Which place is cheaper, Vienna or Sofia?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Sofia or Vienna?
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 Vienna. 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 Vienna?
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.
Vienna
Vienna is the largest city and capital of Austria. It has a population of over 1.7 million and is a cultural, political and economic center for the country. The historical center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and some complain that it feels more like a museum than a real city. Outside of the historical center though, is a young and vibrant city with a huge music scene, many street performers, and eclectic and fun restaurants and nightclubs.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Bulgaria, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Bulgaria, The Best 2-Week Tours in Austria, and The Best Tours for Seniors to Austria.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySofia $64Vienna $162
The average daily cost (per person) in Sofia is $64, while the average daily cost in Vienna is $162. 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 Vienna in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSofia $40Vienna $100
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSofia $80Vienna $200
Compare Hotels in Sofia and Vienna
Looking for a hotel in Sofia or Vienna? 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 Vienna Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Sofia $8.38Vienna $20
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
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Vienna
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Vienna:
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Bus to Airport$32
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Vienna
Also for Vienna, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private transfer from Vienna to Zagreb: $930
- Private transfer from Vienna to Munich: $930
- Melk Abbey and Salzburg Trip with Private Transfer: $922
- Private transfer from Vienna to Salzburg: $738
- Private transfer from Vienna to Prague: $636
- Private One-Way Transfer to Cesky Krumlov: $629
- Private transfer from Vienna to Budapest: $588
- Transfer from Prague to Vienna: $510
- Transfer by Car to/from Vienna & Budapest: $444
- 2-in-1 Jewish Museums in Vienna Private Tour with Transfers: $361
- Private Scenic Transfer from Vienna to Prague with 4h of Sightseeing: $295
- Private Transfer from Vienna to Prague with 2h of Sightseeing: $289
Is it cheaper to fly into Sofia or Vienna?
Prices for flights to both Vienna 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 $18Vienna $36
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 Vienna
For Vienna, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Hard Rock Cafe with Set Menu for Lunch or Dinner: $28
- Performance Of The Lipizzans At Spanish Riding School: $43
- Naschmarkt Food Tour: $64
- Vienna Naschmarket Food Tour: $65
- Traditional Vienna Tasting Dinner With Folk Music: $68
- Traditional Vienna Tasting Dinner with Folk Music: $70
- Naschmarkt Guided Food Tour: $74
- Vienna Evening Sightseeing Cruise With Music and Dinner: $74
- 3-Course Evening Dinner Cruise: $76
- Traditional Dinner Show at the Wiener Rathauskeller: $84
- Kursalon New Year's Day Concert with optional Dinner: $87
- Schnitzel cooking class with Nicole: $98
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Sofia $5.92Vienna $41
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 Vienna
For Vienna, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Private themed Tour of the Art History Museum (Kunsthistorisches Museum):"The Saviour, the Ruler, and Simply a Beauty: Women in Art": $164
- "Girls just want to have Wine" - TUK TUK Sightseeing Tour: $152
- "The Third Man" Film Location Tour: $28
- 2 Hours Private Walking Tour in Vienna with Photography: $98
- 2-Hour Alpine Private Hiking Tour along Luckerte Wand Mountain from Vienna: $168
- 2-Hour Private Hiking Tour Helenental Castles Hike from Vienna: $168
- 2-Hour Private Hiking Tour to Meet History at Braunsberg Mountain from Vienna: $168
- 2-hour Private Alpine Hiking Tour on Seekopf Mountain, Wachau Valley from Vienna: $168
- 3 hour private walking tour - Vienna: $138
- 3-Hour Private Hiking Tour to historic places around Spitz in Wachau Valley: $252
- 3-Hour Private Tour of Vienna: $164
- 3-Hour Walking Tour of Vienna Central Cemetery: $320
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySofia $8.39Vienna $18
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 Vienna
Also in Vienna, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Pub Crawl Vienna: $16
- Vienna Nights Pub Crawl: $16
- City Center Pub Crawl: $27
- Local Pub Crawl Vienna: $27
- Wine Tasting at Traditional Cellar: $34
- Guided Wine Tasting in a Private Wine Cellar: $39
- Viennese Wine Tasting in a Private Hidden Wine Cellar: $39
- Wine Tasting at Schönbrunn Palace: $48
- Austrian Wine Tasting Experience: $63
- Vienna Historical Highlight City Tour + Wine Tasting: $74
- Skip-the-Line Schönbrunn Palace Entry & Wine Tasting: $82
- Wine Tasting E-Bike Tour: $91
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Sofia and Vienna, we can see that Vienna 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 Vienna would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Vienna 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 Vienna Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Sofia or Vienna?
Vienna has a larger population, and is about 47% larger than the population of Sofia. When comparing the sizes of Sofia and Vienna, 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.