If you plan on visiting Slovenia, prices and money will be one of the first things you will need to get into to spend the best vacation possible. Although prices have been increasing since the 1990s in Slovenia, it still is a cheaper country than its neighbors Italy and Austria. However, it is still more expensive than countries such as Hungary.
On average, if you are looking to spend little money, you should count at least 20€ per person per night for accommodation and 20€ for food per day if you eat in small restaurants. Slovenia is also a country you can visit for free because of the numerous hikes available.
Once you have decided to go to Slovenia for the holidays, or if you are unsure of where to go, the most important things you need to look at for prices are accommodations, food, activities, and transportation. Here is a full price guide to help you prepare your trip and get to know the Slovenian prices.
What Are The Money and Currency in Slovenia?
The currency used in Slovenia is the Euro (EUR, €). Slovenia began using the euro on January 1st, 2007.
If your currency is not euro, you can go to an exchange office, called menjalnica in Slovenian. There are many in Ljubljana’s city center and other big cities. Otherwise, you can exchange money in banks, at the post office, and even in some tourist agencies.
If your currency is the euro, and you want to draw cash, do not use the machines labeled as ATM, Abanka, and NKB. You will be charged for your withdrawal.
However, you do not need to worry about cash, because most shops, restaurants, hotels, gas stations, etc. accept Mastercards and American Express. Paying with a credit card will be the easiest for you. It can be a bit harder to find places that accept Visa and Diner’s Club cards.
Overall, to give you an idea, if you plan on booking a three-star hotel, eating twice at a restaurant and using one bus ticket per day, you should expect to spend at least 75,00 € per day and person.
What Are The Prices for Accommodation in Slovenia?
Accommodations are the most expensive part of your trip to Slovenia. It can be a bit hard to get cheap accommodations in the country.
Prices change depending on the season. Between June and September is the high season, when accommodations are the most expensive. During the low season, hotels can reduce their prices by 25 to 30%. However, do not forget, in some regions like the mountains, the high season is during summer, but also winter!
Prices also vary depending on the area you chose to stay in. There are almost no low-cost hotels in the capital Ljubljana. Same thing for the Adriatic coast or Bled Lake that are top-rated destinations.
The only places where prices rarely change no matter the season are the hotels that offer termes and thalassotherapy.
Also, you need to take into account the nightly tourist tax established in Slovenia. It is 3,13 € per person and per night, even in hostels or if you rent an Airbnb. Some include the fee in the price. Others ask to pay it on the side. To pay the tourist tax, you will be asked to show your ID.
On average, beautiful hotels are over 100,00 € per night, and guest houses or bed and breakfast cost around 15,00€ and 20,00 € by night per person.
The most important thing to find excellent accommodation, not too expensive, is to look in advance. If you are budget-conscious and well prepared, you can find a place to sleep for 20,00 € on average, or a bit more.
Here are a few ideas of prices for all types of accommodations in Slovenia:
- Five stars hotel in Ljubljana: 130,00 € to 240,00 €
- Three stars hotel on the Adriatic Coast and other popular destinations: 70,00 €
- Two to three stars hotel in less touristic destinations: 50,00 €
- Room at a guest house (sobe): 15,00 € – 20,00 €
- Private apartment: 40,00 € – 60,00 €
- Camping in Ljubljana for two: 18,00 € – 20,00 € (+ 3,50 € to 5,00 € for electricity)
- Camping in the rest of Slovenia for two: 6,00 € – 15,00 € (+ 3,00 € for electricity)
- Hostel (dijaški dom, študenski dom): 10,00 € – 25,00 €
What Are The Prices for Food, Drinks, and Restaurants in Slovenia?
In Slovenia, food and drinks are relatively cheap. You can often enjoy a restaurant, even two times a day, if you pay attention to where you are going.
You can find everything you want, from local street-food like bureks (a Slovene specialty) for 2,00 € or falafels for 5,00 €, to a gourmet restaurant for 30,00 €. On average, an intermediate restaurant is around 10,00 € and 20,00 €.
Depending on your hunger and wallet, you can eat and share enormous pizzas for less than 7,00 € per person. Most of the time, portions at restaurants are quite large. If you are not very hungry, do not hesitate to share. Take a look at other tables to check the size of the plates before deciding on your meal.
