Which place is cheaper, Sofia or Chania?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Chania or Sofia?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Chania or Sofia, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Where Should I go: Chania or Sofia?
Chania
Chania is a city on the northwest coast of the Greek island of Crete. Chania is Crete's most evocative city, with its pretty Venetian quarter, crisscrossed by narrow lanes, culminating at a magnificent harbor. At the harbor entrance is a 16th-century lighthouse with Venetian, Egyptian, and Ottoman influences. On the other side, the Nautical Museum has model ships, naval objects and photographs. The former monastery of St. Francis houses the Archaeological Museum of Chania. Remnants of Venetian and Turkish architecture abound, with old townhouses now transformed into atmospheric restaurants and boutique hotels. Although all this beauty means the old town is packed with tourists in summer, it's still a great place to unwind. The Venetian Harbor is super for a stroll and a coffee or cocktail. Plus it’s got a university and a modern area to the city, which means that it retains its charm in winter. Indie boutiques and an entire lane dedicated to leather products provide good shopping and, with a multitude of creative restaurants, you’ll likely have some of your best meals on Crete here.
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.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Adventure Tours to Greece, The Best Cruise Tours and Packages in Greece, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Bulgaria, and The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Bulgaria.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayChania €93Sofia €60
The average daily cost (per person) in Chania is €93, while the average daily cost in Sofia is €60. 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 Chania and Sofia in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personChania €46Sofia €38
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomChania €92Sofia €76
Compare Hotels in Chania and Sofia
Looking for a hotel in Chania or Sofia? 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: Chania Hotel Prices and Sofia Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Chania €15Sofia €7.87
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Chania
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Chania:
- One-Way Private Helicopter Transfer to Greek Islands: $7,875
- Private Transfer minivan transport in Creta: $613
- Chania to Faistos Palace Private Transfer Full Day Tour: $404
- Chania to Knossos Palace & Heraklion City Private Transfer: $367
- Heraklion Cruise Port: Transfer to Chania city hotels: $349
- Chania Int Airport (CHQ): Transfer to Heraklion Cruise Port: $349
- Chania to Imbros Gorge Private Full Day Transfer: $314
- Chania to Irini Gorge & Sougia Village: Private Transfer: $309
- Chania to Elafonissi Beach Private Transfer: $309
- Balos Beach Private Roundtrip Transfer with Free Time: $234
- Crete Private Taxi and Transfer from Kalyves to Heraklion Airport: $215
- Private Airport Transfers from Chania Airport to Heraklio: $192
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Sofia
Also for Sofia, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Airport Transfer from Sofia Airport: $48
- Airport Transfers in Bulgaria: $65
- Arrival Transfer: Sofia Airport SOF to Sofia in Luxury Car: $86
- Arrival Transfer: Sofia Airport SOF to Sofia in Luxury Van: $75
- Be Eco: Sofia Airport Transfer with an Electric Vehicle: $53
- Borovets Transfers from/to Sofia Airport: $103
- Departure Transfer: Sofia to Sofia Airport SOF in Luxury Car: $86
- Departure Transfer: Sofia to Sofia Airport SOF in Luxury Van: $75
- From Bansko Transfer with Rila Monastery Visit: $128
- From Koprivshtitsa & Historic Homes Tour w/ Transfer: $53
- From Plovdiv Day Tour with Transfer: $71
- From Private Transfer to Bucharest: $446
Is it cheaper to fly into Chania or Sofia?
Prices for flights to both Sofia and Chania 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 dayChania €32Sofia €17
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Chania
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Chania.
