I recently spent a day in Sofia, less than a year after it switched currency from Bulgarian lev to Euro. I was curious to know whether Sofia is expensive in 2026, after changing currency.
If you’re wondering if Sofia is cheap or expensive, I’ve put together this post all about the cost of travel in Sofia, including everything I spent there. I was only in Sofia for one day, so didn’t do everything I would have done if I was there for longer, but I’ve also included some suggested tours and their prices.
This blog post contains affiliate links.
Is Sofia expensive? The short answer
No, Sofia isn’t expensive, but I’d say it’s not as affordable as it once was.
However, I spent a total of €42.47 (£36.00) for food, drink, transport and luggage storage in one day. As I was walking around the city, I saw all of these Sofia attractions for free – and didn’t actually spend any other money on attractions or activities.
I spent around €90 (£75.61) on my hotel. This could have been a lot cheaper, but I opted for a spa hotel with lovely luxury-feeling rooms!
Everything I spent
Here’s an itemised list of everything I spent, with costs in both EUR and GBP.
All prices are converted to GBP at €1 = £0.85 – this is the rate Monzo gave me!
I use my Monzo card for FREE when I’m abroad. You can sign up here, and you’ll get a free tenner the first time you use your card! I will too, so thankyou!
| Item | € | £ |
|---|---|---|
| Pasta and focaccia food delivery | 14.04 | 11.90 |
| 2 x Oat cappucino and 2 x banana bread at VYBE cafe | 14 | 11.86 |
| Oat cappuccino at Alturist cafe | 3.85 | 3.26 |
| Luggage storage at the bus station | 4.00 | 3.39 |
| 1 x banitsa pastry (for lunch) | 0.94 | 0.80 |
| 1 x banitsa pastry (for lunch the next day) | 0.94 | 0.80 |
| Metro charge (bus station to Maison Sofia) | 1.10 | 0.93 |
| Water on the way to the bus station | 1.60 | 1.36 |
| Pharmacy (Kasa 1 Apteka Serdika) | 1.20 | 1.02 |
| Metro charge (Maison Sofia to city centre) | 0.80 | 0.68 |
| Hotel – one night at Maison Sofia | 75.61 | 90 |
| Total on the ground | 105.14 | 126.00 |
Cost of accommodation in Sofia
Now, I was arriving in Sofia after sleeping on a BUS for two nights before (I’d just travelled from London to Sofia by Flixbus – full video about it here!). So, I was VERY keen to have a comfy place to stay with a spa!
Maison Sofia – MGallery costs £75.61 for one night (about €90).
I literally sank into the mattress as soon as I checked in – the room was really modern and comfy.
I also loved the spa. There was a relaxation room with a sauna and steam room leading off it, and a separate pool. Access is unlimited during your stay, although there are swimming lessons at certain times (ask at reception); when I tried to go for a swim, these were on initially. I was able to use the pool, but it was a bit hectic!
Breakfast wasn’t included in my rate.
You can see options & read more about it here.
Here are some other, cheaper places to stay:
WorkNomads LAB hotel: this is a co-living and co-working hotel and I LOVE the design of the rooms! This is where I would have chosen to stay if I wasn’t in dire need of a spa. Prices are around €77 (£65). Click here to see it.
BG Hotel: This is a more budget-friendly hotel that has good reviews for cleanliness. I’d have been happy to stay here. Prices are around €51 (£43). Click here to read about it.
Hostel N1 Sofia: This hotel caught my eye because they advertise themselves as NOT FOR YOU! “No party & Many rules” – but they are actually the best rated hotel in Sofia!
They’re the first hostel I’ve seen that seems to fully lean into being a place where people can sleep well and have a calm environment. If I was to stay in a hostel, I’d stay here! Prices are around €21 (£18) for a bed in a (very quiet, seemingly!) dorm. Click here to read about it.
Cost of food and drink in Sofia
I spent around €35.37 (about £30) on food and drink in 24 hours.
For breakfast, I had an oat cappucino and banana bread at VYBE cafe. I liked it so much that I went back for exactly the same breakfast the next day!
For lunch, I grabbed at banitsa at the Central Market Hall – I liked it so much that I then went back and bought another for the next day. I spent just €1.88 across two visits.
Then, I went to Alturist for another oat cappucino, which was €3.85. After 2 night buses, 2 coffees were very much needed!
I then got food delivery for the evening, using the app Glovo. I got a portion of vegetable pasta and foccacia for 14.04.
I bought a big bottle of water for €1.60 on the way to the bus station. The tap water in Sofia is great to drink and I recommend it, but I needed an extra receptacle for the bus itself!
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Cost of activities and attractions
I spent nothing on attractions! This is because I just spent the day walking around the centre, and everywhere I went into was free.
I went inside:
- The Banya Bashi Mosque, and borrowed a headscarf and robe for free
- Serdica Ruins
- Sveta Nedlya Church
- St George Rotunda
And none of them cost anything.
The spa was a focal point of my afternoon, and obviously that was free!
Of course, if you spend longer in Sofia and want to do some more activities, you’ll likely spend a bit more. This walking tour looks good, and costs €15.50 (£13).
This day trip to Rila Monastery and Boyana Church starts from €20 (£17) without lunch.
Cost of transport
I only spent €1.90 (£1.61) on transport in the city, because I mainly walked around.
The metro was super easy to use; I paid just by tapping my Monzo card on the turnstile (link here to sign up and get a free tenner!).
I walked around the centre – everywhere I visited was within a few minutes of each other.
I also spent €4.00 (£3.34) on luggage storage.
Getting to Sofia and onward travel
I’ve not included these in my main breakdown, because it can be different depending on where you’re travelling from and what time of year!
I use Kayak to compare flight prices; WizzAir advertises London to Sofia from £27.99.
I personally took a very long bus journey to get there (for this YouTube video!), which cost substaintially more; £189. But it did take me two days! If you’re interested, you can see my full Flixbus review here.
Going from Sofia, I took a bus to Istanbul. This cost me £31.99 and took eight hours. See my next YouTube video about it here!
FAQ about Sofia travel costs
Is Sofia a cheap place to visit?
I think it has gone up a little, but it still seemed very affordable compared to other European cities. In fact, its affordability is one of the top reasons people visit Sofia.
How much does a coffee cost in Sofia?
I spent €3.85 (£3.26) on a coffee at Alturist, which is one of the comparartively pricier things in the city. However, this is for a fancy coffee – a cheap brew at a local cafe would be much chepaer!
Can you pay by card in Sofia?
I paid by card for nearly everything in Sofia, but I did use a bit of cash to pay for toilet access. I’d recommend having some Euro on you.
Is Bulgaria in the Euro?
Yes, Bulgaria adopted the euro on 1 January 2026. I used Euro throughout my trip to the country!
