Which place is cheaper, Barcelona or Sofia?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Sofia or Barcelona?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Sofia and Barcelona. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Sofia or Barcelona?
Sofia
Sofia is the capital of Bulgaria and also its largest city. Some people have tried to compare it to Budapest, but the cities are actually quite different. In Sofia you will find wonderful European style architecture intertwined with Communist style buildings. It's fascinating to see the two dramatically different building styles immediately next to each other. There are also many Orthodox Churches around town, with their beautiful domes and intricate details.
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain with a population of over 1.5 million people. It's also the capital of Catalonia and is located on the northeastern part of the Mediterranean coast. Barcelona is one of the country's most popular travel destinations because of its rich history, interesting architecture, and vibrant culture. Barcelona hosted the 1992 Summer Olympic games and that had a strong influence over tourism in the area. Many different neighborhoods were renovated and rebuilt. Modern design became the norm in many parts of the city, although there is still an old city feel and many efforts at preservation.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Bulgaria, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Bulgaria, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Spain, and The Best 10-Day Tours in Spain.
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Sofia Prices
Bulgaria PricesBarcelona Prices
Spain Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySofia $86Barcelona $218
The average daily cost (per person) in Sofia is $86, while the average daily cost in Barcelona is $218. 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 destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Sofia and Barcelona in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSofia $44Barcelona $115
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSofia $88Barcelona $230
Compare Hotels in Sofia and Barcelona
Looking for a hotel in Sofia or Barcelona? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Sofia Hotel Prices and Barcelona Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Sofia $9.26Barcelona $22
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Sofia
Also for Sofia, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Transfer from Sofia airport to hotel in Sofia OR vice versa: $21
- Sofia Airport to Borovets Shared Transfer (Max 90 Min Wait): $28
- Private Airport Transfer to Sofia City Center: $41
- Private Transfer from Sofia (SOF) Airport to Sofia City: $45
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service in Sofia APT-HTL (SOF): $48
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service in Sofia HTL-APT (SOF): $48
- Sofia City Private Transfer to Sofia Airport SOF in Business Car: $58
- Sofia Airport SOF Private Transfer to Sofia City in Business Car: $58
- Korali Hot Spring with Private Transfers: $65
- Private Departure Transfer from Sunny Beach to Burgas Airport: $71
- Private Transfers from Sofia to Borovets OR Borovets to Sofia: $71
- Transfer from the Sofia Airport to your hotel in Sofia by VIP Mercedes V class: $71
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Barcelona
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Barcelona are as follows:
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10 Trip Metro Ticket$9.15
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Airport Bus$5.87
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Metro$2.46
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Barcelona
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Barcelona:
- Montserrat Half Day Private Guided Tour with Transfers: $298
- Montserrat RoundTrip Transfer with lunch (optional): $297
- Barcelona Airport (BNC) to Palamós - Arrival Private Transfer: $292
- Private Arrival Transfer from Barcelona Airport to Sitges: $286
- Private Transfer from Barcelona city to Girona airport: $269
- Private Transfer From Barcelona To Tarragona With a 2 Hour Stop: $260
- Transfer with wheelchair Accessible from Bcn airport/ port/city: $239
- Private Transfer from Barcelona Airport to Cambrils: $227
- Private Transfer from Barcelona Airport (BCN) to Tarragona Port: $210
- Private Transfer from Barcelona hotels to Tarragona Cruise Port: $210
- Private Transfer from Barcelona Airport to Lloret de Mar: $209
- Private transfer from Airport Barcelona to Santa Susanna: $203
Is it cheaper to fly into Sofia or Barcelona?
Prices for flights to both Barcelona and Sofia 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.
Food
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Food Meals for one daySofia $35Barcelona $68
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Sofia
For Sofia, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- 1980s Communism-Era Dinner with Local Host: $35
- Market Food Tour: $55
- Cooking Class in Sourdough Pancakes, Wine & Culture: $59
- Sofia by Night: Panoramic City Tour and Folklore Dinner: $116
- Private Sofia Night Tour with Bulgarian Folklore & Dinner: $118
- Bulgarian Food tasting, cullinary-historical tour, Cooking class: $137
- Sofia by Night Panoramic Tour with Dinner and Folklore Show: $161
Typical Food Prices in Barcelona
Some typical examples of dining costs in Barcelona are as follows:
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Hot Cocoa & Churro$4.87
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Sandwich$1.99
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Baguette & Horchata$4.46
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Tapas on the beach$9.72
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Gelatto$2.93
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Barcelona
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Barcelona.
