Dubrovnik on a Budget: How to spend less & see more

In this realistic budget guide to Dubrovnik, we share our first-hand tips and cover the best ways to spend less and see more while visiting this “pearl of the Adriatic”.
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Picture of Arijana & Matej
Arijana & Matej

Croatian-Slovenian full-time travel duo, photographers, bloggers and travel journalists for over 4 years. We write in-depth travel guides about destinations we have personally visited, providing practical travel tips and recommendations.

Traveling Dubrovnik on a budget - budget guide Dubrovnik - how to save money in Dubrovnik

Is it even possible to visit Dubrovnik on a budget?

Traveling to Dubrovnik is not cheap!

Higher prices are generally expected in Dubrovnik. After all, it is one of the best places to visit in Croatia. Plus, its beauty and charm bring in large crowds of wealthy tourists, which means higher prices.

However, if you’re careful with where you stay, eat, and how you buy tickets, you can avoid spending an enormous amount while in Dubrovnik.

Traveling to Dubrovnik on a budget - how to save moeny in Dubrovnik - Old Town

That’s precisely what we did on our last visit to Dubrovnik. And with this article, we’d like to help you achieve that as well!

Prices in Dubrovnik

Let’s start with a general overview of prices in Dubrovnik.

HOTELS – On average, a night in a Dubrovnik hotel costs around $100-$200, depending on the location and quality. An alternative is apartments, from $50 to $100 per night, and hostels, costing $35 to $50 per night.

FOOD – Dining out in Dubrovnik can vary, but you can expect prices of $20 per meal with drinks.

TRANSPORT – Public transport in Dubrovnik is still relatively affordable, with bus tickets typically costing around $2 per ride.

CAR RENTAL – If you plan to explore more outside Dubrovnik by renting a car, expect prices from $40 to $90 per day, depending on the type of vehicle and rental duration.

AccommodationFoodTransport
Hotel: $100 – $200 / nightInexpensive meal: $10 – $20Taxi 1km: $2
Apartment: $50 – $100 / nightMid-range meal: $20 – $50Car rental: $40 – $90
Dubrovnik budget overview

How to save money on a Dubrovnik trip

On your first visit to the city, you will likely want to see the most expensive attractions, so picking the best way to save money is essential.

There are four main ways to visit Dubrovnik on a budget:

  • Buy the Dubrovnik Pass to save money on tickets
  • Buy the Museum Pass if you don’t plan to visit City Walls
  • Stay outside of Old Town to save money on accommodation
  • Eat in restaurants outside of Old Town

Did you know?

Croatia is one of the most expensive places for grocery shopping in Europe by wage (yes, more expensive than many “richer” countries). Dubrovnik Old Town is also a tiny part of Dubrovnik, but it’s where all the businesses are, and the rental prices are sky-high. So, all of that definitely doesn’t help! 

Read more: Croatia’s Food 2nd Most Expensive in EU by Wage (Total Croatia News)

Save money on tickets with Dubrovnik Pass

Our best money-saving tip for visiting Dubrovnik on a budget is to buy the Dubrovnik Pass. You can read our Dubrovnik Pass Review to learn all about it and see why it’s worth your money.

With the pass, you can enjoy free entrance to over 12 museums and attractions, including the iconic City Walls, Rector’s Palace, and Maritime Museum.

As an example of how you can easily save money, a one-day Dubrovnik Pass costs the same amount as the Dubrovnik City Walls entrance fee alone.

Dubrovnik on a budget - how to save money in Dubrovnik - Dubrovnik Pass

In addition to saving money on entrance fees, the Dubrovnik Pass includes perks like free public transportation within the city and discounts at select restaurants and shops. It’s a really, really good deal!

Where to buy the pass: Please buy the pass on the official website, www.dubrovnikpass.com, as that’s the only place where you can get the official price: 40 EUR for a One-Day Pass, 50 EUR for a three-day pass, and 60 EUR for a seven-day pass. Other sites will charge you double that.

Traveling in Dubrovnik on a budget - city walls included in price of Dubrovnik Pass
City Walls – included in Dubrovnik Pass

Tips for maximizing the value of your pass

  1. Start with top attractions such as the Dubrovnik City Walls, the Rector’s Palace, and the Maritime Museum.
  2. If you’re staying outside of Old Town, take the free bus rides to get around the city of Dubrovnik conveniently.
  3. Take advantage of the discounts offered at various cultural and heritage sites.
  4. Eat in one of the many restaurants where the pass offers a 10% discount.
  5. If you’re visiting during the Dubrovnik Summer Festival, enjoy discounted tickets.

