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

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Should you visit Mamaia or Sofia?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Should I visit Mamaia or Sofia? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.

Mamaia

The most popular beach resort in Romania, Mamaia sits on an 8-kilometer wisp of land between Lake Siutghiol and the Black Sea. With plenty of hotels, restaurants, nightclubs, and an aqua park, the resort area is a party-goer's destination with endless opportunities for fun in the sun and nighttime merriment.

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.

Which city is cheaper, Sofia or Mamaia?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Mamaia is $51, while the average daily cost in Sofia is $51. 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 city. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Mamaia and Sofia in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Mamaia $20
    Sofia $32
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Mamaia $40
    Sofia $64

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Mamaia $21
    Sofia $6.63

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Sofia

Also for Sofia, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Wheelchair Accessible Airport Transfer: $37
  • Transfers Bulgaria: $75
  • Transfers: $106
  • Transfer to Bucharest from Sofia: $149
  • Transfer from Sofia Airport T1 to Bansko: $116
  • Private Airport Transfer to Sofia City Center: $27
  • Bansko Shuttle Transfer from/to Sofia Airport: $49
  • Airport Shuttle Transfer to Borovets: $19
  • Sofia to Sunny Beach Passenger Transfer: $263
  • Sofia to Stara Zagora Passenger Transfer: $151
  • Sofia to Sozopol Passenger Transfer: $263
  • Sofia to Plovdiv Passenger Transfer: $93

Is it cheaper to fly into Mamaia or Sofia?

Prices for flights to both Sofia and Mamaia 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
    Mamaia $18
    Sofia $14

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Sofia

For Sofia, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Online Traditional Bulgarian Cooking Class: $36
  • Market Food Tour: $44
  • Private Sofia Night Tour with Bulgarian Folklore Show & Dinner: $73
  • Guided Night Tour & Folklore Performance with Dinner: $74
  • Sofia by Night Panoramic Tour with Dinner and Folklore Show: $75
  • Private Bulgarian Cooking Class in Sofia with a Local with Hotel Transfers: $92
  • Private Traditional Bulgarian Cooking in Central Sofia: $98
  • Hiking The Seven Rila Lakes with option for dinner: $111
  • Evening City Tour with Folklore Dinner: $114
  • Market Visit and Private Bulgarian Cooking Class in Sofia with Hotel Transfers: $117
  • Private Sofia Evening Tour with Folklore Dinner: $137
  • 6-Hour Historic Tour, Dinner, and Folklore Show: $256

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Mamaia $10
    Sofia $4.68

Tours and Activities in Sofia

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Sofia.

  • 10 Days Bulgaria Round Tour - Urban & Sea Experience: $895
  • 11 Days Bulgaria Round Tour - Stunning Big Voyage: $932
  • 12 days Balkans Guided Tour from Sofia to Budapest: $2,488
  • 17days Balkans Tour from Sofia to Bucharest: $3,484
  • 2 Day Private Adventure Tour in Vitosha mountain from Sofia: $288
  • 21 Days Small Group Balkans Tour from Sofia: $4,354
  • 3 Caves tour - Saeva dupka , Eyes of God cave & Devetashka Cave: $93
  • 3-Day Bulgaria Private Mountain Biking Tour from Sofia: $438
  • 3-Hour Private Bulgarian Food Tasting Tour of Sofia: $56
  • 4 Balkan Countries and 3 Nights Cruise in Greek Islands from Sofia: $2,725
  • 4 Days Natural and Historical Wonders of the Rhodope mountain Motorcyle tour: $695
  • 5 Days Guided Motorcycle Tour Wine, Nature and Traditions: $621

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Mamaia $9.24
    Sofia $6.63

Sample the Local Flavors in Sofia

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Sofia:

  • Sofia Pub Crawl Tour of The Hidden Unique Bars: $19
  • Tipsy Pub Crawl Sofia: $23
  • An amazing 3 hours of painting and wine tasting: $35
  • Sofia Bar Crawl: $42
  • Sofia Exquisite Wine Tasting: $47
  • Hisarya, Starosel, and Wine Tasting Tour from Sofia: $60
  • From Rozhen monastery and Melnik with wine tasting: $75
  • Rila monastery- Wine tasting - Boyana church: $75
  • Plovdiv and Perushtitsa Day Trip with Wine Tasting from Sofia: $81
  • Plovdiv and Thracia Valley with Wine Tasting: $81
  • Plovdiv, day tour from Sofia and Wine tasting: $87
  • Private Food and Wine Tour - Sofia: $91

About these numbers

When comparing the travel costs between Mamaia and Sofia, we can see that Mamaia 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.

Budget Your Trip

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Mamaia vs. Sofia Travel Comparison

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