After eating your lunch or dinner, you will discover the numerous little and cheap pleasures of the Slovenian cafes and terraces. You can drink a pint of beer for 2,50 €, or eat big ice cream for 2,00 €.
Coffee is also relatively inexpensive in Slovenia, and it is a great tradition. You can drink a coffee for 1,00 €, and a cappuccino for 1,30 €. After that, you can enjoy sitting on the terrace of your cafe for hours without being kicked out.
If you are a student in Slovenia, you will also get lots of discounts for food. The government gives all students coupons to eat. You can eat two meals per day with 4 hours interval between meals. Coupons offer students the possibility to eat for 2,50 € on average in many restaurants in the country.
You can also buy pastries for breakfast or a snack in bakeries (pekarna). They are very cheap and quite tasty.
Here is a list of prices to give you an idea for your holiday in Slovenia:
- Gastronomic restaurant: 30,00 €
- Medium restaurant: 14,00 €
- Appetizers, salad, soup: 5,00 €
- Fast-food: 5,00 €
- Local beer (50 cl): 2,50 €
- Imported beer (33 cl): 2,80 €
- Coca/Pepsi (33 cl): 2,50 €
- Coffee: 1,00 €
- Cappuccino: 1,30 €
- Ice cream: 2,00 €
- Juice: 1,30 €
If you want to eat cheaper, you can, of course, cook your own food. There is a market every day in the center of Ljubljana, for example. Otherwise, you can shop at one of the many supermarkets all around the country. The most common supermarket is Mercator.
Here is a list of average prices for grocery shopping:
- Water (1,5 L): 0,50 €
- Milk (1 L): 1,00 €
- 12 eggs: 2,00 €
- Bread: 1,00 €
- Local cheese (1 kg): 10,00 €
- Chicken breasts (1 kg): 7,00 €
- Apples (1 kg): 1,40 €
- Oranges (1 kg): 1,50 €
- Potatoes (1 kg): 0,80 €
- Rice (1 kg): 1,50 €
- Tomato (1 kg): 2,10 €
- Beef round (1 kg): 9,80 €
If you are a smoker, you might also be interested in the price of cigarettes. One package of Marlboro cigarettes costs around 4,00 €. It is very cheap compared to many countries in Europe.
What Are The Prices for Activities in Slovenia?
If you are a tourist in Slovenia, you will want to do some activities every day. There are a lot of free activities to do in Ljubljana and Slovenia in general. You can go for hikes and walks everywhere, especially in the mountains. It is one of the best things to do in Slovenia, to appreciate the landscapes entirely.
You can also take a free walking tour of Ljubljana to visit and learn a lot about the city. The only thing to pay would be a tip at the end of the guide, which is recommended. There are also many organized tours everywhere in Slovenia for the full day that is around 30,00 € to 50,00 € per person.
Biking in Slovenia is also a great way to spend your time for a little amount of money. You can rent bikes at the Ljubljana tourist office. It is 2,00 € for two hours of biking.
Visiting museums is also a delightful entertainment. A full-price ticket for a museum is around 4,00 € to 5,00 €. However, there are many discounts for children, students, disabled people, families, and seniors.
Going to the cinema is an idea in case it is raining or looking for a calm activity after a long day of hiking. A ticket for the movie theater is between 5,00 € and 7,00 €.
Something trendy in Slovenia is thalassotherapy and termes. There are many thermal baths and pools all over the country, including some that accept children. The less expensive one is for a one-day trip, but you can also stay at the hotels for a weekend.
Thermal baths in Slovenia are not that expensive considering prices in other countries. An entrance can cost around 25,00 €. You can also look for family discounts or special weekends.
If you want to try unusual activities, go for a kayak or SUP journey on the Ljubljanica. You can hire a canoe or a kayak at the Kajak-Kanu Klub Ljubljana for 15,00 € a day or 5,00 € for two hours. It will be a fantastic experience. To rent you kayak, go to the following address: Velika čolnarska 20, Trnovski pristan, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
You can also rent a paddle, which is a new trendy watersport. You stand on the paddle and cross the Ljubljanica in a few hours. The price for SUP includes the instructor, the equipment, and pictures. It costs 39,00 €.
