My Experience of Bulgaria Never go to Bulgaria

🤣🍿 alright Bulgaria is indeed a rough country to live. You arent getting anything for nothing. No red carpet rolled out for foreigners. That's why immigrants run trough these countries heading western Europe were they are provided with everything. If you get it for free, it's not fulfilling as you see how it goes there.

I don't know in which currency you paid your groceries. Bulgaria had inflation too. Still its one of the cheapest countries. What a pay for a year at insurance in Bulgaria, it's my insurance for a month in the Netherlands. ⛽️ are halve as much. Electricity 25 euro, internet 10 euro, water 8 euro each month. A full grocery Kar with luxurious items is at his most 75 euro. This is included wine, meat and snacks.

You have to work for your rights and freedom. But then you have all what is lost in the west.

And at last, come on Balkan food disgusting?  You got to be kidding. Or your taste is not developed.

@janecaruthers

I cant comment on prices in Bulgaria, because I don't live there. Having said that I saw a cauliflower for sale in my local supermarket today (in France), for 5.99 euros. I cant imagine that they cost that much in Bulgaria.

PS I'm talking about Rural Bulgaria and Rural City's not Varna or Sofia I've stayed in Varna on the Black Sea and it was amazing I Booked a few Nights but it cost the same as the South Of France then I went into Varna Centre to find out how much Apartments and Houses Cost and believe me Property in these Locations are in the Hundred Thousand Euros

@janecaruthers

Wow I live in rural Bulgaria in the North West and judging by your post you liked the Rakia and took it home with you !

1.  Most EXPENSIVE Country in Europe

Are you having a laugh?

You haven't travelled much.

You need to visit Switzerland, Iceland, and Norway.

I have lived in Bulgaria since 2013 I certainly don't recognise the country you are talking about. Before I moved to Bulgaria my council tax was over £2000 a Year in the UK, here in Bulgaria now it is £60 a year in Nesebar, beer in the UK now is around £4/5 a pint Bulgaria is about £1 a pint in a bar from a shop, about £2 for 2 1/2 liters.

Perhaps there is more than 1 Bulgaria in Europe.

Jane, I'm sad that you've had such a bad experience of Bulgaria.

The country isn't perfect, but I think you might be out of touch with UK and Irish costs. I still live in the UK but hope to move to my Bulgarian village house as soon as I can.

It's true that if you have to shop in small town or village supermarkets some things will cost more than in big UK supermarkets. It's a bit like doing your shopping at a corner shop. But that's how it goes living in a rural area. Just like living in a UK or Irish rural village, to get lower prices one needs to travel further.

Council tax, electricity, and water are a fraction of UK prices. Bus fares are way cheaper. Housing generally is  a lot cheaper, apart from in major cities. Varna property prices have skyrocketed, yes, but are still far lower than prices in a comparable UK city.

Most people think the food is amazing. And most of us don't move to Bulgaria looking for sophistication or softness. Rural areas are neither. They are very real, and sometimes raw. That can be hard to handle if a newcomer isn't expecting it. The dogs barking is a very real thing.  But I'd rather have that and my neighbours' rooster crowing than constant traffic like I have in the UK.

At my place in Bulgaria, there are no yobs throwing beer bottles into our hedge. No gangs of out-of-control youths threatening people, throwing stones, shouting. No public drunkenness. No vandalism. Even no theft. But here in my "nice" home counties market town, we get all this, regularly. All white British perpetrators, by the way.

I hope you're not badly disappointed when you return to Ireland or the UK.

Wow, what a description of Bulgaria:(

It is a lovely country, and very cheap, very.

Looks like you do not like dogs.  I keep my dog in my yard now since he is an old boy and he prefers to be roaming in the yard day and night.

We have neighbors that have dogs and  they all are outside. And yes, they bark. This is their job to protect.

I love Bulgarian food.

And I will give you just a quick comparison to see what is actually called expensive:

In California:

• health insurance monthly ( around $200/month)
• water                                 $140/month
• electricity-                          $120 in the summer; $300-500 in the winter
• grocery                               $600-700/month
• internet                               $80/mo
• car insurance  with super clean record- $140/month
• 
  

Things that are cheaper here than all Europe are:

gas( you call it petrol)

electronics

bulk food

VAT is low at around 10%.

Bulgaria is a winner generally speaking in all the above.

My wife is Bulgarian and we have a blast when we go there visiting family and friends; we enjoy  the great food , we love the history ,  the culture - it is  all very good.  Almost no crime, no mass shooting, no carjacking, no "smash and grab" robbing of stores, you name it- it is all here in America..............

I notice that most British people that live in Bulgaria like it.

Sorry that you are so disappointed......... but you are very wrong:)

I forgot to mention:  the average house price in California is around $700- 800 000 !!!!

