Which place is cheaper, Utrecht 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 Utrecht?
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 Utrecht. 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 Utrecht?
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.
Utrecht
Utrecht is both a province and a city in the Netherlands. The city is a unique university city with a lively atmosphere. Imagine Amsterdam but smaller, and with fewer tourists. Utrecht has the same underlying historical/magical feel as Amsterdam, but is full of locals rather than crowds of tourists. It has a population of about 300,000 making it the fourth largest city in the Netherlands.
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 Netherlands, and The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Netherlands.
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Sofia Prices
Bulgaria PricesUtrecht Prices
Netherlands Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySofia $86Utrecht $271
The average daily cost (per person) in Sofia is $86, while the average daily cost in Utrecht is $271. 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 Utrecht in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSofia $44Utrecht $125
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSofia $88Utrecht $250
Compare Hotels in Sofia and Utrecht
Looking for a hotel in Sofia or Utrecht? 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 Utrecht Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Sofia $9.26Utrecht $27
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
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Utrecht
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Utrecht:
- Private transfer from Utrecht to AMS Schiphol Airport: $131
- Private taxi transfer from Utrecht to Amsterdam: $111
- Train Transfer Utrecht from/to Rotterdam: $17
Is it cheaper to fly into Sofia or Utrecht?
Prices for flights to both Utrecht 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 $35Utrecht $117
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 Utrecht
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Utrecht.
- Utrecht Food Tour on a Bicycle with local guide: $81
- Utrecht Food Tour with local guide: $83
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Sofia $6.54Utrecht $51
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 Utrecht
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Utrecht are as follows:
- A Self-Guided Audio Tour of Utrecht's Charming City Centre: $5.99
- Castles, Canals and Good Folk: A Self-Guided Audio Tour of Utrecht: $8.99
- Cultural and Historical Audio Guided Walking Tour of Utrecht: $16
- Discover Utrecht with a self-guided Outside Escape city game tour: $30
- Discover Utrecht's Highlights: Your Self-Guided GPS Tour: $8.29
- Discover Utrecht’s Zocherpark in this Outside Escape game tour!: $30
- Escape Tours Utrecht; find the secret exit and win! : $24
- Escape the City Game and City Walking Tour of Utrecht : $36
- Historical Private Tour with Local Guide: $297
- Our Utrecht City Tour (Limited group size & optional Lunch): $33
- Pop Up Jazz Club Experience with City Stories & Jazz: $25
- Private Utrecht Food Walking Tour with 8 Tastings: $197
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySofia $9.26Utrecht $28
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 Utrecht, we can see that Utrecht 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 Utrecht would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Utrecht 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 Utrecht Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Sofia or Utrecht?
Sofia has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Utrecht. When comparing the sizes of Sofia and Utrecht, 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.