Should you visit Mamaia or Sofia?
Should I visit Mamaia or Sofia? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into 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 $57, while the average daily cost in Sofia is $57. 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. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Mamaia and Sofia in more detail.
Accommodation
An average hotel room with basic furnishings costs about $44 in Mamaia For the most convenient locations and nicer amenities you can expect to pay a bit more.
For a normal double-occupancy room in Sofia, $72 is the average cost for a hotel room. Also in Sofia, the typical price for a place to stay for one person is $36, such as in a hostel.
Food
Food in Mamaia costs travelers about $20 per day on average. Restaurants can vary significantly in price, so choose wisely if you're trying to save money. Fast food and street stalls are typically your cheapest options, which sit down restaurants can be significantly more expensive.
The price of a meal in Sofia can vary widely. However, the average price for food per day is $16 per person, and a typical meal will cost around $6.40 based on the spending of previous visitors. Less expensive dining options can be found by eating street food or at fast food restaurants.
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Food
Meals for one day
Mamaia $20
Sofia $16
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Sofia
For Sofia, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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Online Traditional Bulgarian Cooking Class:
$36
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Market Food Tour:
$44
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Private Sofia Night Tour with Bulgarian Folklore Show & Dinner:
$73
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Sofia by Night Panoramic Tour with Dinner and Folklore Show:
$75
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Private Bulgarian Cooking Class in Sofia with a Local with Hotel Transfers:
$92
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Private Traditional Bulgarian Cooking in Central Sofia:
$98
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Hiking The Seven Rila Lakes with option for dinner:
$111
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Market Visit and Private Bulgarian Cooking Class in Sofia with Hotel Transfers:
$117
-
Private Sofia Evening Tour with Folklore Dinner:
$137
Local Transportation
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Mamaia than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend $24 on transportation in Mamaia on average per day.
To get around in Sofia, the average visitor spends $7.45 per day, per person. This includes the costs of taxi rides and private drivers as well as public transportation, which tends to be much more affordable.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Sofia
Also for Sofia, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Wheelchair Accessible Airport Transfer:
$37
-
Transfers Bulgaria:
$75
-
Transfers:
$106
-
Transfer to Bucharest from Sofia:
$149
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Transfer from Sofia Airport T1 to Bansko:
$116
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Sofia to Sunny Beach Passenger Transfer:
$263
-
Sofia to Stara Zagora Passenger Transfer:
$151
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Sofia to Sozopol Passenger Transfer:
$263
-
Sofia to Plovdiv Passenger Transfer:
$93
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Sofia to Pamporovo Passenger Transfer:
$159
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Sofia to Nessebar Passenger Transfer:
$263
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Sofia to Golden Sands (Zlatni Pyasatsi) Passenger Transfer:
$319
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.
Entertainment
Sightseeing expenses in Mamaia, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of $11 per day, per person.
In Sofia, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average $5.26 per person, per day.
Tours and Activities in Sofia
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Sofia.
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10 Days Bulgaria Round Tour - Urban & Sea Experience:
$895
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11 Days Bulgaria Round Tour - Stunning Big Voyage:
$932
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12 days Balkans Guided Tour from Sofia to Budapest:
$2,488
-
17days Balkans Tour from Sofia to Bucharest:
$3,484
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2 Day Private Adventure Tour in Vitosha mountain from Sofia:
$288
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21 Days Small Group Balkans Tour from Sofia:
$4,354
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3 Caves tour - Saeva dupka , Eyes of God cave & Devetashka Cave:
$93
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3-Day Bulgaria Private Mountain Biking Tour from Sofia:
$438
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3-Hour Private Bulgarian Food Tasting Tour of Sofia:
$56
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4 Balkan Countries and 3 Nights Cruise in Greek Islands from Sofia:
$2,725
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4 Days Natural and Historical Wonders of the Rhodope mountain Motorcyle tour:
$695
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5 Days Guided Motorcycle Tour Wine, Nature and Traditions:
$621
Alcohol
Typically, people visiting Mamaia spend on average $10 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In Sofia, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is $7.46.
Sample the Local Flavors in Sofia
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Sofia:
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Sofia Pub Crawl Tour of The Hidden Unique Bars:
$19
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Tipsy Pub Crawl Sofia:
$23
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An amazing 3 hours of painting and wine tasting:
$35
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Sofia Bar Crawl:
$42
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Sofia Exquisite Wine Tasting:
$47
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Hisarya, Starosel, and Wine Tasting Tour from Sofia:
$60
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From Rozhen monastery and Melnik with wine tasting:
$75
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Rila monastery- Wine tasting - Boyana church:
$75
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Plovdiv and Thracia Valley with Wine Tasting:
$81
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Plovdiv and Perushtitsa Day Trip with Wine Tasting from Sofia:
$81
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Plovdiv, day tour from Sofia and Wine tasting:
$87
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Private Food and Wine Tour - Sofia:
$91
When comparing the travel costs between Mamaia and Sofia, 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.
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