Which place is cheaper, Marseille or Sofia?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Sofia or Marseille?
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 Marseille. 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 Marseille?
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.
Marseille
Marseille is the second largest city in France and is the largest Mediterranean port in the region. For visitors, Marseille offers an authentic glimpse at France. It has many colorful markets, natural beauty such as the Calanques with its large, beautiful cliffs, and the old harbor area, which offers a glimpse at the areas working class history.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Bulgaria, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Bulgaria, The Best Contiki Tours to France, and The Best G Adventures Tours to France.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySofia $64Marseille $158
The average daily cost (per person) in Sofia is $64, while the average daily cost in Marseille is $158. 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 Marseille in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSofia $40Marseille $76
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSofia $80Marseille $152
Compare Hotels in Sofia and Marseille
Looking for a hotel in Sofia or Marseille? 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 Marseille Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Sofia $8.38Marseille $30
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 Marseille
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Marseille:
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Metro Pass$3.21
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Marseille
Also for Marseille, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Transfer Between Marseille Airport and Nice Airport: $1,176
- Private Transfer from Nice to Marseille: $738
- Cannes Private Transfer to Marseille Airport: $642
- Marseille or Aix ⟷Transfer to Nice 7 pax: $534
- Marseille Airport private Transfer to Cannes: $448
- Marseille Airport Transfer From/to Avignon: $356
- Private transfer from Marseille Airport to Cavaillon: $277
- Private Transfer from Marseille Airport to Avignon: $273
- Marseille Provence Airport transfer ↔ Avignon: $266
- Marseille Airport: VIP transfer to Baumaniere: $251
- Marseille Provence One Way Airport transfer to Gordes: $250
- Private Transfer Marseille to Saint Tropez With 2h Stop in Toulon: $241
Is it cheaper to fly into Sofia or Marseille?
Prices for flights to both Marseille 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 $18Marseille $45
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 Marseille
For Marseille, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Orangina$2.68
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Marseille
For Marseille, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Web-cooking workshop / French cuisine or French pastry: $35
- No Diet Club - Unique food tour in Marseille! (Cours Julien): $63
- Sunset Cruise with Dinner: $74
- Sunset Sailing Cruise with Dinner and Drinks: $86
- Sunset Boat Cruise with Dinner and Drinks: $86
- Bakeries, Chocolate & Patisseries Food Tour: $93
- Sunset Apéro Food tour: $95
- Walking Food Tour with Tastings: $97
- Marseille Sunset Apéro Food tour: $97
- Evening Food Tour with Tastings: $102
- Sunset Sailing Dinner in the Frioul Archipelago: $102
- Marseille Miam Miam Food tour: $104
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Sofia $5.92Marseille $41
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 Marseille
For Marseille, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- "Old Marseille" district tour and treasure hunt: $29
- 2H: City-Tour Marseille: $274
- 3h Kayak Tour at Calanques National Park: $67
- A Day in Provence Small Group Tour from Marseille: $180
- Aix-en-Provence: Half-Day Shore Excursion Tour: $642
- All Inclusive Food & History Tour of Marseille with Local Guide: $144
- Beer tasting experience in Marseille: $43
- Bookbinding experience in the Vieux Port: $93
- Calanques National Park Guided Hiking Tour: $50
- Calanques National Park Kayak Day Tour: $112
- Calanques Trilogy Electric Bike Tour from Marseille: $65
- Canyoning Half Day Tour from La Ciotat : $67
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySofia $8.39Marseille $29
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
Sample the Local Flavors in Marseille
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Marseille:
- Marseille Bar Crawl Party with Free Shots and VIP Entry: $21
- Marseille Riviera Bar Crawl Party with Free Shots and VIP Entry: $22
- Marseille Pub Crawl : Meet, Drink & Party: $43
- New Year's Eve Bar Crawl Marseille France: $96
- Delicious Food and Wine Tour: $117
- Bandol and Cassis: Full Day Wine Tour from Marseille: $143
- Luberon: Full-Day Wine Tour from Marseille: $143
- Full-day Wine Tour around Bandol & Cassis from Marseille: $146
- Full-Day Wine Tour around Luberon from Marseille: $146
- Côtes du Rhône Wine tour: Avignon, Palace of the Popes: $163
- Small Group Marseille Shore Excursion : Avignon & Chateauneuf du Pape Wine Tour: $164
- Marseille Shore Excursion - Full Day Wine Tour in Provence: $164
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Sofia and Marseille, we can see that Marseille 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 Marseille would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Marseille 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 Marseille Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Sofia or Marseille?
Sofia has a larger population, and is about 45% larger than the population of Marseille. When comparing the sizes of Sofia and Marseille, 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.