- The Delicious Chania PRIVATE Street Food Tour : $87
- Authentic and Traditional Cooking Class in Chania Crete: $100
- CHANIA WALKING FOOD TOURS – 3 HOUR WALKING TOUR: $106
- CHANIA CRETE COOKING CLASSES – 3 HOURS: $106
- Chania Cooking Class-The Authentic: $117
- Guided Walking Food Tour with Tasting: $122
- From The Ultimate Food Tour Of Chania Villages: $122
- Wine, Food, and Sunset Tour with 3-Course Dinner: $126
- From Agioi Theodoroi Catamaran Dinner Cruise: $127
- Sunset Craft Beer & Food Tour - Chania: $131
- Eat & Crete - Food Tour [out of the box]- Chania White Mountains: $197
- Horse riding,falasarna sunset,dinner in a tavern,drone video: $213
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Sofia
For Sofia, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Guided Night Tour & Folklore Performance with Dinner: $48
- Half-Day Sofia Evening Walking Tour with Vegetarian Dinner: $49
- Sofia by Night Panoramic Tour with Dinner and Folklore Show: $97
- Sofia by Night: Panoramic City Tour and Folklore Dinner: $105
- Private Sofia Night Tour with Bulgarian Folklore & Dinner: $107
- Sofia by Night: Private Tour with Dinner: $117
- Evening City Tour with Folklore Dinner: $117
- Sofia by Night Panoramic Private Tour with Dinner, Folklore Show: $130
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Chania €21Sofia €5.56
Tours and Activities in Chania
Here are a few actual costs in Chania for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Cretan Night Show Tour From Rethymnon: $54
- Private Tour to Elafonisi and Falasarna: $131
- All Day Family Tour to Rethymno & Kournas Lake | JMP Tours: $350
- All Inclusive Full-day Private Tour of Crete Villages from Chania: $278
- Amazing Crete - Elafonisi, Day Tour: $554
- Authentic Wine & Food Tastings - PRIVATE Walking Tour with Lunch: $158
- Avra, full day sailing cruise: $745
- Avra, half - day sailing cruise: $532
- Balos & Falassarna Beach - Jeep Tour with Loungers and Lunch: $164
- Balos Lagoon private Jeep tour & lunch with panoramic view: $164
- Chania Alternative Sunset Bike Tour: $47
- Chania Battle of Crete Private Tour: WW2 Military History: $144
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: $5.42
- Private Self-guided tour in Rila Monastery: $6.50
- Self-guided tour of Boyana Church: $7.59
- Self-Guided Audio Tour on Your Phone (ENG): $7.61
- Sofia Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $7.66
- Self-guided Tour in the Museum of Socialist Art: $7.81
- Guided Walking Tour of Sofia: $11
- Self-Guided Audio Tour: $11
- Guided Walking Tour of Sofia: $11
- Audio Guide for All Sofia Sights, Attractions or Experiences: $12
- Self-Guided Audio Tour: $14
- Sofia Audio guide Tour offers available in 7 languages: $14
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayChania €18Sofia €7.88
Sample the Local Flavors in Chania
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Chania:
- Cretan wine tasting, hosted in French: $90
- Milia Mountain Tour w/Lunch Olive Oil/Wine Tastings: $144
- Wines, Olives, and History: A Private Wine Tour from Chania: $787
Sample the Local Flavors in Sofia
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Sofia:
- Sofia's Hidden Bars: 4-Hour Pub Crawl: $19
- Sofia Pub Crawl Tour of The Hidden Unique Bars: $19
- Wine Tasting in Heart of Sofia: $33
- Sofia Bar Crawl: $53
- Special Selection Bulgarian Wine Tasting: $59
- Sofia Exquisite Wine Tasting: $75
- From Rozhen monastery and Melnik with wine tasting: $98
- Private Sofia Tour with Wine Tasting: $106
- Hisarya, Starosel, and Wine Tasting Tour from Sofia: $114
- Plovdiv and Thracia Valley with Wine Tasting: $119
- Koprivshtitsa and Starosel Day Trip with Wine Tasting: $138
- Rila Monastery Tour from Sofia - Lunch, Wine Tasting & The Unique Stob Pyramids: $139
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Chania and Sofia, we can see that Chania 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 Chania would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Chania 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 Chania Expensive? and Is Sofia Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Chania or Sofia?
Sofia has a larger population, and is about 20 times larger than the population of Chania. When comparing the sizes of Chania and Sofia, 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.