Okay, first things first: the Faroe Islands are not cheap.

Not ‘sell your first born for a plane ticket’ sort of expensive, but it’s definitely not the type of trip that can be booked on a whim after a late night, wine fuelled dalliance with Skyscanner.

The good news however is that your big expenses are pretty much limited to accommodation, food (especially if you’re planning on eating out), and car rental. This is very much an outdoor activity sort of place, and so much of what makes this spectacular destination so wonderful remains completely and utterly free.

So, keep reading to get a feel of what a trip might cost and to help plan your Faroe Islands budget - and hopefully answer the oft asked question, are the Faroe Islands expensive?

The costs below are the average we encountered in our time in the country (July 2018), and the individual items have been chosen for their popularity amongst travellers to the Faroe Islands, and the costs that you are most likely to incur. Note that prices may vary according to seasonality.

Currencies are Danish Kroner / £GBP / €EUR, with conversion rate as at time of publication.

Average Double Room in Hotel

Hotel costs vary considerably, but looking at all hotel rooms on offer across the country, £130 per double room is a fair average price.

In Torshavn, where there is more competition, costs do come down a little.

DKK1090 / £130 / €146

Standard Airbnb for a couple

Whilst you can certainly find Airbnbs for much more than this, we were actually quite surprised how many were available for around £60 - £80 a night.

Just be sure to book it in advance - the good value places get booked up early.

View all the Airbnbs in the Faroe Islands here - and if you have never used Airbnb before, sign up via this link to receive up to £25 off your first booking.

DKK505 - 673 / £60 - 80 / €68 - 90

Meal out

Whilst prices can vary quite significantly (a buffet in our first hotel for example cost an eye-watering 350DK), we found this to be a pretty standard amount for a meal out for two.

Do note that if you plan to base yourself outside of Torshavn, or one of the larger towns, that restaurants are few and far between and ensuring your accommodation has cooking facilities may prove essential to your travel budget.

DKK150 / £18 / €20

Cheap Pizza

The go-to choice for travellers on a budget: the margherita pizza. Fast food places are home of the cheapest eats on the island, and help to save some pennies if eating out. Sure, it’s not the healthiest choice but the good thing about a trip to the Faroe Islands is that it inevitably involves quite a bit of hiking - you are justified in loading up on carbs!

DKK75 / £9 / €10

Faroese Jumper

With more sheep than people and bitterly cold winters, the Faroese jumper is as integral a part of the country as air-dried mutton (yeah, we’re not really down with that either).

Your best bet for picking one up is a shopping trip in Torshavn - see our guide for more info.

DKK1500 / £178 / €201

Fancy coffee

We had a handful of really good coffees during our time here, (especially in Cafe Brell and Fríða Kaffihús in Klaksvik), and even sourced oat milk in one!

For the majority of our trip however it was mostly filter or machine coffee. The tourism infrastructure has not yet really developed in the Faroes, but at many of the big destinations - such as on Mykines - you can usually find a small cafe set up to provide hot drinks (around 20DKK for a black coffee). On the cooler days of our trip, having a place to warm our hands around a cup of something was greatly appreciated!

DKK40 / £4.75 / €5.40

A bottle of beer

Yep, beer’s not cheap. In fact, the Faroes is one of the few places that make a London pint looks very reasonable.

Granted, this is the price you’ll get charged in a bar rather than a local shop (where we sourced some for around 50 DK), but it should still make you think twice about indulging in one too many.

DKK80-100 / £9.5-12 / €10.5 - 13.5

Home-cooked pasta with marinara sauce*

Looking for something easy, nourishing, available pretty much anywhere and not going to break the bank to cook in your accommodation? Pasta and sauce is the clear go to.

*Single 500g jar of sauce and pasta for two people.

DKK35 / £4.20 / €4.70

Car Rental per Day

Whilst you could theoretically travel in the Faroes without your own car, it certainly makes things tricky. We however think car rental is as essential an expense as that decent pair of hiking socks.

The cheapest rental deal we found was £400 / week, booked via Auto Europe. You can also book with local Faroe Islands car rental companies here.

DKK700 / £83 / €94

Petrol | Diesel

Car rental may not be cheap here, but fuel is!

So much so, we were almost disappointed that we only had to fill up once. One week, one tank of petrol - turns out the Faroes really are that small. Understandably, outside of the large towns, petrol is more difficult to find so be sure to plan ahead if you think you will need to fill up during your road trip.

DKK10.20 | DKK8.49

£1.21 | £1

€1.37 | €1.14

Bus from Airport to Torshavn

Should you be negotiating the Faroe Islands with public transport, Torshavn will likely be your permanent base - and you’ll be getting there by bus.

Bus travel is limited on the islands, but with a little time and strategic planning is definitely possible. The more economical way to do it is with a multi-day pass (you can for example buy a 4 day pass for DKK500), which provides you with unlimited journeys.

Note that bus travel within Torshavn is free.

DKK90 / £11 / €12

Ferry to Kalsoy (car and two people)

Whilst several of the larger islands are connected by underground tunnels, the smaller, less populated islands still rely on ferries to go to and fro.

Kalsoy, a popular day trip, is one such spot that necessitates a boat transfer. As is standard throughout the islands, the first passenger (namely the driver) is charged a larger fee - in this case DKK160 - and then subsequent passengers a smaller fee.

Read Next | A guide to the Kallur Lighthouse Hike.

DKK200 / £24 / €27

Boat Trip To Vestmanna Cliffs

Day trips in the Faroes aren’t actually as expensive as we would have thought. And they also provide the perfect opportunity for those travelling without a car to access some of the country’s harder to reach spots - like the impressive Vestmanna Cliffs (only accessible by boat).

Whilst almost everywhere can be theoretically be accessed by anyone, we understand that with unpredictable weather, some of the longer hikes (or indeed the shorter ones if you’re travelling by yourself) may be a little challenging and joining a tour can alleviate a lot of concerns - you can find Faroe Islands tours here.

DKK90 / £11 / €12

Hiking

Despite accommodation and transport options composing quite a large chunk of your outgoings, the reason the most of us venture to the spectacular Faroe Islands are the stunning landscapes, the nature and the chance to strap on a pair of boots, head out on a muddy trail and truly get away from everything. These experiences are priceless - in every sense of the word!

There are unfortunately two exceptions to this: the Mykines hike which costs 250 DKK to access, and Trælanípan Lake which since our visit has begun charging an entry fee of 200 DKK.