Which place is cheaper, Johannesburg or Sofia?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Sofia or Johannesburg?
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 Johannesburg. 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 Johannesburg?
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.
Johannesburg
Johannesburg is the largest city in South Africa with a population of over 3 million people. Most of the population is made up of South Africa's black residents, who predominately reside in the Soweto area. There are approximately half a million white residents and 300,000 residents of other descent. Half of the population live in the Soweto area as well as the nearby suburbs.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Bulgaria, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Bulgaria, The Best Adventure Tours to South Africa, and The Best Eco Tours in South Africa.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySofia $65Johannesburg $95
The average daily cost (per person) in Sofia is $65, while the average daily cost in Johannesburg is $95. 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 Johannesburg in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSofia $41Johannesburg $55
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSofia $82Johannesburg $110
Compare Hotels in Sofia and Johannesburg
Looking for a hotel in Sofia or Johannesburg? 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 Johannesburg Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Sofia $8.47Johannesburg $16
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: $19
- Private Airport Transfer to Sofia City Center: $31
- Private Transfer from Sofia City to Sofia (SOF) Airport: $42
- Private transfer: Sofia Airport (SOF) to Sofia: $47
- Private Guided Transfer from Sofia Airport to Bansko Ski Resort with a Rila Monastery visit: $51
- Private Transfer from/to Sofia Airport : $54
- Be Eco: Sofia Airport Transfer with an Electric Vehicle: $54
- Private Transfer from Sofia Airport SOF to Sofia in Business Car: $54
- Sofia Airport SOF Private Transfer to Sofia City in Business Car: $54
- From Koprivshtitsa & Historic Homes Tour w/ Transfer: $54
- Private Airport Transfer from/to Sofia Bulgaria: $55
- Private Transfer from Sofia (SOF) Airport to Borovets: $63
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Johannesburg
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Johannesburg:
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Taxi Ride$3.24
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Johannesburg
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Johannesburg:
- Airport To Suncity Transfer And Return: $405
- Private Arrival Transfer: Johannesburg Airport to Mpumalanga: $281
- Johannesburg Airport (JNB): Transfer to Pretoria hotels: $279
- Private Transfer from Johannesburg To Pilanesberg: $221
- Private Land Rover transfer to Sun City from Johannesburg and PTA: $196
- Johannesburg Airport (JNB): Transfer to Johannesburg hotels: $195
- Suncity Transfer: $193
- Executive Airport Transfers - OR Tambo to Sandton : $179
- Private Transfer from Johannesburg OR Tambo Airport (JNB) to Pretoria hotels: $164
- Transfers Between OR Tambo and Pilanesburg : $159
- Private Transfer, Airports to Cradle of Humankind & Muldersdrift : $146
- Private executive transfer to sun city or airport/hotels : $119
Is it cheaper to fly into Sofia or Johannesburg?
Prices for flights to both Johannesburg 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 $18Johannesburg $17
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
- Half-Day Sofia Evening Walking Tour with Vegetarian Dinner: $49
- Sofia by Night Panoramic Tour with Dinner and Folklore Show: $98
- Sofia by Night: Panoramic City Tour and Folklore Dinner: $107
- Private Sofia Night Tour with Bulgarian Folklore & Dinner: $109
- Guided Night Tour & Folklore Performance with Dinner: $118
- 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: $132
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Johannesburg
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Johannesburg.
- Maboneng Street Art and Street Food Tour: $41
- JOBURG DINNERS : MABONENG CITY DINNER: $97
- Johannesburg Culture and food tour: $99
- Pan-African Cooking & Dinning Experience: $216
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Sofia $5.98Johannesburg $21
Tours and Activities in Sofia
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Sofia.
- Audio Guided Museum Paleontology and Historical Geology Ticket: $3.84
- Rila Monastery: Monastery & Museums Self-Guided Audio Tour 7 lang: $5.48
- Self-Guided Audio Tour on Your Phone (ENG): $7.61
- Self-guided tour of Boyana Church: $7.68
- Sofia Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $7.73
- Sofia Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self Guided Tour: $7.84
- Self-guided Tour in the Museum of Socialist Art: $7.90
- Guided Walking Tour of Sofia: $11
- Self-Guided Audio Tour: $11
- Audio Guide for All Sofia Sights, Attractions or Experiences: $12
- Self-Guided Audio Tour: $14
- Admission Ticket to the Museum of Illusions in Sofia: $15
Tours and Activities in Johannesburg
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Johannesburg are as follows:
- Private Full Day Johannesburg Historical Tour : $193
- Soweto half day tour including Mandela House.Private transport: $72
- (Meet the Artist)Art Gallery & Street Art tour with lunch: $30
- 10 Days Overland Tour-Johannesburg and Cape Town: $2,701
- 15 Days Johannesburg, Kruger National Park – Cape Town Tour: $4,052
- 3 Day Kruger National Park Tour from Johannesburg: $807
- 3 Days 2 Nights Panorama Tour & Kruger National park Safari: $832
- 4-Days Overnight Experience in The Panorama Route & Safari: $1,735
- 6 Days Johannesburg and Kruger National Park Tour: $1,621
- 6 Days of The Best of Johannesburg Experience: $972
- 9 day Kruger Park Safari & Cape Town Luxury Coach Tour: $1,972
- A Day Of Soweto Food & Beer Tour: $32
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySofia $8.48Johannesburg $4.73
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: $76
- 1-Hour Private Cheese and Wine Tasting in Sofia : $87
- Private Sofia Tour with Wine Tasting: $108
- Hisarya, Starosel, and Wine Tasting Tour from Sofia: $115
- Private Cheese and Wine Tasting Experience in Sofia: $120
- Koprivshtitsa and Starosel Day Trip with Wine Tasting: $140
Sample the Local Flavors in Johannesburg
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Johannesburg:
- Wine Tasting Experience in Johannesburg: $8.28
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Sofia and Johannesburg, we can see that Johannesburg is more expensive. And not only is Sofia much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Sofia is in Europe and Johannesburg is in Africa, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. 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 Johannesburg would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Johannesburg 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 Johannesburg Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Sofia or Johannesburg?
Johannesburg has a larger population, and is about 76% larger than the population of Sofia. When comparing the sizes of Sofia and Johannesburg, 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.