- Hard Rock Cafe Barcelona with Set Lunch or Dinner: $34
- Barcelona Morning Walking and Food Tour with Local Flavors: $35
- Barcelona Guided Street Food Tour and Gothic Quarter Visit: $42
- Tasty Barcelona Street Food Tour With Local Market Visit : $54
- Barcelona Food Tour: Market & Gothic Quarter with Expert Guide: $54
- Tablao Flamenco Cordobes on Rambla Barcelona with Dinner Option: $57
- Barcelona Morning Tapas Crawl by Food Tour: $70
- Wine Tasting and 5 Course Tapas Pairing Dinner: $70
- Barcelona Interactive Spanish Cooking Experience: $78
- Seafood Paella and Mediterranean Tapas Cooking Class: $81
- Barcelona Food Tour: Tapas, Drinks and Delights with a Local: $85
- Barcelona : Paella Cooking Experience + Boqueria Market Exclusive Tour: $94
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Sofia $6.54Barcelona $39
Tours and Activities in Sofia
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Sofia.
- Rila Monastery: Monastery & Museums Self-Guided Audio Tour 7 lang: $5.95
- Self-guided Tour in the Museum of Socialist Art: $8.57
- Sofia Self Guided Audio Experience: $9.00
- City Monuments Guided Walking Tour with Audio Guide: $12
- Guided Walking Tour of Sofia: $12
- Sofia’s Roots: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $15
- Bulgarian Rose Aromatic Experience : $17
- Private Kayak Tour on the Pancharevo Lake: $18
- Walking tour: Communist architecture in downtown Sofia: $18
- City Highlights Sightseeing Walking Tour: $19
- Communist Walking Tour: $21
- Communist Walking Tour of Sofia: $21
Typical Entertainment Prices in Barcelona
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Barcelona are as follows:
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Picasso Walking Tour and Museum Pass$49
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Souvenir Gaudi Book$10
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Admission to Museo Picasso$7.04
Tours and Activities in Barcelona
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Barcelona are as follows:
- Barcelona Arrival Cruise Port to Sants Station Private: $45
- Barcelona Christmas Walking Tour: $32
- Coffee and Art Tour walking Gothic Quarter, Official Guide: $89
- Costa Brava Coves Towns and Winery Private Tour: $197
- Day Sailing Experience, Barcelona(9 Persons): $89
- Highlights & Hidden Spots of Barcelona Bike Tour w/ Local Guide: $43
- Montserrat Guided Tour from Barcelona + Basilica Access : $94
- Montserrat Monastery Classic One Day Tour from Barcelona: $84
- Private Mountain Bike Tour in Barcelona: $57
- Wine & Scent Experience in Barcelona: $60
- Big Fun Museum Ticket: $30
- 1 Hour Barcelona Sailing Tour Experience with Drinks: $35
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySofia $9.26Barcelona $20
Sample the Local Flavors in Sofia
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Sofia:
- Sofia's Hidden Bars: 4-Hour Pub Crawl: $24
- Sofia Pub Crawl Tour of The Hidden Unique Bars: $24
- Wine and Tapas Boutique Bulgarian Wine Tasting : $29
- Wine and Tapas - Bulgarian's Wine Tasting Experience: $29
- Wine Tasting in Heart of Sofia: $36
- Special Selection Bulgarian Wine Tasting: $46
- Special Selection Bulgarian Wine Tasting: $46
- Wine Tasting: Bulgarian Wine Grape Varieties: $48
- From Rozhen monastery and Melnik with wine tasting: $107
- Sofia – Kazanluk Rose Valley & Oil Distillery Tour: $115
- Plovdiv Old Town & Thracian Wine Tasting – Day Tour from Sofia: $137
- Plovdiv and Thracia Valley with Wine Tasting: $173
Sample the Local Flavors in Barcelona
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Barcelona:
- Barcelona Bar Crawl Old Town Treasure Tramp Adventure: $15
- Barcelona Pub Crawl by KING -The Best Party tour & VIP Club Entry: $18
- Largest Pub Crawl in Barcelona: $18
- Largest Bar Crawl in Barcelona: $18
- Estrella Damm Brewery in El Prat de Llobregat tour with Tasting: $18
- Pub Crawl in Barcelona: $18
- Barcelona Halloween Bar Crawl: $18
- Pub Crawl Barcelona by EVOLVE The BEST night experience: $24
- Wine tasting next to the Sagrada Familia: $30
- Go out like a local, pub Crawl / Tour in Raval - Barcelona: $32
- Magic Montjuïc Tour with Wine Tasting : $33
- Barcelona Markets Tour With Optional Food & Wine Tasting Upgrade: $35
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Sofia and Barcelona, we can see that Barcelona is more expensive. And not only is Sofia much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Sofia would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Sofia 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 Barcelona would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Barcelona than you might in Sofia.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Sofia Expensive? and Is Barcelona Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Sofia or Barcelona?
Barcelona has a larger population, and is about 37% larger than the population of Sofia. When comparing the sizes of Sofia and Barcelona, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.