Get a Museum Pass if you don’t plan to visit City Walls

Another alternative to buying separate tickets in Dubrovnik is the Museums and Galleries ticket, which costs 20 EUR and gives you access to 10 museums.

Visiting Dubrovnik on a budget - museum combo ticket
Ethnographic Museum “Rupe”

If you don’t plan on walking the city walls and only want to see some museums, then the museum ticket is your best choice.

Museums and galleries included in the combo ticket:

Visiting Dubrovnik on a budget - museum combo ticket
Maritime Museum

However, if there’s any chance you want to visit the City Walls or Fort Lovrijenac, then you should get the Dubrovnik Pass instead. It’s just a better deal.

Good to know: The ticket for all museums and galleries is valid for 7 days from the first visit to any museum or gallery.

Stay outside of Old Town to save money on accommodation

A good chunk of your Dubrovnik budget will surely go on accommodation.

Dubrovnik hotels definitely are on the expensive side, especially in the Old Town. So, if you’re looking for anything remotely affordable, look outside it.

Visiting Dubrovnik on a budget - how to save money on travel, hotels, and more
We last stayed in a lovely, affordable apartment just above Lapad Beach (Studio Maslac)
Dubrovnik on a Budget - budget travel Dubrovnik - Lapad Beach sunset

We wrote a detailed Dubrovnik Hotel Guide highlighting the best areas and best hotels for every budget. We recommend checking it out.

For a budget Dubrovnik trip, the best areas are Gruž (affordable hostels and rooms) and Cavtat, with affordable apartments near the airport.

Staying in Gruž

Situated in the city’s gateway, Gruž offers a range of affordable accommodation options without compromising on convenience. It’s the best part of Dubrovnik for a well-connected stay outside of the Old Town that won’t break the bank.

It provides easy access to Dubrovnik’s main attractions, and since the marina of Gruž is also where frequent ferries take off, you can easily connect to nearby islands from that part.

Click here to check all Gruž options.

Staying in Cavtat

Nestled on the coast 20km south of Dubrovnik and right by Dubrovnik Airport, Cavtat offers charming stays perfect for those seeking proximity to the city without the hustle.

Click here to check all Cavtat options.

Eat in restaurants outside of Old Town

While Dubrovnik generally has more expensive food, it’s still worth checking out top-rated restaurants outside the city walls.

Much like accommodation, the food prices in Old Town restaurants can be 30 to 40% more expensive than outside.

Dubrovnik travel on a budget - how to find cheap eats in Dubrovnik
Lunch at Burger Tiger inside the Old Town

Just outside the Pile Gate, one of the main entrances to the Old Town, you can find Sandwich Bar Pile, which serves simple but delicious food at acceptable prices.

In addition, some of the restaurants with not the highest price and good value for money in Dubrovnik are Burger Tiger (“the” burger spot), Vege Dub (vegetarian and vegan), and Soul Kitchen (international, vegetarian & vegan friendly).

Saving money in Dubrovnik for families

With the Dubrovnik Pass, the adult ticket gives your children up to the age of 7 the same benefits. So you only need to buy it for children older than 7.

Similarly to the Dubrovnik Pass, you can get a family Museums and Galleries ticket costing 45 EUR for two adults, including children younger than 14.

Dubrovnik travel on a budget - City Walls
Western Outer Wall

However, for big families, we still recommend making a list of attractions you intend to visit, as some do have free entry or discounted prices for children.

For example, the City Walls ticket for children under 18 is only 15 EUR. So, if you only plan to visit City Walls, buying the discounted ticket for your children between 7 and 18 is better than the pass.

Final thoughts

To sum up, if you intend to visit any ticketed attractions in Dubrovnik and save money, buy the Dubrovnik Pass to see a lot for an acceptable price!

We highly recommend the Dubrovnik Pass or combo Museum ticket to save money and use the money you saved on one or two more meals or some extra ice cream (or a cocktail!). 🙂

Traveling Dubrovnik on a budget - beach bar Dodo cocktails

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Arijana & Matej

Full-time travelers, photographers, bloggers and travel journalists.

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We're Arijana and Matej, a couple and travel blogging duo from Croatia and Slovenia who thrive while slow-traveling. And we have been doing it for over 4 years.

During and after our travels, we love publishing in-depth, researched and above-all, useful travel guides, full of personal first-hand information on the places we personally visited.

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