Cost of living 2019 in Bulgaria

Hello, I am glad to share our Budget, but I cannot answer all questions, like public Transport. We use our car. However, here goes:
House buy: webought in a quite calm village (Region Stara Zagora). House Prices as of 5.000 €, but that means LOTS of renovation. As of 30.000 €, the house should be comfortable, as of 45.000, it should be ready for immediate live- in and free of any flaw.
Food Prices: Rice Basmati 800 gr.) 3.89; Pasta (Barilla, 500 gr) around 2.80, bread 1.50 - 3.00 (bakery)
pork meat 5-8 lv /Kilo, Beef 12 - 18, chicken 4-8. Whole Turkey frozen 6/Kilo.
Monthly Budget ALL FOOD: with us high, around 400 lv - but we like so very much to cook, it´s one of our Hobbies.
doctor: 3 lv share per visit.
Health insurance: 18,40 lv per Person and month (national state health insurance)
Fuel: I have a diesel, per Liter 1.95 lv.
Electric: depend on usage, summer around 36, now in winter around 126- 140/month
Gas (for cooking), 27lv per 14- Liter cylinder in Exchange (bring the empty, take a full)
Water: depending un consumption, 15- 35 lv/ month.
Phone (not gsm) and Internet: around 25- 28 lv/ month, depend on usage; gsm is prepaid, about 8- 10 lv/ month.
That´s it, have a nice day!

Hello ! I am from Thailand, and I come to live in Sofia, Bulgaria for three months. My purpose of coming here is to take professional pastry and bakery course at HRC Culinary Academy. I am able to share cost of living in Sofia and answer some of your questions :

How much does it cost to rent an apartment or a house in Bulgaria? How about buying an apartment or a house in Bulgaria?

= I rent the whole furnished apartment from Airbnb. I have 1 bedroom, 1 living room, and 1 bathroom, including balcony. The daily rent is about EUR 15.

How much do you pay on average for public transportation (bus, subway, train, tram, taxi)?
= I rarely use public transportation because I usually walk to my school, supermarket, and shopping mall. They are all within walking distance (5-30 minutes walking). However, one single trip to take any public ground transportation is EUR 0.8.

How much do you pay for basic food items such as rice, bread, and pasta?
= I cook everyday for myself. I spend about EUR 7-10 per day for meat, dairy, bread, fruit and veggie, bakery, and dessert.

What is your monthly budget for groceries?
= I spend about EUR 200-300/month for groceries.

How much does it cost to see a doctor or health specialist in Bulgaria?
= I do not have experience seeing a doctor in Sofia.

How much do you pay for health insurance per month?
= I bought travel insurance from my country.

How much does childcare cost on average per month?
= N/A

What is your child's schooling budget per month?
= N/A

How much does it cost to fill up your car’s fuel tank?
= I do not own a car.

How much do you pay for electricity/gas/water etc., per month?
= All utilities are included in the rent.

How much do you pay for your internet and phone subscription?
=  All utilities are included in the rent.

How much do you pay for your lunch pack on weekdays?
= I believe it should cost me around EUR 2.5 - 4 per meal depend on what I cook.

How much do you pay for an espresso coffee?
= I make my own coffee with sugar, cream, and coffee. Thus, I guess it around EUR 0.2

How much do you pay for a cinema ticket?
= I have not seen any movie in Sofia yet.

How much does a gym membership cost in Bulgaria?
= I have no clue about it.

I hope all the information above will be helpful to anyone who is interested in living in Sofia, Bulgaria !

We're in Gabrovo (small/medium town central Bulgaria):

How much does it cost to rent an apartment or a house in Bulgaria? How about buying an apartment or a house in Bulgaria?
We pay 300bgn/month for a 100 square foot, two bedroom apartment. We are looking into buying a house and find the range for a decent one without too many renovations around 120-160 square meters is between 70k-100k


How much do you pay on average for public transportation (bus, subway, train, tram, taxi)?
1 lev for a one way ticket. I don't use taxis because they often charge the "foreigner" rate (10 lev when a trip should be 6, for example) and I can't be bothered to argue anymore.


How much do you pay for basic food items such as rice, bread, and pasta?
Bread: 1.10, rice: 2.10/kg


What is your monthly budget for groceries?
Family of four: around 300bgn


How much does it cost to see a doctor or health specialist in Bulgaria?
With insurance: 2.90 per visit
Without insurance or going without a note from the GP: 20bgn for a GP, 30-40 for a specialist.

How much do you pay for health insurance per month?
I believe it is 18bgn (paid through my work)


How much does childcare cost on average per month?
Public creche: around 65 bgn for a full month plus 20-40 bgn for extras (basketball and football)

What is your child's schooling budget per month?
n/a

How much does it cost to fill up your car’s fuel tank?
Not sure on that one, I don't drive.

How much do you pay for electricity/gas/water etc., per month?
Around 50 bgn

How much do you pay for your internet and phone subscription?
Internet and television: 30bgn  (100mbps, fiber)

How much do you pay for your lunch pack on weekdays?
Between 5 and 10 bgn. (sometimes more when we order from the english guys)


How much do you pay for an espresso coffee?
1.20

How much do you pay for a cinema ticket?
Don't go to the cinema, but there is one here. I think it is around 8bgn. ?

How much does a gym membership cost in Bulgaria?
I do day passes for dance classes which range from 4-8bgn per class