Bulgaria attracts tourists with a decent level of service and mild climate. Those who plan to spend their holidays on the sea coast will find it useful to know what the prices are in Bulgaria in 2024. This information will also be useful to people who plan to move to the republic for permanent residence. After all, buying real estate, even for a relatively small amount of money, is one thing, and assessing the adequacy of the cost of living with the expected income is quite another.
How is the budget of a Bulgarian resident
The average salary in Bulgaria is 960 leva (BGN or LV) – approximately €490. This is lower than in other EU countries. Food costs in this country are cheaper than in Ukraine, the price of used cars is generally several times lower than in analogues in Ukraine.
We can conclude that living in Bulgaria is inexpensive. This is how it is for the majority of local residents, who are used to totally saving on water, electricity and other services.
The approximate cost of living in Bulgaria for the example of a family of 3 people, who do not have their own home and car, is presented in the following table:
| Article of expenditure | BGN | Euro | A percentage of the salary of 2 people |
|---|---|---|---|
| Two- and three-room apartment for rent | 392 – 588 | 200 – 300 | 20.1 – 30.25 |
| Communal services summer and winter | 98 – 137 196 – 490 | 50-70 100-250 | 5.21 – 7.29 10.41 – 26.04 |
| Modest food | 490-588 | 250-300 | 26.04 – 30.25 |
| Internet, TV, 2 mobile phones | 98 | 50 | 5.21 |
| Kindergarten + add. occupation | 98 | 50 | 5.21 |
In total, the size of the main expenses is from 700 to 920 euros.
Food costs
The cost of products in Bulgaria largely depends on the region: prices in large resort cities are one and a half to two times higher than in non-tourist settlements. This is explained by increased demand. And travelers who came to the country for the purpose of health improvement will not skimp on natural vitamins. Both local retail chains (Fantastico, Promarket) and foreign ones (Kaufland, Lidl, Maxima) operate in the republic.
Average prices in Bulgaria for food are presented in the table:
| Name | The price is in levs | Price in euros |
|---|---|---|
| Bread (0.7 kg) | 0.95 | 0.48 |
| Pork (1 kg) | 8.64 | 4.41 |
| Chicken thighs (1 kg) | 2.98 | 1.52 |
| Eggs, a dozen | 1.99 | 1.01 |
| Sugar (1 kg) | 1.28 | 0.65 |
| Pasta (400 g) | 1.20 | 0.6 |
| Butter (pack of 200 g) | 2.33 | 1.18 |
| Vegetable oil (0.5 l) | 2.28 | 1.17 |
| Sir (1 kg) | 7.72 | 3.98 |
| Potatoes (1 kg) | 1.1 | 0.56 |
| Apples (1 kg) | 1.75 | 0.9 |
| A bottle of wine (0.7 l) | 6.4 | 3.26 |
| Can of “Staropramen” beer (0.33 l) | 1.7 | 0.87 |
The price of a pack of Marlboro and Parliament cigarettes in Bulgaria is 5 BGN (€2.55), “Shypky” – 2.3 BGN (€1.17).
Now a few words about tourist places.
The price of food in Nessebar, a city located near Sunny Beach, is significantly higher than the statistical average. For example, a kilogram of pork here can cost 11.76 BGN (€6), and chicken thighs – 6.86 BGN (€3.5). Even locally produced cheese is sold here at a price of BGN 12.74 (€6.5) per 1 kg.
he cost of meat products in another popular resort town of Varna is presented below.
| Name | Price for 1 kg, BGN | Price per 1 kg, rubles |
|---|---|---|
| Boneless pork | 7.5 | 292.27 |
| Pork Bacon | 9 | 350.72 |
| Pork roll | 7.75 | 302.01 |
| Smoked pork | 6.6 | 257.09 |
| Chicken | from 4 | from 195.88 |
| Salami sausages | from 13 | 506.6 |
| Meatballs | 7 | 272.79 |
This information will be useful to people who plan to cook in the kitchen of a rented apartment when they come to Bulgaria on vacation. However, it will also be useful for tourists to know the cost of food in catering establishments in Bulgaria: as practice shows, in order not to overpay, it is better not to book an All Inclusive tour. The best option is to order only breakfast at the hotel, and eat in a cafe during the day.