The activity lasts between 1h30 and 2h00. You have to be at least two and a maximum of eight participants.
What Are The Prices for Transportation in Slovenia?
Transportation is an essential factor for your holiday, especially if you plan on going to multiple places in the country.
You can travel by train, by bus, or by car. The price of a train ticket can vary depending on the season, the day, and the length of your travel. An inter-city train in Slovenia is about 10,00 € per person.
Buses are quite similar to trains. The bus system is well-developed in Slovenia, and journeys take the same time as trains. It can be more affordable to take the bus because they are relatively cheaper. The cost of an inter-city bus is about 8,00 € per person.
However, there are discounts if you take a round-trip ticket. You will get the first ticket with a fixed time, but the return ticket can be used multiple times for thirty days.
If you want to move a lot, and especially if you do not travel alone, renting a car can be a great idea. Keep in mind that it is cheaper to rent a manual transmission rather than an automatic car.
You can hire a car in Slovenia for 10,00 € to 20,00 € instead of 35,00 € per day if you compare well the different car rentals. Also, you should avoid hiring your car at the train station or the airport, because it will be more expensive.
For the gas, whether you have your car or a rental car, do not spend hours looking for the cheapest gas station, all of them are at relatively the same price. The gas prices are, on average, the following:
- LPG: 0.58 €/L
- Unleaded: 1,00 €/L
- Diesel: 1,00 €/L
During the day, you can also use public transportation. In Ljubljana, to use city buses, you will need an Urbana Card which costs 2,00 €. You can then recharge it on Urbanomats everywhere in the city (next to most bus stops). A bus ticket costs 1,30 € and lasts for 90 minutes in Zone 1.
There are three zones in Slovenia, with different prices:
- Zone 1: The entire city area and the routes to Brezovica and Rakitna, Škofljica, and Smlednik. The ticket is 1,30 €.
- Zone 2: The routes to Polhov Gradec, Preserje and Ig, and Medvode and Vodice. The ticket is 1,75 €.
- Zone 3: The route to Videm and Grosuplje. The ticket is 2,70 €.
You can also go for a taxi. Taxis are quite inexpensive in Slovenia. The starting fee is between 0,90 € and 1,50 €. Then, the price is around 0,70 € and 1,70 € per kilometer. On average, a taxi ride from the Ljubljana airport to the city center will be ranging from 20,00 € to 45,00 € (keep in mind that charges are lower when you order a taxi by phone).
Here is a list of taxis you can call:
- Avto Taxi Tima ekspres: +386 (0)41 606 716, +386 (0)40 253 669
- BookTaxiSlovenija: +386 (0)70 720 414
- Elit Taxi: +386 (0)41 752 751
- Gea Taxi: +386 (0)1 433 34 44; +386 (0)30 333 444
- Metro Taxi: + 386 (0)41 240
- Rumeni taxi: +386 (0)41 731 831
- Taxi društvo Ljubljana: +386 (0)1 234 90 00; + 386 (0)31 24 30 00
- Taxi Intertours: + 386 (0)31 311 311
- Taxi Laguna: +386 (0)1 511 23 14; +386 (0)31 492 299
- Taxi Ljubljana Intereks: +386 (0)41 460 460
- Taxi Rondo: +386(0)41 970 970
- Airtrail Slovenia: +386 (0)41 281 228
- Intaxi: +386(0)31 40 20 20; 080 40 20
- Taxi and Transfers TuamV: +386 (0)40 805 761
The Right Price for Everything
If you are a tourist in Slovenia, you need to know about prices in the country. What is the most expensive is the accommodations. Once you have your hotel, apartment, or room, you will not need to worry about other expenses. Restaurants are relatively cheap, but you can still eat at home.
Drinks, coffee, and cigarettes are very cheap, so you can enjoy sitting at a cafe or a terrace for the whole day and only spend 2,00 € to 3,00 €. Also, since most activities in Slovenia are free, like hiking, or visiting, you can spend great holidays without overthinking about the price. Of course, if you have a bit more money, you can enjoy many activities such as termes, balloon air, and many more.
