Which place is cheaper, Thessaloniki or Sofia?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Sofia or Thessaloniki?
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 Thessaloniki. 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 Thessaloniki?
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.
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki is the second largest city in Greece and serves as the capital city of the Central Macedonia region. It also has a rich history dating back more than 3,000 years. As a visitor, you'll find that the city has been touched by the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman empires, all of which left their mark. In particular, the many Byzantine churches are quite impressive, with some of them listed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Bulgaria, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Bulgaria, The Best Tours for Seniors to Greece, and The Best Contiki Tours to Greece.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySofia $64Thessaloniki $144
The average daily cost (per person) in Sofia is $64, while the average daily cost in Thessaloniki is $144. 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 Thessaloniki in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSofia $40Thessaloniki $85
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSofia $80Thessaloniki $170
Compare Hotels in Sofia and Thessaloniki
Looking for a hotel in Sofia or Thessaloniki? 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 Thessaloniki Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Sofia $8.38Thessaloniki $14
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
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Thessaloniki
Also for Thessaloniki, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- From Private Day Trip to Meteora with Transfer: $428
- Private Transfer from Thessaloniki to Sofia (SOF) Airport: $254
- Private Transfer from Kavala to Sofia (SOF) Airport: $237
- Transfer from Thessaloniki to Ikos Oceania: $153
- Thessaloniki Airport (SKG): Transfer to Thessaloniki city: $142
- Thessaloniki Airport (SKG): Transfer to Thessaloniki Port: $142
- Thessaloniki Cruise Port: Transfer to Thessaloniki city: $142
- Thessaloniki Airport to Alia Palace Hotel Private Transfer: $131
- Private Transfer to Thessaloniki Airport from Thessaloniki City: $120
- Thessaloniki Airport to Afitis Boutique Hotel Private Transfer: $109
- Private Transfer from Thessaloniki Airport to Ammon Zeus Hotel : $109
- Private Transfer from Thessaloniki Airport to Sani Resort: $109
Is it cheaper to fly into Sofia or Thessaloniki?
Prices for flights to both Thessaloniki 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 $18Thessaloniki $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
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Thessaloniki
For Thessaloniki, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Open Market Food Tour with Tasting: $48
- Walking Open Market Food Tour and Tasting: $49
- Cooking & Dining Experience with Greek Family: $63
- Guided Food Tour: $70
- Food Tour in Thessaloniki: $71
- Private Walking Tour Gastronomic Food Tour in Thessaloniki: $87
- Traditional Greek Food Tour With A Local: $95
- Greek Ouzo and Meze Food Tour: $95
- Greek Cooking Class, Market Visit and Lunch: $95
- Traditional Greek Food Tour With A Local: $97
- Greek Ouzo and Meze Food Tour: $97
- Greek Cooking Class, Market visit and Lunch: $97
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Sofia $5.92Thessaloniki $28
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 Thessaloniki
For Thessaloniki, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 4-Hour Thessaloniki Jewish Heritage Private Guided Tour: $207
- Archery Odyssey Traditional Archery Experience: $65
- Best of Private Guided Tour: $218
- Best of Private Guided Tour: $192
- Charming pearls of Thessaloniki – Romantic Tour: $153
- City Sightseeing Thessaloniki Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $17
- Daily Cruise:Discover Thessaloniki in a different way: $1,069
- Daily Sailing Cruise Olympus Riviera Highlights: $122
- Day Tour at Royal Tombs of Aigai and Museum of Pella with pickup: $93
- Dion and Palaios Panteleimon Myth and History Tour: $153
- Dion-Olympus Private Tour from Thessaloniki: $96
- Discover Olympus from Paralia in Jeep Safari Shared Tour: $76
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySofia $8.39Thessaloniki $16
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 Thessaloniki
Also in Thessaloniki, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Friday Night Bar Crawl in Thessaloniki: $25
- From Pella-Edessa wine tasting: $64
- Small-Group Wine Tasting Tour with Appetizers: $81
- Thessaloniki Small-Group Wine Tasting Tour with Appetizers: $83
- Winery Visit with Wine Tasting Experience: $91
- Wine Tasting Experience from Thessaloniki: $93
- Thessaloniki to Naoussa, Wine Tasting Tour – Private Day Trip: $207
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Sofia and Thessaloniki, we can see that Thessaloniki 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 Thessaloniki would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Thessaloniki 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 Thessaloniki Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Sofia or Thessaloniki?
Sofia has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of Thessaloniki. When comparing the sizes of Sofia and Thessaloniki, 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.