Continuing the conversation about cities located near the sea, we will mention the small but cozy town of Svyatyi Vlas. It is located near Sunny Beach.
Let’s answer the question of how much lunch costs in Bulgaria using his example. Prices in one of his cafes are as follows:
- hearty and very thick mushroom soup – BGN 2.80;
- cheese fried in breadcrumbs – BGN 6.80;
- “kofti” or grilled cutlet – 1.50 BGN/piece;
- a small cup of espresso coffee – BGN 1.0.
As a result, a delicious lunch will not be so expensive – 12.1 BGN (€6.17). But, of course, only by European standards.
For the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria, this is the usual amount for a lunch receipt, regardless of the status of the settlement. In particular, you will have to pay about the same amount for a full lunch in the tiny town of Kranevo with a population of only 1,264 people.
Let’s draw your attention to one more city – a resort on the Black Sea – Sozopol. There are many restaurants and cafes for any budget. For example, a dinner for two consisting of 2 main dishes, 2 vegetable salads or small additional dishes/fruit desserts will cost approximately BGN 45-60 (€24-30).
There are no problems with baby food in Bulgaria. And its price is comparable to Ukrainian ones. For example, a package of Nestle NAN dry milk mixture weighing 2400 grams costs BGN 18.
The level of housing costs
Renting housing in Bulgaria is not cheap. This is especially noticeable against the background of the fact that a tax of 0.15% of their value is charged annually for purchased square meters. And this is much cheaper than subletting residential premises. For example, for a 2-room apartment worth €60,000, the monthly tax is only €30.
Therefore, it is not surprising that many citizens and non-residents of the country are concerned about the question of how to buy an apartment in Bulgaria or a house and at the same time not overpay. Data on real estate value are given in the following table.
| Object | Price category | Price per square meter m, BGN | Price per square meter m, € |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apartment | from 150,000 euros | 3094.34 | 1579 |
| up to 25 thousand euros | 932.96 | 476 | |
| House | from 300,000 euros | 2806.52 | 1437 |
| up to 40 thousand euros | 346.92 | 177 | |
| Commercial real estate | from 500,000 euros | 2065.84 | 1054 |
| up to 100,000 euros | 1407.28 | 718 |
Utilities in Bulgaria include:
- electricity. On average, electricity supply of a two-room apartment with a boiler costs BGN 49-58.8 (€ 25-30) per month;
- water supply. Tariffs rose in 27 cities of the country. Residents of Sofia, for example, will have to pay BGN 2.6 (€ 1.33) per cubic meter of water;
- heating. It is centralized and local. Centralized costs BGN 100 (€ 51.02)/1 Gcal.;
- maintenance of residential complexes. The cost of this service reaches BGN 98 (€ 50) per month.
Transportation costs
Public transport in Bulgaria is quite well developed. At the same time, the price of a ticket for a tram, trolleybus and bus within the same city, as well as tokens for the metro in Sofia, is the same and is only 1 LV (€ 0.29). A minibus ride will cost BGN 1.5 (€ 0.43).
Taxi services are paid at the following rate:
- order – BGN 0.7 (€ 0.2);
- landing – BGN 1.05 (€ 0.3);
- 1 km of travel – BGN 0.95 (€ 0.27).
Those travelers who plan to visit national parks, monasteries or remote villages are advised to rent a car. The rental price is from BGN 52.5 (€ 15) per day.
The price of a liter of fuel:
- gasoline 98 – BGN 2.29 (€ 1.17);
- gasoline 95 – BGN 1.94 (€ 0.99);
- diesel fuel – BGN 2.16 (€ 1.10);
- gas brands LPG – BGN 0.90 (€ 0.46).
