Which place is cheaper, Krakow or Sofia?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
Jump to 
Should you visit Sofia or Krakow?
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 Krakow. 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 Krakow?
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.
Krakow
Krakow is Poland's second largest city. It sits on both sides of the Wisla River at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains. There are more than 1.4 million residents in the metropolitan area. Krakow is known as a historical and beautiful city that is one of the country's most popular tourist destinations. Tourism makes up a large part of the city's economy, but there is also a university and several local colleges which are major employers as well. Technology has grown in recent years and the city has some notable employees including Google, IBM and Motorola. Other important industries include steel, pharmaceuticals and tobacco.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Bulgaria, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Bulgaria, The Best Budget Tours to Poland, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Krakow.
-
Sofia Prices
Bulgaria PricesKrakow Prices
Poland Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySofia $86Krakow $82
The average daily cost (per person) in Sofia is $86, while the average daily cost in Krakow is $82. 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 Krakow in more detail.
Accommodation
-
Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSofia $44Krakow $46
-
Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSofia $88Krakow $92
Compare Hotels in Sofia and Krakow
Looking for a hotel in Sofia or Krakow? 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 Krakow Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
-
Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Sofia $9.26Krakow $7.10
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Sofia
Also for Sofia, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Airport Transfers in Sofia: $83
- Arrival Transfer: Sofia Airport SOF to Sofia in Luxury Car: $94
- Bansko Shuttle: Transfer from/to Sofia Airport: $107
- Bansko Transfer From/to Sofia Airport and Hotels: $286
- Borovets Transfers from/to Sofia Airport: $179
- Bucharest: Private Transfer to Sofia: $219
- Departure Transfer: Sofia to Sofia Airport SOF in Luxury Van: $82
- From Plovdiv Day Tour with Transfer: $78
- From Private Transfer for SPA to Sapareva Banya: $100
- From Rila Monastery & Melnik Day Trip with Transfers: $102
- Korali Hot Spring with Private Transfers: $65
- Private Arrival Transfer from Sofia Airport to Bansko Ski Resort: $226
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Krakow
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Krakow:
- Budapest: Private transfer to Krakow or Krakow to Budapest: $482
- Private Transfer to/from Budapest: $441
- Private transfer from Krakow to Warsaw private driver service: $299
- Krakow - Berlin private transfer with cleansed vehicle : $292
- Private transfer: Krakow Airport - Zakopane: $286
- Luxury Private Transfer from Krakow to Vienna: $281
- The Jewish History of Krakow with Guide, Tickets & Transfers: $276
- Zakopane Private Transfer from to Krakow or Krakow Airport: $274
- Luxury Private Transfer from Krakow to Budapest: $269
- Private Transfer to/from Warsaw: $261
- Wieliczka Salt Mine Private Transfer : $239
- Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum with Private Transfers from Krakow: $238
Is it cheaper to fly into Sofia or Krakow?
Prices for flights to both Krakow 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 daySofia $35Krakow $25
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 Krakow
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Krakow.
- Small-Group Online Cooking Class Polish Pierogi : $30
- Krakow Tipsy Polish Food Tour with History Pierogi and Shots: $39
- Pierogi Cooking Class with Market Shopping and Local Snacks: $82
- Eat Like a Local in Krakow - Food Tour with BeMyGuest: $99
- Krakow Vineyard Tour with Wine Tasting and Dinner: $105
- Krakow Bites and Sights Food Tour: $114
- Polish Pierogi Cooking Class with Farmer's Market Shopping: $114
- Deluxe Polish Food Tour Experience in Krakow: $121
- Private Food Tour in Krakow Poland: $198
- Go Karting Experience with Pizza and Drinks in Krakow: $299
Entertainment
-
Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Sofia $6.54Krakow $22
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 Krakow
Here are a few actual costs in Krakow for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Wieliczka Salt Mine 1-Day Tour: $185
- Energylandia Theme Park Ticket and Transportation From Krakow: $82
- Magic Christmas tour in Wieliczka: $167
- The Footsteps of John Paul II & Divine Mercy Private Tour: $161
- Wawel Castle and Wieliczka Salt Mine Tour in Krakow with Lunch: $154
- 1 DAY Tours - Auschwitz and Salt Mine - Shared transport+tickets: $155
- 1 Hour Tour in Kraków Old Town: $94
- 1,5-Hour Jewish Quarter Kazimierz Walking Guided Tour in Krakow: $24
- 1-Hour Tour to Krakow's Old Town by Electric Golf Cart: $19
- 2 Hour Bottomless Brunch Experience with 3 Course Meal And Drinks: $71
- 2 Hour Private Pinball and Arcade Museum Tour from Krakow: $299
- 3-Day Krakow Guided Tour: Jewish Heritage with Wieliczka and Auschwitz: $262
Alcohol
-
Alcohol Drinks for one daySofia $9.26Krakow $7.49
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
Typical Alcohol Prices in Krakow
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Krakow:
-
Vodka$15
Sample the Local Flavors in Krakow
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Krakow:
- 1 Hour of Open Bar Pub Crawl + Karaoke + VIP Entry to Best Clubs : $28
- Pub Crawl Krawl Through Krakow: $28
- Krakow Pub Crawl with 1 Hr of unlimited alcohol & 4 clubs/pubs: $29
- Pub Crawl 1hr Unlimited Beer + Vodka then Clubs in Katowice: $31
- Tyskie Brewery Tour from Katowice: $131
When comparing the travel costs between Sofia and Krakow, we can see that Sofia is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in Europe, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Sofia Expensive? and Is Krakow Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Sofia or Krakow?
Sofia has a larger population, and is about 53% larger than the population of Krakow. When comparing the sizes of Sofia and Krakow, 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.