How can Bulgaria be expensive! It is darn cheap!!!!

And here is another quote. I never buy this vegetable but I checked  the price just for the heck of it : they sell it per bunch not per weight.

Cauliflower

$3.79 / each = 3.46 euro

Organic Cauliflower

$3.99 / each = 3.65 euro

Conclusion : cauliflower is cheaper in the USA than in France but check this out:

Sofia, Bulgaria  Kaufland

Cauliflower

2,29 лв = $1.28 = 1.79 Euro - that is what I call a deal:)

Hello everyone,

@janecaruthers

We appreciate your openness in discussing your time living in Bulgaria. Each expatriation journey is indeed unique, and it's important to hear different perspectives. We're sorry to hear that your experience in Bulgaria has been challenging.

While every location has its challenges, many expats in Bulgaria have also found rewarding aspects to their experience.

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We encourage others in the community who have positive experiences or helpful advice about living in Bulgaria/rural regions to share their insights as well.

Thank you again for contributing to our forum.

Best regards,

Bhavna

@TonyFF

The euro price that you've quoted for the cauliflower in the Bulgarian supermarket is actually cheaper than Tesco in the UK. I was so shocked by the price of the cauli yesterday, that I posted it on my FB page. All my friends in the UK were horrified, with one of them stating that they were complaining about the price at Tesco, which was £1.85, which converted at today's rate, according to Google, makes it 2.12 euros. I've also been reliably informed that vegetables are much cheaper at the local markets in Bulgaria, than they are in the supermarkets. 😊

I have just checked the prices in Lidl they look to be the same price as the rest of Europe, some goods are cheaper.

Well each to their own but for me living in Bulgaria is a lot more affordable than living in the UK on my state pension.

My personable observations are that for many years was that UK is cheaper for food than most countries. Especially frozen and tinned food.  Also UK has bigger verity..  I visit Philippines 3 months and Bulgaria 4 months ... However UK has now caught up due to cost of living crisis with prices often goin up by a third .... I'm sure most of us remember the rip off Britain era back in the 80/90s..  we have definitely returned to those times ..

Bulgaria has one big advantage over UK and that is we are not paying very much for infrastructure and energy is cheaper.. 

I see Jane, the original poster, has now left the forum after venting her feelings for the country. I'm sad for her, because I don't think with her attitude she'll be happy anywhere.

Expat life isn't a success for everyone. It does require openness to learn and change, willingness to accept things are different to "home", and an understanding we're guests in the country and much as we'd love to, we can't expect them to run their country our way.

I felt similar to Jane C until I returned to the UK for a week in early October and I couldn't believe it the weather was awful so where the people, the food was nothing like I'd envisaged and everything cost so much, all week I never really got a good night's sleep so when I returned to my Bulgarian village home I realised that the " grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence" . I shall go back to the UK now and then but I've learnt my lesson" life is what you make it".

It's certainly not an easy thing moving country, especially to one as different as Bulgaria.

Well, I haven't moved yet, but I can see there are going to be challenges galore. Bureaucracy, the language, limited services in the village, an old house in need of plenty of renovation work.

Hopefully, the challenges will be more than compensated for by the massive benefits I see in making a Bulgarian village my home. Wonderful neighbours, a real community, a vibrant traditional culture, excellent food, space around me rather than being right on top of each other, fresh air to breathe, and enough land to garden and keep animals.

Just do your homework when moving to any other country and DON'T expect it to be the same country that you are leaving behind. Have an open mind.

I would also visit the country beforehand.

@SimCityAT

Lidl isn't particularly cheap in France. Some things are few cents cheaper, but since I have to drive 24kms it's not worth it. I wouldn't mind so much, if the local markets were cheaper, bit they're not. I suppose wherever you live, you have to follow the prices.

    @SimCityAT
Lidl isn't particularly cheap in France. Some things are few cents cheaper, but since I have to drive 24kms it's not worth it. I wouldn't mind so much, if the local markets were cheaper, bit they're not. I suppose wherever you live, you have to follow the prices.
   

    -@grumpyoldbird

Not 1 country is the same though.

l feal l have to defend Bulgaria

not my native country but l have lived there for 16 years 10 of them alone after losing my husband

no it's not perfect

r

local roads are rubbish in villages, but l could not live in uk anymore on a pension

l can live comfortably in bulgaria

and l have the kindest neighbours l have ever had

yes local shops are more expensive

But would Asda pay your water and electricity bill for you while you were away from home and keep an eye on your house not wanting anything in return???

there is a wonderful caring spirit in bulgaria

which has been lost in UK unfortunately

@janemulberry

It's sad to read her comments about Bulgaria, and to see she has had such a bad experience here. And perhaps in our rush to defend Bulgaria she might have felt a bit attacked/unwelcome. She has immediately left the forum, which is unfortunate.