Taking into account these data, a trip in a rented car, for example, from Varna to Pomorie (distance 47 km) with a consumption of 95 gasoline 7 l/100 km will cost BGN 6.38 (€ 3.26).
Education expenses
Education in Bulgaria is a multi-level system – primary, secondary and higher education.
Cost of services for foreigners in kindergartens (per month):
- public educational institutions – BGN 70-100 (€ 35-50).
- private kindergartens – BGN 294-588 (€ 150-300).
A foreigner will have to pay BGN 333-588 (€ 170-300) for a year of study in a public school, and up to BGN 3920 (€ 2000) in private schools.
The cost of a year of study at a Bulgarian university is shown in the table:
| Degree | Price, BGN | |
|---|---|---|
| Denna | Correspondence | |
| Bachelor | 3528-5880 | 1668-4900 |
| Master’s degree | 3528-5880 | 1764-4900 |
| PhD | 4900-9800 | 2352-3920 |
The only option for obtaining higher education in Bulgaria on a free basis is to enroll in an American university. This is the only university in which the scholarship covers almost the entire cost of education.
The cost of medical services
All medical clinics in Bulgaria are private. Their services are paid. This is where health insurance comes to the rescue. Not only citizens of the country, but also non-residents, and even the unemployed, are obliged to buy a policy. In the latter case, the cost of health insurance for six months is 120 leva, and for a year – 206. The cost of insurance coverage is at least € 30,000.
Prices for clothes and household appliances
Prices for clothes in Bulgaria are about the same as in Kyiv. The average cost of some men’s wardrobe items here is as follows:
- suit – BGN 168.17;
- shirt – BGN 20.97;
- trousers – BGN 30.38;
- jacket – BGN 64.09.
Women’s clothing in Bulgaria costs:
- dress – BGN 44.70;
- suit – BGN 76.24;
- shirt, blouse – BGN 17.44.
Prices for clothes and shoes in Bulgaria are quite reasonable. Experienced tourists recommend only local brands Tendenz and Mat Star to buy shoes in this country. In the range of the first there are even extravagant models. Prices start at BGN 40.
Jewelry made of silver is very popular among tourists. Their cost is affected by the distance of the store from the city center. But the price of a pair of silver spoons is at least 20 levs (771.2 rubles).
Prices in stores in Bulgaria for basic household appliances are presented in the table:
| Type of equipment | Cost, BGN |
|---|---|
| Electrolux refrigerator | 490 |
| FUJITSU air conditioner | 1119 |
| Sony SmartTV diagonal 32 inches | 799 |
Prices for active leisure
In addition to entertainment on the water, tourists can take part in exciting excursions. For example, during a one-day excursion to Veliko Tarnovo, the capital city of the Second Bulgarian State, its participants will be invited to taste natural wine from grapes grown on the slopes of the Balkan Mountains at a wine house. The excursion is designed for 6 people, who will need to pay only € 250 for the trip, lunch and tasting.
And tourists in the resort town of Sozopol can visit the well-known Archaeological Museum. The price of tickets is quite democratic: for pensioners, students and children – 1 lev, and for adults 4 BGN.
The average price of an interesting excursion in Bulgaria is 45-65 euros.
Price difference in different cities of Bulgaria
First of all, let’s focus on the difference in the cost of real estate in some cities in Bulgaria.
- Sunny Beach. You can buy 2-room apartments with an area of 55 m² here for € 17,900.
- Sofia. The average price of one square meter of living space is €739.
- Nessebar The price of apartments starts at €22,000.
- Burgas. A square meter of housing in this city costs €578.
Sofia is the most expensive city in Bulgaria in terms of cost of living. Plovdiv is next in the ranking. Varna rounds out the top three: products are noticeably cheaper there.
The price of the basic grocery set in these cities is BGN 1,630, BGN 1,590, and BGN 1,490, respectively.