If you're interested in living in Bulgaria, planning to move here permanently, work, or study, then the question arises: how much does it cost to live in Bulgaria and what are the prices in Bulgaria. In this article, I'll share our personal experience of the cost of living in Bulgaria in 2021. 

Cost of Living in Bulgaria 2021

Housing expenses

The most important part of the budget is rental housing, unless, of course, you own your own. Renting a home in Bulgaria typically only includes the rent itself. Electricity, water, and the so-called maintenance fee are paid separately. For long-term rentals, the contract is usually for one year with automatic renewal. Upon signing the contract, in addition to the rent, a deposit equal to one month's rent is paid. If you use a realtor, you'll also have to pay an additional fee. For example, 50% on top of the monthly rent, if this is in Varna or 100% if it is in Sofia.

So, if the monthly rent for an apartment is €300, you'll have to pay €750-€900 upfront, depending on the city. Apartment rental prices vary greatly depending on the city and its location. For example, in Varna, a one-bedroom apartment starts at €125, although you can find one for €90. A two-bedroom apartment starts at €150. In Sofia, one-bedroom apartments start at €200, and two-bedroom apartments start at €250. But these are the lowest prices. You can find suitable accommodations on specialized websites.

Utility bills are priced somewhat differently than in your country. In Bulgaria, the good news, from a budget perspective, is that central heating is virtually nonexistent, and therefore there are no fees. Heating is typically provided by electricity, such as air conditioners, convectors, heaters, and the like. 

In the last month of winter, our family of four consumed almost 500 kW of electricity. That's about 50 euros. This is despite the fact that we have a dual-tariff "day/night" meter and energy-saving light bulbs. However, the following items also increase energy consumption: a water heater, microwave, electric kettle, computer, and, possibly, heating the apartment with electrical appliances. To save electricity, you can turn on the water heater only during the night tariff. If the water heater is large enough, it should last the entire day. Automatic water heater switches are available in Bulgaria. These switches turn the water heater on and off depending on the current electricity tariff.

The price per kWh in Bulgaria is 12 cents during the day and 7 cents at night. Water prices in Bulgaria vary depending on the city. For example, in Varna, the price per cubic meter is 1.65 euros, in Sofia 1.50 euros, and in Plovdiv 1.14 euros. The cheapest water price is in Sapareva Banya – 0.49 cents. The most expensive price is in Razgrad – 1.85 euros.

In Bulgaria, utilities sometimes include a so-called maintenance fee. This covers building maintenance, including the elevator (if any). It varies greatly depending on the property management company. Typically, there's no maintenance fee, but in our case, it's 8 euros per month.

So, all together we get: 300 euros rent for an average 2-room apartment + 30 euros electricity (300 kW) + 15 euros water (10 m3) + 8 euros maintenance fee. 

Expenses. Rent + utilities = 350 euros.

You can buy an apartment in Varna starting from €15,000 for a one-bedroom apartment. And in Sofia, from €30,000. These are the lowest prices for apartments in the worst condition and location. If something better comes along, prices skyrocket.

Transportation costs.

The next significant expense that can't be avoided is transportation. A car in Bulgaria is especially necessary for people living in small towns or villages. Buying a used car in Bulgaria is very inexpensive, as there is no customs clearance. For example, a 2010 Citroen or Renault can be purchased for €1,500 or more. However, used cars are more likely to break down, which adds to the cost. Cars from Germany, Italy, and Switzerland are imported by specialized companies on car transporters and private individuals.

Another option is to buy a car there and register it in Bulgaria. However, whether this will be cheaper or more expensive depends entirely on you. The car must be insured. The insurance amount depends on the insurance company, the age of the car, the driver's experience, etc. Annual insurance starts at €125. You also need to pass a paid mandatory vehicle inspection and pay an annual vehicle tax. The amount depends on the engine size. For driving on roads outside of populated areas, you must purchase a vignette. The most economical option is an annual vignette—€50. It's also important to keep in mind that parking may be a problem if you live in the center of a large city. Paid parking can cost €25-50 per month. Fuel in Bulgaria currently costs around €1 per liter of gasoline or diesel.

But if you live in a big city, you can save money on public transportation by buying a bicycle. In Varna, for example, many bike paths have recently been built throughout the city. Bicycle prices vary. For example, we bought one at a Metro store on sale for €130. On OLX, you can find used bicycles to suit any taste, ranging from €30 to €800.

But sometimes you have to use public transportation. A city bus ticket in Varna costs 0.50 cents. If you frequently ride the bus or trolleybus, you can buy a monthly pass. A monthly pass for all city routes costs €69. A monthly pass for one route costs €23; pensioners get €18, and students get €11. Buses run on schedule, and they usually stick to it. You can track bus routes in real time on a special website. If you commute to and from work every day, a monthly pass will cost you €23 per person per month. I don't recommend traveling without a ticket; the fine is €2.50. 