Bulgaria is very definitely far from perfect, but for many expats it does have very many great qualities.

Although the poster's comments did seem quite harshly expressed, there were actually a number of points that I agreed with.

2. Bulgarian Drivers are Devils

I do see a lot of reckless and inconsiderate drivers here, and I've had one guy stop his car threatening to beat me up. When I first arrived here, I drove across Europe very uneventfully... then crossed into Bulgaria and had several near misses between Serbia and Kazanlak. There is very little police enforcement and few cameras, so folks know they can get away with a lot. I get particularly offended by all the foreign-plated cars which I am certain are mostly illegal (due to expired inspection, road tax in the issuing country, no insurance, etc.). In Spain, as a counter-example, they want to see your driving license and your residence permit, and they will impound a foreign car that's been in the country too long, or if you've been driving too long on a foreign license, or if your essential car documents are expired.

But, yeah, you adjust your driving to be a bit more defensive in case of stupidity. And (for me, at least, sorry) you get a lot faster on your cross-country trips as you know it's 99% gonna be OK (whereas I'd lose my license within a couple of months if I were back in the UK and still driving like this). For the public good, the above is very bad... but as an individual driver, almost no tickets is a very nice bonus in life. :-)

4. Weather 45 from May to September

Yeah, absolutely, it gets blooming hot here in summer, it's definitely hard to argue with this one. :-) Depends where you are, but mostly it's scorchio. May-Sept maybe is a bit long, but defo mid-June to end of August is tough going.

We do like Bansko in summer, it's so beautiful in the surrounding mountains, and It's a few degrees cooler. Maybe only 5 C compared with Plovdiv (which is very toasty), but every little helps. :-) I also get up earlier, so my morning walks are 5 ish or 6 ish, while the day is still relatively cool. Youth Hill (Plovdiv, winding cobbled path through the trees to the top) and Yellow Beach Peak (Enina, forested hiking paths) are lovely in the early morning, it's not much of a sacrifice.

We find we can't cope without AC, and for the 10 weeks or so above, we put them ALL on, and keep them on 24/7. And the amazing thing is that our electricity bill for this indulgence is very reasonable. I'd get a bill 5X-10X bigger if I tried the same trick in Spain or Cyprus!

Our village house now has uPVC windows, external insulation, and external roller shutters, so this really helps keep the bills down. While these works were not cheap, it certainly cost me far less than it would have cost in UK, Germany, Spain, Cyprus (or pretty much anywhere else in Europe). If you have the means, I highly recommend picking them up. :-) They will transform the comfort/cost of an old Bulgarian house.

And the weather, even if hot, is lovely. Much of the year is dry, clear blue skies. I can count the number of missed walks due to inclement weather on the fingers of one hand.

5. Dogs The Villages are full of dogs and Bulgarians don't take them into their Houses so they bark 24/7 (you have been warned) Dogs bark throughout the night

Oh, yes, barking dogs are definitely a thing in Bulgaria! And in the UK (and many other countries) you quickly get into trouble if you allow your doggie love to keep up a racket during unsociable hours. But here, no big deal. This really upset me in the early days in Bulgaria, especially when in our village house. It's a lovely village, in a beautiful area... so I couldn't believe they allowed this kind of barking. And I can hear it nearly all night in summer. My old boy neighbour (2 houses down) has a dog which is (sadly) chained pretty much 24/7... and also barks 24/7. Frankly, I don't even know how he can keep it up. :-)

If you think dogs howling and barking at a summer moon are vexing, imagine one near your house that barks almost constantly. We went less to the village as nights in the city (Plovdiv) were far quieter. :-)

There was zero legal enforcement. But, even in Bulgaria, there is a limit. After a couple of years, one of the neighbours had a quiet word with the old boy, and told him he had to do something. The poor thing is still chained, and still barks... but he moved him to the furthest away spot, on the other side of his farm buildings, so the sound doesn't travel as well. And he's in with the cows, so he has a bit of company which makes him a bit more chilled out.

And we fitted external shutters to our windows, which helps a lot in keeping out the nighttime doggie chorus. :-)

Even more annoying than village dogs (at least for me) is village dumping! Do they really need their own dump when there's an official one just 5 km away? And a good 30% of the stuff I see would be perfectly fine in the collection bin outside your house, if you could be bothered to find a garbage bag to put it in. :-)

Our beautiful mountain area has a small river that comes down the hill, through the village, and past the back of our house. There's a little tree-filled valley next to the river. Idyllic, right? In many places, this would be a park, a place for walks and enjoying nature. But no... this is where our mayor thinks is the perfect spot for a village dump. You dump your old stuff and your construction rubble on the flat ground above, and every week they bulldoze it over the edge towards the river. You see? 6 years later, and I'm still seething. And don't they realize what they're doing to my property value, with a view of the village dump from the balcony?! :-)

But, again, what can you do? No point being stressed out about it, it's not like they'll change for me. :-) Indeed, if they don't care about the common ground, it means it was no problem when I helped myself to some of it, as part of my renovation and beautification works.

