Which place is cheaper, Valencia or Sofia?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Sofia or Valencia?
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 Valencia. 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 Valencia?
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.
Valencia
Valencia is a port city that sits on Spain's southeastern Orange Blossom coast, where the Turia River meets the Mediterranean Sea. As the nation's third-largest city, it is continually innovative in the arts and sciences with some futuristic architecture including a planetarium, oceanarium, and an interactive museum. The nightlife and daytime culture both thrive in their own ways, bustling with limitless opportunities for sight-seeing and entertainment. While the city is surrounded by fertile farmland, its center is a modern metropolis, skirted by beautiful beaches.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Bulgaria, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Bulgaria, The Best G Adventures Tours to Spain, and The Best 3-Day Tours from Madrid.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySofia $64Valencia $133
The average daily cost (per person) in Sofia is $64, while the average daily cost in Valencia is $133. 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 Valencia in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSofia $40Valencia $62
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSofia $80Valencia $124
Compare Hotels in Sofia and Valencia
Looking for a hotel in Sofia or Valencia? 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 Valencia Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Sofia $8.38Valencia $19
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Sofia
Also for Sofia, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Airport Transfer from Sofia Airport: $49
- Airport Transfers in Bulgaria: $66
- Arrival Transfer: Sofia Airport SOF to Sofia in Luxury Van: $75
- Bansko Transfer from/to Sofia Airport: $175
- Be Eco: Sofia Airport Transfer with an Electric Vehicle: $54
- Borovets Transfers from/to Sofia Airport: $104
- Departure Transfer: Sofia to Sofia Airport SOF in Luxury Van: $75
- From Bansko Transfer with Rila Monastery Visit: $128
- From Koprivshtitsa & Historic Homes Tour w/ Transfer: $53
- From Plovdiv Day Tour with Transfer: $71
- From Private Transfer to Bucharest: $448
- From Private Transfer to Plovdiv: $96
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Valencia
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Valencia:
- Valencia Airport (VLC): Transfer to Valencia Cruise Port: $238
- Private transfer from Valencia Airport to Alicante: $201
- Departure Private Transfer Montserrat to Barcelona Airport or City by Luxury Van: $175
- Valencia Airport (VLC): Private Transfer to Valencia: $120
- Valencia Cruise Port: Private Transfer to Valencia hotels: $120
- From Morella and Peñíscola Day Trip with Transfers: $118
- Private Transfer Valencia Airport to Hotel: $109
- Valencia City, Airport, Cruise Terminal Private Transfer: $87
- Private Transfer: Valencia to Valencia Airport VLC in Luxury Van: $86
- Valencia Airport (VLC) Departure Transfer (Valencia Hotels to Valencia Airport): $83
- Valencia Airport (VLC) Arrival Transfer (Airport to Valencia Hotel or Address): $83
- Private arrival OR departure transfer in Valencia (hotel OR airport pick-up): $71
Is it cheaper to fly into Sofia or Valencia?
Prices for flights to both Valencia 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 $18Valencia $44
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 Valencia
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Valencia.
- Flamenco at Toro y La Luna with Drinks or Dinner: $19
- Hard Rock Cafe Entrance with Lunch or Dinner: $32
- Traveling Spoon Sangria and Tapa Private Online Cooking Class: $40
- Traditional Spanish Home Dinner: $48
- Valencia Traditional Food Tour: $51
- Guided Food Tour with Chocolate Tasting Experience: $53
- Street Food Tour including Paella & Tapas Tasting: $58
- Paella Cooking Experience near the center of Valencia: $59
- Morning Food Tour with Central Market Visit: $63
- Cooking Class of traditional spanish food: $64
- Vegetable Paella cooking class, tapas and visit market: $65
- Valencian Paella cooking class, Tapas and Market Visit: $65
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Sofia $5.92Valencia $32
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 Valencia
Here are a few typical costs in Valencia for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Flamenco Tour$17
Tours and Activities in Valencia
Here are a few actual costs in Valencia for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 150 Min Bike Group Tour with Local Guide: $33
- 2 Hour Private Bike Tour in Valencia: $27
- 3hs-Hour Guided City Sightseeing and Beaches Bike Private Tour: $38
- A day in the life of Valencia - Private tour with a local: $233
- Adventure Jetski: $155
- Adventures day: Thermal Springs and Waterfalls: $104
- Albufera Natural Park Tour with Boat Ride from Valencia : $64
- Alicante: 8-hour cruise to Tabarca Island by private boat: $1,069
- Anna: amazing water canyoning experience: $95
- Best Bike Tour Dutch & English in Valencia: $35
- Between Two Gates: A Self-Guided Audio Tour in Valencia: $7.99
- Bike Grand Valencia Group Tour: $38
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySofia $8.39Valencia $22
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 Valencia
Also in Valencia, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Guided Pub Crawl with Free Shots: $13
- Pub Crawl With Free Shots: $25
- Wine Tasting with Professional Sommelier in centre Valencia: $59
- From Guided Cheese Factory Tour with Wine Tasting: $90
- Local Tapas & Wine tasting experience: $91
- Wine Tasting and Tapas Experience: $102
- Cheese Factory Workshop with Wine Tasting in Requena, Valencia: $108
- From Requena Wine Tour with Tastings: $123
- Christmas Tapas and Wine Tour in Valencia: $164
- Requena: 1/2 Day Private Vineyards & Premium Wine Tastings: $191
- From Utiel-Requena Wine Tour and Traditional Lunch: $209
- Singular Valencia Wine Tour Utiel Requena Wineries: $213
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Sofia and Valencia, we can see that Valencia 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 Valencia would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Valencia 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 Valencia Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Sofia or Valencia?
Sofia has a larger population, and is about 43% larger than the population of Valencia. When comparing the sizes of Sofia and Valencia, 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.