Which place is cheaper, San Sebastian or Sofia?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Sofia or San Sebastian?
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 San Sebastian. 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 San Sebastian?
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.
San Sebastian
San Sebastián is a city in northern Spain very well known for its summertime fun in the sun. While the streets are cool and happening at night, they take on a different charm by day. Beautiful beaches line the city's edge, right next to elegant historic architecture and churches, topping charts as some of the best city beaches in Europe. The food, too, is said to be some of the best with traditional Basque cuisine as well as the popular pintxo (tapas) bites. San Sebastián is a place of lively culture, teeming with beauty, flavors, and colors.
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 Spain, and The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Spain.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySofia $64San Sebastian $96
The average daily cost (per person) in Sofia is $64, while the average daily cost in San Sebastian is $96. 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 San Sebastian in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSofia $40San Sebastian $43
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSofia $80San Sebastian $86
Compare Hotels in Sofia and San Sebastian
Looking for a hotel in Sofia or San Sebastian? 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 San Sebastian Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Sofia $8.38San Sebastian $15
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
Hired Cars and Shuttles in San Sebastian
Some specific examples of transportation prices in San Sebastian:
- Private Transfer from San Sebastian to Vitoria: $291
- San Sebastián-Bilbao city or airport private transfer: $273
- Private Transfer from San Sebastian city to Bilbao Airport: $268
- Private Transfer from San Sebastian to Bilbao: $268
- Private Transfer from San Sebastian Airport to Pamplona city: $247
- Private Transfer from San Sebastian city to Pamplona Airport : $245
- Private Transfer from the Airport to San Sebastian City: $84
Is it cheaper to fly into Sofia or San Sebastian?
Prices for flights to both San Sebastian 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 $18San Sebastian $33
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 San Sebastian
Some typical examples of dining costs in San Sebastian are as follows:
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Dinner for 2$59
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Lunch for 2$11
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Lunch for 2$34
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in San Sebastian
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in San Sebastian.
- San Sebastian Walking and Food Tour: $104
- Insider Best Culinary Gems Guided Food Tour in San Sebastian: $109
- Basque Cuisine Cooking Class with Market Visit: $148
- Full Day San Sebastian Food Tour : $150
- I travel for Food Tour in San Sebastian: $152
- Authentic Basque Cooking Class in the Old Town: $152
- Private San Sebastian Walking Food Tour: $158
- Michelin Star Secrets Cooking Class in San Sebastian: $213
- Food tour in San Sebastian and Visit to a Gastronomical Club: $224
- History and flavors of San Sebastian for Dinner with Eskerne Falcón: $235
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Sofia $5.92San Sebastian $36
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 San Sebastian
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in San Sebastian are as follows:
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Valle de los Caídos Monument$6.43
Tours and Activities in San Sebastian
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for San Sebastian are as follows:
- Biarritz & La Côte Basque Private tour: $246
- Biarritz and French Coast Small Grop Tour from San Sebastian: $86
- Bilbao city and Guggenheim Museum small group tour: $164
- Chef-Led Market Tour & Pintxo Lunch: $163
- Chef-Led Walking Pintxo Tour of San Sebastián : $272
- Cider House Experience From San Sebastian: $120
- City tour, bike ride: $45
- City tour, by electric bicycle: $50
- Coastal "Winery Camino Trail" Walking Tour from San Sebastian: $186
- Electric scooter city tour: $45
- Evening Pintxo-Tapas Tour with Discover San Sebastian: $191
- Exclusive Private Pintxos Adventure with Premium Spanish Wines": $175
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySofia $8.39San Sebastian $21
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 San Sebastian
Also in San Sebastian, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Ultimate San Sebastian Pintxos & Wine Tour (Evening): $141
- Getaria Txakoli Wine Tour with Hotel Pick-up from San Sebastian: $148
- Best quality food & wine tasting tour in San Sebastian. : $191
- Rioja Wine Tour: 2 Wineries Visit with Tasting from San Sebastian: $240
- Rioja Wine Tour: Winery, Tasting & Lunch from San Sebastian: $251
- Full Rioja Wine Tour with Lunch from San Sebastian Private Tour: $298
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Sofia and San Sebastian, we can see that San Sebastian 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 San Sebastian would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in San Sebastian 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 San Sebastian Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Sofia or San Sebastian?
Sofia has a larger population, and is about 6 times larger than the population of San Sebastian. When comparing the sizes of Sofia and San Sebastian, 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.