A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Sofia vs. Ghent for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Sofia or Ghent?

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 Ghent. 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 Ghent?

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.

Ghent

Ghent is a large city in the northern part of Belgium (the Flanders region) with a population of about 250,000. This city was one of the most powerful cities in Europe during the Middle Ages, which is portrayed today, mostly through architecture. There is a large university in Ghent with over 60,000 students, and a large portion of the population are young students. However, among the natives and students, there are also many foreigners and artists that you will find walking the streets of the city. Ghent is also Belgium's second largest port city.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Bulgaria, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Bulgaria, The Best Cultural Tours in Belgium, and The Best Budget Tours to Belgium.


Which place is cheaper, Ghent or Sofia?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

The average daily cost (per person) in Sofia is $86, while the average daily cost in Ghent is $168. 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 Ghent in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Sofia $44
    Ghent $84
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Sofia $88
    Ghent $168
Compare Hotels in Sofia and Ghent

Looking for a hotel in Sofia or Ghent? 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.

Hotels in Sofia


Hotels in Ghent


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 Ghent Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Sofia $9.26
    Ghent $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

Is it cheaper to fly into Sofia or Ghent?

Prices for flights to both Ghent 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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Sofia $35
    Ghent $70

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

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Ghent

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Ghent.

  • Walking Food Tour in Ghent: $93
  • Walking food tour: Introduction to Ghent through food: $109
  • Small-Group Food Tour in Ghent by Bike: $178

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Sofia $6.54
    Ghent $10

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

Tours and Activities in Ghent

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Ghent are as follows:

  • Explore History and Family Walking Tour in Mons: $245
  • Bicycle tour in historic Ghent: $54
  • Charlie's Private Beer Tour (Ghent) : $179
  • Charlie's Private Chocolate Tour (Ghent): $198
  • Charlie's Private Highlights Tour (Ghent): $149
  • Charlie's Private Off The Beaten Path Tour (Ghent): $209
  • Charlie's Private Tasting Tour (Ghent): $239
  • Charlie's famous Chocolate Tour (Ghent): $56
  • Charlie's famous Tasting Tour (Ghent): $70
  • Discover Ghent with a self-guided Outside Escape city game tour!: $30
  • Escape Tour Gent -selfguided citygame- and find the secret exit!: $24
  • Evening Tour of the Dark Side of Gent: $3.57

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Sofia $9.26
    Ghent $21

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


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Sofia and Ghent, we can see that Ghent 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 Ghent would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Ghent 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 Ghent Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Sofia or Ghent?

Sofia has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of Ghent. When comparing the sizes of Sofia and Ghent, 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.