Which place is cheaper, Frankfurt or Sofia?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Sofia or Frankfurt?
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 Frankfurt. 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 Frankfurt?
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.
Frankfurt
Frankfurt is the financial and business hub of Germany. It houses the European Central Bank and the German Stock Exchange, and often plays host to trade shows and business fairs. It has the country's most modern skyline and the largest airport. It is also a transportation hub for Germany with many important train lines passing through. The city itself is situated on the River Main. Some of the most important sights are along the river near Romer Square and include museums and monuments. This area pulls in millions of tourists every year. Although many sights are clustered in this area, it's important to head into more off the beaten path areas that can be enjoyable to explore. These areas offer glimpses into daily life in Frankfurt.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Bulgaria, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Bulgaria, The Best Coach Bus Tours in Germany, and The Best Adventure Tours to Germany.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySofia $64Frankfurt $131
The average daily cost (per person) in Sofia is $64, while the average daily cost in Frankfurt is $131. 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 Frankfurt in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSofia $40Frankfurt $62
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSofia $80Frankfurt $124
Compare Hotels in Sofia and Frankfurt
Looking for a hotel in Sofia or Frankfurt? 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.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Sofia $8.38Frankfurt $27
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Sofia
Also for Sofia, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- VIP Transfer from Sofia to Bansko: $186
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service in Sofia HTL-APT (SOF): $48
- Transfer from the Sofia Airport to your hotel in Sofia by VIP Mercedes V class: $66
- Transfer from Sofia to Stara Zagora: $194
- Transfer from Sofia to Pamporovo: $191
- Transfer from Sofia to Borovets: $83
- Transfer from Sofia airport to hotel in Sofia OR vice versa: $19
- Transfer from Sofia Airport to Bansko: $195
- Transfer from Sofia Airport T1 to Bansko: $102
- Private Airport Transfer to Sofia City Center: $31
- Sofia to Bucharest - Private Transfer: $687
- Sofia Airport SOF Private Transfer to Sofia City in Business Car: $54
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Frankfurt
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Frankfurt:
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Car Rental$54
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Frankfurt
Also for Frankfurt, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private transfer from Frankfurt am Main to Prague: $1,059
- Transfer from Frankfurt Airport to Munich: $695
- Transfer from Frankfurt Airport to Baden-Baden: $396
- Frankfurt Highlights Private Car Tour with Airport Transfers: $383
- Private Transfer: Frankfurt to River Cruise Dock Nuremberg Port/Harbor transport: $284
- Transfer in Private Vehicle from Frankfurt Airport (FRA)- Kaiserlautern: $267
- Private Transfer Frankfurt Airport to Heidelberg City by Minivan: $157
- Frankfurt Airport (FRA) to Baden-Baden Thermal - Arrival Transfer: $142
- Frankfurt Airport (FRA): Private Transfer to Frankfurt: $140
- BaronFleet Frankfurt- Arrival & Departure Airport Transfers: $132
- Roundtrip Transfer Private Minivan Frankfurt Airport (FRA) - Frankfurt City: $123
- Frankfurt Airport (FRA) to Frankfurt Round-Trip Private Transfer: $109
Is it cheaper to fly into Sofia or Frankfurt?
Prices for flights to both Frankfurt 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 $18Frankfurt $44
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Sofia
For Sofia, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Market Food Tour: $47
- 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: $106
- Private Sofia Night Tour with Bulgarian Folklore & Dinner: $108
- Sofia by Night: Private Tour with Dinner: $118
- Evening City Tour with Folklore Dinner: $118
- Sofia by Night Panoramic Private Tour with Dinner, Folklore Show: $131
Typical Food Prices in Frankfurt
For Frankfurt, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Soda$2.14
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Bagel Sandwich and Latte$7.50
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Ham & Cheese Sandwich and Coffee$6.43
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Sandwich and Cola$7.50
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Frankfurt
For Frankfurt, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- FOOD TOUR WITH 3-4 LOCAL INSIDER FOODSPOTS: $80
- Eltz Castle Small-Group Tour from Frankfurt with Dinner: $281
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Sofia $5.92Frankfurt $39
Tours and Activities in Sofia
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Sofia.
- Belogradchik Rocks & Venetsa cave/Small group bigger experience: $98
- Mount Verila Cultural Tour in Bulgaria: $93
- Private Tour from Sofia to the Rila monatsery: $109
- 3 Caves tour - Saeva dupka , Eyes of God cave & Devetashka Cave: $86
- 3-Hour Private Bulgarian Food Tasting Tour of Sofia: $82
- 7 Rila Lakes and Rila Monastery Small Group Day tour from Sofia: $93
- 7 Rila lakes and Rila monastery day tour from Sofia: $98
- Admission Ticket to the Museum of Illusions in Sofia: $15
- Adventure Tour to Plovdiv and Rhodope Mountain: $108
- Adventure bike tours in Sofia: $59
- Afternoon Delights in Sofia Tour: $75
- Art Gallery Sightseeing Tour in Sofia: $59
Tours and Activities in Frankfurt
For Frankfurt, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 2-Hour Best of Frankfurt Walking Tour (English): $26
- Atta Dripstone Cave and Braunfels Castle Tour from Frankfurt: $271
- Bike Tour of Frankfurt Top Attractions & Nature with a Guide : $207
- Bike tour city tour by bike to Skyline, Goethe, and apple wine: $53
- Brandenburg Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $11
- Breathtaking Pearls of Frankfurt - Walking Tour: $242
- Cologne & Limburg Full-Day Tour: $283
- Culinary Frankfurt Walking Tour: $609
- Exciting private city tour of Frankfurt for your group: $164
- Explore Bird & Marine Wildlife private Boat Tour in English: $108
- Franfurt Horror Tour: Terror of the White Spider: $20
- Frankfurt - Old Town Historic Walking Tour: $374
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySofia $8.39Frankfurt $32
Sample the Local Flavors in Sofia
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Sofia:
- Sofia Pub Crawl - Party Tour of Sofia's Best Bars & Clubs: $16
- Sofia's Hidden Bars: 4-Hour Pub Crawl: $19
- Sofia Pub Crawl Tour of The Hidden Unique Bars: $20
- Wine Tasting in Heart of Sofia: $33
- Sofia Bar Crawl: $54
- 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: $107
- Private Sofia City Tour with Wine Tasting: $109
- Hisarya, Starosel, and Wine Tasting Tour from Sofia: $115
- Koprivshtitsa and Starosel Day Trip with Wine Tasting: $139
Typical Alcohol Prices in Frankfurt
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Frankfurt:
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Becks Beer$2.14
Sample the Local Flavors in Frankfurt
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Frankfurt:
- Night Pub Crawl through Alt-Sachsenhausen: $21
- Enjoy the night with our Pub Tours: $32
- Weekend Night Pub Crawl through Alt-Sachsenhausen: $34
- Full Day Private Rhine Valley Wine Tour Experience from Frankfurt: $279
- Frankfurt Wine Tasting Tour with a Wine Expert: $280
- Frankfurt Wine Tasting Tour with a Wine Expert: $286
- Guided Walk Tour With Apple Wine Tasting: $334
- Bachelor(ette) Party with Pub Crawl: $401
- Private Premium Pub Crawl Tour: $513
- Private Rhine Valley tour with river cruise & wine tasting: $748
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Sofia and Frankfurt, we can see that Frankfurt 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 Frankfurt would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Frankfurt 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 Frankfurt Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Sofia or Frankfurt?
Sofia has a larger population, and is about 77% larger than the population of Frankfurt. When comparing the sizes of Sofia and Frankfurt, 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.