESAC and KORCULA with WINE TASTING:
$65
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Island of Korcula with Wine Tasting Day Trip from Dubrovnik:
$69
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Korčula tour with wine tasting from Dubrovnik:
$69
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Wine tasting and visit to Ston:
$72
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Wine Tasting Pelješac and a visit to Ston:
$72
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Konavle Valley Wine Tour from Dubrovnik with Train Ride and Wine Tasting:
$75
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Smiley wine tasting on peninsula Peljesac:
$76
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Smiley Hercegovina wine tour:
$77
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Saint Petersburg and Dubrovnik, we can see that Dubrovnik is more expensive. And not only is Saint Petersburg much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Saint Petersburg would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Saint Petersburg 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 Dubrovnik would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Dubrovnik than you might in Saint Petersburg.
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