Which place is cheaper, Milan or Sofia?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Sofia or Milan?
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 Milan. 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 Milan?
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.
Milan
Milan, known to most of the world as the capital of fashion and style, is also the heart of Italian industry and economics. Between the stock exchange, cathedrals and boutiques, this metropolis is a city-lover's dream come true. It is an escape from the stresses of the real world, and provides a playground for all the world's most lavish luxuries.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Bulgaria, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Bulgaria, The Best Sightseeing Tours in Italy, and The Best Vineyard & Wine Tours in Italy.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySofia $64Milan $178
The average daily cost (per person) in Sofia is $64, while the average daily cost in Milan is $178. 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 Milan in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSofia $40Milan $103
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSofia $80Milan $206
Compare Hotels in Sofia and Milan
Looking for a hotel in Sofia or Milan? 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 Milan Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Sofia $8.38Milan $38
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Sofia
Also for Sofia, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Sofia to Bucharest - Private Transfer: $687
- From Private Transfer to Bucharest: $448
- Private Transfer from Sofia to Burgas (BOJ) Airport: $292
- Private Transfer from Sofia (SOF) Airport to Sozopol: $292
- Private Transfer from Sofia to Varna (VAR) Airport: $273
- Private Transfer from Sofia (SOF) Airport to Kavala: $237
- Private Transfer Bucharest to/from Sofia: $224
- Transfer from Sofia Airport to Bansko: $195
- Transfer from Sofia to Stara Zagora: $194
- Transfer from Sofia to Pamporovo: $191
- VIP Transfer from Sofia to Bansko: $186
- Bansko Transfer from/to Sofia Airport: $175
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Milan
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Milan:
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Train to Airport$7.50
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Malpensa Airport Train (for Two)$24
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Taxi From Airport$96
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Public Transit Day Pass$4.82
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Short Taxi Ride$7.64
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Milan
Also for Milan, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Malpensa Airport (MXP):1-Way Transfer to Trieste Cruise Port: $2,111
- Private 1-Way Transfer to/from Venice: $1,529
- Private Transfer to/from Siena and Center of Milan: $1,310
- Nyon: Private Transfer to/from Malpensa Airport: $1,016
- Basel : Private Transfer to/from Milan Malpensa Airport: $1,016
- Interlaken : Private transfer to/from Malpensa Airport: $962
- SUV LUXURY TRANSFER FROM TÄSCH/ZERMATT TO AIRPORT MALPENSA: $866
- Zurich : Private Transfer to/from Malpensa Airport: $856
- Montreux : Private Transfer to/from Malpensa Airport: $802
- Grindelwald: Private Transfer to/from Malpensa Airport: $802
- Lousanne : Private transfer to/from Malpensa Airport: $781
- Bern : Private Transfer to/from Malpensa Airport: $738
Is it cheaper to fly into Sofia or Milan?
Prices for flights to both Milan 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 $18Milan $42
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 Milan
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Milan:
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Snack at Train Station$9.22
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Restaurant Pizza$7.07
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Casual Cafe Lunch (for Two)$29
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Three Course Dinner (for Two)$69
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Cappuccino$1.75
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Milan
For Milan, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- PYT Milano Dinner Show with Live Music and DJ Set: $21
- Hard Rock Cafe with Set Menu for Lunch or Dinner: $29
- Milan Gourmet Food Tour and Sightseeing with Local Guide: $38
- Gourmet Street Food Tour with Sightseeing and Tasting: $45
- Eating Milan Street Food Tour with Guided Tasting and Sightseeing: $46
- Tasty Milan Street Food Tour with Local Guide: $46
- Delicious Milan Street Food Tour Tasting and Sightseeing with Local Guide: $46
- Devour Milan Street Food Tour and Sightseeing: $46
- NO DIET CLUB - Best Food Tour in Milan !: $59
- NO DIET CLUB - Best Food Tour in Milan !: $60
- Local Market and Cooking Class with an Italian Chef: $70
- Italian Cooking Class with Food and Wine: $70
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Sofia $5.92Milan $33
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
Typical Entertainment Prices in Milan
For Milan, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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Stairs to Duomo Rooftop$7.50
Tours and Activities in Milan
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Milan.
- Lake Como trekking private guided tour, from Milan or Como: $174
- Milan Highlights semi-Private Walking Tour: $43
- Milan Urban Wonders Small Group Tour: $53
- Gallery Tour, Terraces of the Duomo & Cathedral: $36
- Skip-the-Line Duomo Cathedral Tour : $54
- Private Audio Guided Walking Tour in Milan: $6.53
- "Milano Style: Your Italian Fashion Experience": $164
- 1 hour Italian Food Experiences in Milan: $39
- 1.5-hour The Last Supper and Church of San Maurizio tour in Milan - small group: $85
- 2 Hours Guided La Scala Theatre Tour in Milan: $125
- 2-Hour Milan by Night Walking Tour: $156
- 2-Hour Private Guided Tour of Milan by Electric Scooter: $133
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySofia $8.39Milan $26
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 Milan
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Milan:
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Cocktail at a Bar$9.00
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Beer$3.59
Sample the Local Flavors in Milan
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Milan:
- Wine Tasting Experience in the City Centre: $43
- Wine Tasting Experience in Milan city centre: $44
- Milan Wine Tasting Experience: $52
- Italian Wine Tasting in Milan: $53
- Milan Wine Tasting Aperitivo: $56
- Milan Wine Tasting with Italian Sommelier: $86
- Private Food and Wine Tasting Experience in the Center of Milan: $87
- Wine Tasting with an Italian Sommelier: $93
- Best of Guided Tour with Duomo, Food & Wine Tasting: $159
- Food and Wine Tasting enjoying the New Milan: $164
- Brescia & Franciacorta Guided Tour with Wine Tasting: $181
- Brescia and Franciacorta winery area. Cultural and wine tasting small group tour: $184
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Sofia and Milan, we can see that Milan 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 Milan would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Milan 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 Milan Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Sofia or Milan?
Milan has a larger population, and is about 13% larger than the population of Sofia. When comparing the sizes of Sofia and Milan, 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.