Cost of Living

Average monthly salaries in Bulgaria are in the 150-200 Euro range.

A breakfast in an ordinary restaurant costs about 4 leva (approx. £1.40 ), a dinner - 10 leva (approx. £3.60), and supper - around 15 leva (approx. £4.50). Water in Bulgaria is usually good to drink. Irrespective of this mineral water is sold everywhere and is of exclusively good quality, factory-bottled and duly sealed. One-litre bottle of mineral water costs 0.80 leva (approx. £0.30). Everywhere on sale are also natural juices without preservatives, manufactured by Bulgarian and foreign producers.The Bulgarian juices cost no more than 2 leva (approx. £0.80) a litre and the imported ones cost around 3 leva (approx. £1.50).

Tea and coffee is offered everywhere in the country. Boza, an Arab boiled-grain drink popular in Bulgaria is also widely sold. Fresh milk, obligatorily pasteurised, is sold in a wide diversity of packaging. Beer, locally brewed (33cl bottle of beer: 0.90 leva (approx. £0.40) ) and imported is very popular, either tapped or bottled. The products of Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Bulgarian soft drinks can be found in every food or specialised shop.

Alcoholic drinks are on sale in most food shops, and in numerous specialised pubs. The price of a 0.75 l bottle of good dry wine varies between 4 (£1.40) and 6 leva (£2.00). The price of a 0.5-litre bottle of rakiya varies between 3 (£1.00) and 15 leva (£4.50), depending on the quality of the product, the manufacturing technology and the region of origin.