A taxi within the city center costs around 2 euros. All taxis are equipped with meters, and the driver will provide a receipt after the ride. If you're traveling in a group of 3 or 4 people, the taxi fare is comparable to bus tickets.

Expenses for food and household goods

And probably one of the biggest parts of the budget after rent goes towards food and household goods. I'll go to the store now and show you everything. For example, this pack of toilet paper costs 8 euros. It should last more than a month. Toothpaste, which can be bought for less than a euro. Nivea shower gel is 2.50 euros. Shower shampoos are 2-4 euros.

Laundry detergent costs €8 for 60 washes, which should last several months. If you have pets, that's an additional expense. A can of this dog food costs €0.38. Dry food costs €1.20. Canned cat food and dry food are also available.

In addition to these expenses, we also need cleaning products, sponges, rags, and trash bags. It's impossible to calculate exactly how much we spend per month. We spend approximately 20 euros on household goods. 

A liter of milk costs 96 cents.

In total, our family spends 500 euros per month on food. 

There's a grocery store chain called "Berezka" in Bulgaria. They sell products that claim to be from the former USSR, although if you read the labels, many of them actually say they're made in Germany.

Another expense item in Bulgaria is compulsory health insurance.

The type of coverage depends on your legal status in Bulgaria. If you have a residence permit, this will only cover emergency situations. It is usually purchased for one year. Prices for this type of insurance start at €70 per year per person. The price depends on the insurer and your age. 

If you have permanent residency or Bulgarian citizenship, then NZOK is mandatory. It covers all essential medical services, including dental care. It's paid monthly and costs 13 euros per person. The good news is that if your children attend school, the school covers this insurance.

Communication, Internet and television. 

Now let's move on to the next expense item: communications, television, and internet. We don't have cable TV at home, but we do have internet. We pay €7.50 per month for 50 Mbps fiber-optic internet. A quick tip: if you rent an apartment, it often already has internet included in the rent. If not, you'll need to request an internet connection from your provider. The most important thing here is to look for an internet provider that will connect you to the internet without a contract. For example, like ours, Bulsatcom, to avoid problems later. Cable TV prices start at €5 for the most basic channel package, but it's almost pointless, as Russian-language channels will be minimal at best. However, if television is important to you, IPTV is the best option.

Total home internet and television 10 euros.

As for mobile communications, they're more expensive in Bulgaria than in your country. For some reason, monthly subscription contracts are very popular here. Prices start at €12 per month per person. If you miss a monthly payment, regardless of the reason, your phone number is immediately disconnected within a few days, and penalties and fines are immediately assessed. The debt will increase almost exponentially. It's also common for mobile operators to charge large, simply staggering amounts. These are all the perks of a contract. Terminating a contract is difficult, time-consuming, and expensive.

But there is a solution. It's a prepaid option, with no contract and no obligations on your part. It's economical and safe for you. You buy a prepaid SIM card. In our case, it's Telenor. Our phone costs €5 per month, which includes 1 GB of data, 500 minutes for calls within the operator, and 50 minutes for calls to all numbers within the EU. Unused minutes and megabytes don't expire; they're added to the new month if you top up your number, sort of like a top-up. If something isn't enough for you, you can buy exactly what you need for a relatively low price.

If for any reason you don't top up your number, your number will continue to function and be serviced for one year. When you top up your number, the validity period is automatically extended for another year. One thing to keep in mind is that these prepaid SIM cards are in short supply; they're hard to find in mobile phone stores, and sellers aren't particularly enthusiastic about selling them.

Communication. 20 euros for 4 phone numbers.

If you visit a gym, add another 30 euros per month per person.

So, if you add up all the expenses I've listed, you'll need about 950 euros to live in Bulgaria. Some people may spend less, while others spend more. It all depends heavily on the individual and family's budget. Some people skimp on food, while others, on the contrary, frequent restaurants. Speaking of saving on food, every chain store publishes weekly brochures listing discounted items, and all this information is duplicated online. This way, you can really save up to 20-301 TP3T of your family budget. What's typical in Bulgaria is that there's no single store with the lowest prices or the full selection of goods. One store has certain items, while another has others. For example, we shop at different stores, buying some things in one store, and then some in another. This is because some types of goods or brands are sold only in one chain, while others are sold in another. 

These are the expenses we spend for a family of 4 for 1 month living in the city of Varna, Bulgaria. 

Of course, these aren't all the expenses. I haven't included trips to cafes, movies, school supplies, various small items, or clothing. I won't include these expenses because they're very individual. But we've calculated the basic expenses for living in Bulgaria. I hope this information was helpful, and I wish everyone the best of luck.

Video version of the article:

https://youtu.be/MTxWy-C0JMQ