Which place is cheaper, Ulaanbaatar or Sofia?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Sofia or Ulaanbaatar?
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 Ulaanbaatar. 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 Ulaanbaatar?
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.
Ulaanbaatar
Ulaanbaatar is Mongolia's capital city. It has a population of slightly over two million people, or about sixty percent of the country's entire population. You are likely to arrive in Ulaanbaatar either by train, coming from China or Russia, or by plane. Many people use Ulaanbaatar as a stop off while doing the Transsiberian Railway. The city is a great place to organize a tour of the surrounding countryside. It's also good city to relax, so make sure you allow yourself a few days to recover from your tour, enjoy some of the great food options, and see some of the fascinating cultural sights around town.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Bulgaria, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Bulgaria, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Mongolia, and The Best Adventure Tours to Mongolia.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySofia $65Ulaanbaatar $25
The average daily cost (per person) in Sofia is $65, while the average daily cost in Ulaanbaatar is $25. 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 Ulaanbaatar in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSofia $41Ulaanbaatar $12
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSofia $82Ulaanbaatar $24
Compare Hotels in Sofia and Ulaanbaatar
Looking for a hotel in Sofia or Ulaanbaatar? 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 Ulaanbaatar Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Sofia $8.47Ulaanbaatar $2.91
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Sofia
Also for Sofia, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Airport Transfers in Bulgaria: $66
- Bansko Transfer From/to Sofia Airport and Hotels: $263
- Be Eco: Sofia Airport Transfer with an Electric Vehicle: $54
- Departure Transfer: Sofia to Sofia Airport SOF in Luxury Car: $87
- Departure Transfer: Sofia to Sofia Airport SOF in Luxury Van: $76
- From Bansko Transfer with Rila Monastery Visit: $129
- From Koprivshtitsa & Historic Homes Tour w/ Transfer: $54
- From Plovdiv Day Tour with Transfer: $72
- From Private Transfer to Bucharest: $451
- From Private Transfer to Plovdiv: $97
- From Private Transfer to Spa in Sapareva Banya: $91
- From Rila Monastery & Melnik Day Trip with Transfers: $94
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ulaanbaatar
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Ulaanbaatar:
- Private Transfer from Ulaanbaatar to or from Terelj National Park: $60
- Airport transfer service: $50
- New Ulaanbaatar International Airport Transfer Service: $45
- Private Departure Transfer: Ulaanbaatar Airport: $40
- Airport - Ulaanbaatar transfer service: $40
- Private Transfer from Chinggis Khaan Airport to Ulaanbaatar: $37
- Private Transfer to Ulaanbaatar Airport ULN by Business Vehicle: $28
- Private Transfer Ulaanbaatar Airport ULN to Ulaanbaatar City : $28
- 2024 Ulaanbaatar Airport Transfer & Taxi Shuttle Service - Best!: $18
- Mongolia Airport Transfer & Taxi Service -BEST!: $18
Is it cheaper to fly into Sofia or Ulaanbaatar?
Prices for flights to both Ulaanbaatar 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 $18Ulaanbaatar $8.94
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
- Half-Day Sofia Evening Walking Tour with Vegetarian Dinner: $49
- Sofia by Night Panoramic Tour with Dinner and Folklore Show: $98
- Sofia by Night: Panoramic City Tour and Folklore Dinner: $107
- Private Sofia Night Tour with Bulgarian Folklore & Dinner: $109
- Guided Night Tour & Folklore Performance with Dinner: $118
- 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: $132
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Ulaanbaatar
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Ulaanbaatar.
- Cooking Class in a Traditional Ger Home in Ulaanbaatar Suburbs: $100
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Sofia $5.98Ulaanbaatar $4.42
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: $3.84
- Rila Monastery: Monastery & Museums Self-Guided Audio Tour 7 lang: $5.48
- Self-Guided Audio Tour on Your Phone (ENG): $7.61
- Self-guided tour of Boyana Church: $7.68
- Sofia Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $7.73
- Sofia Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self Guided Tour: $7.84
- Self-guided Tour in the Museum of Socialist Art: $7.90
- 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
- Admission Ticket to the Museum of Illusions in Sofia: $15
Tours and Activities in Ulaanbaatar
Here are a few actual costs in Ulaanbaatar for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 1 Day Chinggis Khaan Statue & Terelj National Park Private tour: $180
- 1 Day Coach Tour of Genghis Khan Statue Complex and Terelj National Park Including Lunch: $83
- 1 Day Coach Tour of Terelj National Park Including Lunch And Free Camel Ride: $83
- 1 Day Semi-Gobi All-included tour : $141
- 1 Day Semi-Gobi Tour Including Lunch And Free Camel +Bonus Khustai National Park: $169
- 1 Day Semi-Gobi Tour Including Lunch And Free Camel or Horseback Ride: $145
- 1 Day Tour: Terelj National Park And Chinggis Statue: $193
- 1 Session with Shaman and know your future tour: $149
- 1 day tour Chinggis khan statue, Terelj national park: $95
- 12 day Great Gobi and Central Mongolia full adventure: $1,950
- 2 Day Horse ride and Terelj national park tour: $350
- 2 Day Local experience by train visit Tunkhel town: $340
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySofia $8.48Ulaanbaatar $3.83
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: $76
- 1-Hour Private Cheese and Wine Tasting in Sofia : $87
- Private Sofia Tour with Wine Tasting: $108
- Hisarya, Starosel, and Wine Tasting Tour from Sofia: $115
- Private Cheese and Wine Tasting Experience in Sofia: $120
- Koprivshtitsa and Starosel Day Trip with Wine Tasting: $140
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Sofia and Ulaanbaatar, we can see that Sofia is more expensive. And not only is Ulaanbaatar much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Sofia is in Europe and Ulaanbaatar is in Asia, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Ulaanbaatar would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Ulaanbaatar 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 Sofia would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Sofia than you might in Ulaanbaatar.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Sofia Expensive? and Is Ulaanbaatar Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Sofia or Ulaanbaatar?
Sofia has a larger population, and is about 36% larger than the population of Ulaanbaatar. When comparing the sizes of Sofia and Ulaanbaatar, 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.