Which place is cheaper, Palermo or Sofia?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Sofia or Palermo?
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 Palermo. 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 Palermo?
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.
Palermo
Located on its north coast, Palermo is the capital city of Sicily. The city has a lot to offer visitors who decide to venture to this often overlooked part of Italy. There is an interesting history, some unique and delicious food, and a fascinating culture. Prices in Sicily are generally cheaper than elsewhere in Italy. There are a handful of budget accommodation options and plenty of mid range hotels that are spread throughout the city. The rooms are usually comfortable and clean but as always, read reviews before making your reservation.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Bulgaria, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Bulgaria, The Best Luxury Tours to Italy, and The Best Budget Tours to Italy.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySofia $64Palermo $99
The average daily cost (per person) in Sofia is $64, while the average daily cost in Palermo is $99. 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 Palermo in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSofia $40Palermo $60
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSofia $80Palermo $120
Compare Hotels in Sofia and Palermo
Looking for a hotel in Sofia or Palermo? 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 Palermo Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Sofia $8.38Palermo $6.04
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: Sofia to Sofia Airport (SOF): $47
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service in Sofia HTL-APT (SOF): $48
- Airport Transfer from Sofia Airport: $49
- From Koprivshtitsa & Historic Homes Tour w/ Transfer: $53
- Be Eco: Sofia Airport Transfer with an Electric Vehicle: $54
- Sofia Airport SOF Private Transfer to Sofia City in Business Car: $54
- Private Transfer from Sofia Airport SOF to Sofia in Business Car: $54
- Private Airport Transfer from/to Sofia Bulgaria: $55
- Private Departure Transfer from Sunny Beach to Burgas Airport: $66
- Transfer from the Sofia Airport to your hotel in Sofia by VIP Mercedes V class: $66
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Palermo
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Palermo:
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Bus to Monreale$3.21
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Bus From Airport$6.43
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90 Minute Bus Pass$1.39
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Short Taxi Ride$4.66
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Palermo
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Palermo:
- Private transfer from Palermo airport to Verdura Resort Sciacca or vice versa: $233
- Transfer from Palermo Airport to Verdura Resort: $214
- Private Golf Club Class w/ Transfer, Ticket, & Food: $176
- Palermo Airport (PMO) Departure Transfer (Palermo Hotels or address to Airport): $156
- Private Transfer Palermo Airport to/from Adler SPA Resort Sicily: $149
- Private Transfer Trapani or San Vito lo Capo to Palermo Airport by Car or Van: $146
- Palermo Private Transfer from or to Palermo Airport in Sicily : $137
- Transfer from Palermo Airport to Palermo: $131
- Private Transfer from Palermo (PMO) Airport to Santa Flavia: $124
- Private Transfer Palermo Airport to/from San Vito Lo Capo, Macari: $109
- Private transfer from Palermo airport to Marsala port or vice versa: $109
- Transfers From / to Palermo Airport: $108
Is it cheaper to fly into Sofia or Palermo?
Prices for flights to both Palermo 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 $18Palermo $31
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 Palermo
Some typical examples of dining costs in Palermo are as follows:
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Sitdown Dinner (for Two)$34
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Fast Food Lunch$5.70
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Palermo
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Palermo.
- Street Food Tour: $42
- Street Food Tour: $65
- Explore Palermo's with a Food Tour & Pizza Making Class: $68
- Small Group Night Street Food Tour: $68
- Pizza and Gelato Cooking Class with Dinner and Wine: $74
- Palermo Traditional Food Tour: $74
- Palermo's Delight: Unleash the Secrets of Pizza and Gelato Making: $75
- Night Street Food Tour of Palermo : $75
- Secret Food Tours Palermo: $85
- Street Food Tour in Ballarò and Vucciria Markets: $86
- Walking Street Food Tour with the Chef: $91
- Sicilian Cooking Class: $101
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Sofia $5.92Palermo $18
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: $3.82
- Rila Monastery: Monastery & Museums Self-Guided Audio Tour 7 lang: $5.46
- Self-Guided Audio Tour on Your Phone (ENG): $7.61
- Sofia Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $7.65
- Sofia Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self Guided Tour: $7.84
- Self-guided Tour in the Museum of Socialist Art: $7.87
- 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
- Sofia Audio guide Tour offers available in 7 languages: $14
- Admission Ticket to the Museum of Illusions in Sofia: $15
Typical Entertainment Prices in Palermo
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Palermo are as follows:
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Capuchin Catacombs (for 2)$6.43
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Castello della Zisa Entrance (for Two)$13
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Theater Tickets (for Two)$53
Tours and Activities in Palermo
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Palermo are as follows:
- 4 Hours Private Architectural Tour in Palermo: $165
- Agrigento - Private Tour to the Valley of the Temples from Palermo: $295
- Agrigento Valley of the Temples and Villa Romana del Casale Tour from Palermo: $133
- Ballaro 'street food market tour & Santa Rosalia Sanctuary: $208
- Cappella Palatina and Palazzo dei Normanni Tour: $91
- Captivating Agrigento Sunset Tour of Valle dei Templi: $43
- Capuchin Catacombs and Monreale Cathedral Private Tour: $192
- Cesarine: Market Tour & Dining at a Local's Home in Palermo: $152
- Discover the Charm of A 3-Hour UNESCO Sites Walking Tour: $38
- Eating Street Food & Market Tour: $117
- English or Spanish tour to immersive museum + lunch: $37
- Entrance ticket to the Radici Piccolo Museo Della Natura: $11
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySofia $8.39Palermo $12
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 Palermo
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Palermo:
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Beer$2.74
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Bottle of Quality Wine$12
Sample the Local Flavors in Palermo
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Palermo:
- Pub Crawl Palermo: $16
- Wine Tasting with Snacks at Bottega Monteleone: $41
- Natural Local Wine Tasting & Sicilian Tapas: $49
- Natural Wine Tasting with snacks at Bottega Monteleone: $53
- Eating Palermo Food & Wine Tour: $82
- 2-Hour Sicilian Cheese and Wine Tasting Tour: $128
- From Erice and Marsala Day Trip with Wine Tasting: $181
- Wine Tasting for Small Groups in the Palermo Countryside: $196
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Sofia and Palermo, we can see that Palermo 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 Palermo would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Palermo 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 Palermo Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Sofia or Palermo?
Sofia has a larger population, and is about 71% larger than the population of Palermo. When comparing the sizes of Sofia and Palermo, 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.