01/09/2026
August 2026 Budget Update
$2098 ($423 OVER) of $1675;
(Two people: $55/day or $20,075/year)
We are not the least bit surprised to be over budget for August with two weeks of high season slow and two weeks of fast travel in the countries of Bosnia & Herzegovina, Slovenia, Sweden and Norway.
But what surprised us the most was the amount we spent on long distance transportation. Even though our flight from Slovenia to Sweden was free, bus travel continues to be substantially more than ever and Bla Bla cars were impossible to come by.
Below are the breakdowns for the month.
All prices in USD and are rounded. As always, let us know if you have questions! đ
ACCOMMODATION: $916
Despite 10 nights being free, our accommodation budget came in almost neck and neck with what we spent in Sarajevo in July staying in one place.
It broke down as follows:
(6) nights Sarajevo ($29/night) two bedroom Airbnb (stayed five weeks in total)
(8) nights Banja Luka, B&H, ($27/night) one bedroom studio (Booking)
(3) nights Kranj, Slovenia, private room in a hostel ($67/night)
(2) nights Kranjska Gora, Ramada by Wyndham, ($41/night) ~85% discount due to transfer points from Chase and Wells Fargo
(1) night Bohinj, private room in a simple mountain hut ($103)
(1) night Skofja Loka, private room in simple pension ($117)
(3) nights Stockholm, Sweden, Hyatt Hotel (FREE) for 5k points/night
(2) nights Stockholm with friends (FREE)
(4) nights Kullavik with friends (FREE)
(1) night Moss, Norway, Riviera Hotel (FREE) or 12k points
TRANSPORTATION: $591
Prices for 2 people
Local Buses:
-Sarajevo $6 (1 ride)
-Banja Luka $5 (2 rides)
-Slovenia $30 (4 rides)
Local Trains:
-Slovenia $66 (7 rides) or approximately $9 each ride
Long Distance Buses:
-Sarajevo to Banja Luka, $65 (5 hours)
-Banja Luka to Jajce, RT, $42 (1.5 hours each way)
-Banja Luka to Zagreb, $73 (3 hours)
-Stockholm to Gothenburg, $88 (6 hours) Note: the cost of bus travel was significantly less in Sweden if you look at cost/hour!
Long Distance Trains:
-Zagreb to Ljubljana, $58 (3.5 hours)
-Gothenburg to Moss, Norway, $81 (3 hours/high speed)
Taxis:
-To watermills from Jajce, B&H, $6 (15 min)
-To Ljubljana Airport from Kranj, $29 (early morning departure, 15 min)
Stockholm public transit:
-$45 (5 rides @ about $4.50 each), which is quite steep
GROCERIES: $382
Weâre definitely beginning to realize being in Western Europe or countries some consider âmore developed,â are often cheaper than ones which are not because itâs easier to find deals and discounts. Of course, as soon as we start âfast traveling,â our diets also go to sh*tâŠor more accurately, carbs, so thereâs thatâŠđ€Ł
Another thing that kept our grocery budget under control was the incredible hospitality of our friends, plus the six complimentary breakfasts we got from our hotels (where we naturally stuffed ourselves and did a sensible amount of squirreling.)
I did not check the egg index in Slovenia, but in Sweden it came it at $.32/egg compared to $.18 in Bosnia & Herzegovina.
RESTAURANTS: $151
We ate out six meals this month.
These included:
-1 pizza and 1 beer ($21, Kranj)
-1 small salmon to-go salad and 1 pastry ($21, Bled)
-1 gyro and 1 ayran ($9, Kranj)
-1 large doner and 1 large fries ($15, Skofja Loka)
-2 meals from IKEA ($17, Stockholm)
-1 fish and chips, ($24, Varberg, Sweden)
-7 Treats including beers/wine, pastries, ice cream or coffee ($36) Beers averaged $3-5 in Bosnia & Slovenia and then we abruptly stopped treating ourselves in Sweden. đ
GENERAL: $59
($29) Sightseeing: 2 catacombs, 1 museum, 2 fortresses, and 2 waterfalls
($12) Tello payment for US phone numbers
($8) Toiletries
($4) Lost currency leaving B&H
($3) Toilets
($1) Apple photo storage
Our âOTHERâ Buckets
ANNUAL SPLURGE: ($1000/annually)
We spent $39 from our splurge bucket for wedding anniversary mojitos. Yes, two drinksâŠin Norway. Undoubtedly, the most expensive drinks weâve ever had. đ€Ł
MEDICAL: $3000/annually
We spent $42 from our medical bucket, which included medicines.