In short, the sloppy driving, the illegal vehicles, the barking, the heat, the dumping... all really annoying. But you get used it. :-)

And you can look on the flip side: no enforcement means you can do (almost) whatever you want with your house and your car and your pets. Bulgaria is the "Live Free or Die" country (the state of New Hampshire is a legal minefield in comparison)!

Yep that's ,Bulgaria

Love it !

In regards to  the Bulgarian drivers:

I have driven many places in Europe including in Bulgaria. No problem there. The only country that somewhat made me a little tense was Italy. I am referring to  only  one particular freeway going  to the Riviera from Genoa.The very high bridges on which the Italian sped at 160-180 km /hour. Anyway, it was ok. I drove in Rome too- you get used to it. Driving in Bulgaria is easy.There are more kamikazes  here in California than in Bulgaria.

Re. weather-

There are a lot  of  very nice areas without extremes: southern Bulgaria ex.  Sandanski and most areas on The Black Sea. I do not like snow and cold  so my advice is to explore those areas if you want mild climate.

Dogs:

I have encountered a lot of homeless dogs in Bulgaria. Chaining dogs is cruel but this happens here in America too ( my neighbor), I have seen this in Scandinavia as well. When I bought my shepherd I had to sign  a contract that I would never chain him ; he would never be transported in the back of a pick-up truck; he would  never go to a shelter. I do not know how this  is enforced. I personally obey the rules. My dog is treated with love and respect. Re. excessive barking :Perhaps the Bulgarian government should consider a law in that respect.  I am sure one day it will happen.

I do not think the excessive barking in the villages is any fault of the dogs- the owners are the bad apples.

I think the motorway driving is very relaxing in BG.  Yes you get the Merc drivers who zoom up on you but on the whole the motorways are pretty quite and iv noticed that many Bulgarian drivers are starting to be kind to other road users.

Certainly beats the M20 and M25 which can be mayhem at the best of times

@philip Mckay

Absolutely! The A1 is pretty low-traffic most of the time, apart from maybe the peak summer season as everyone goes to/from the Black Sea. The drive into Sofia (capital city) is particularly surprising, as it's very rarely congested before you get to the city limit. And the turn-off from the A1 to Sofia airport is a doddle, normally I'm parked up maybe 20 minutes later. It's a massive contrast between this and the slog down the M1 towards London, followed by the nightmare of the M25 round to Heathrow. :-)

@TonyFF

I guess you're not an accountant: VAT here in BG is 20%, income tax is 10%....

@janemulberry

Bureaucrats here are pussy-cats compared to their Greek equivalents.  I find that if you show them that you know what you want and aren't prepared to be palmed off with excuses or invented regulations, they even turn helpful.

@GuestPoster357

That is your opinion and you are entitled to it. I have lived here several years in a small village and find it to be the opposite, the locals have been very welcoming, and yes some of the drivers are to be blunt horrendous, as for the dogs I don't hear them on a night (Double glazing works wonders) and to be fair most of the villagers have livestock of some kind. and there are quite a lot of predatory animals hence the need for dogs. As for the food if you don't like Bulgarian food simply prepare your own, and as for the price of said food I don't know where you shop or the brands you buy but it is definitely cheaper and may I add better quality than nearly all UK supermarkets, but ce la vie if you don't like it go back to the UK enjoy your little English life and quit moaning

@GuestPoster357

***

I agree the supermarkets are dearer in Bulgaria than UK. Aldi is.  Building materials half the price in Bulgaria, energy and water also very cheap . Trades people take the pissss in Bulgaria, shoddy workmanship and lazy asses. But on the whole it's marmite.

@bispy1  Wow I am blown away by this whole discussion that borders on becoming vitriolic.

I have always believed in the following

The quality of life is how you choose to make it, no matter where you are

If it is to be, it is up to me!

I am absolutely delighted with Bulgaria, and also have experienced items that would offend most people including me with local  behavior,   That occurs in every country in the world    however, having lived over 75 years and in many parts of the world, my view is that Bulgaria has much to offer, no place is perfect and one could say the same negative and good things about virtually any developing or fully developed country   .

Of course, this applies to countries that are not currently experiencing warfare or civil disobedience to the extent that it will  errupt to international intervention.    As all such disruptions do    it makes one wonder who is funding, the disruption and why but that is another subject

As a retired professor of economics at University level, I can assure that the facts do not support the economic claims of bulgaria being the most expensive, but do support the exact opposite. If you are a foreigner on a reasonable pension     A local making 1000 lev per month would have a different view   

My personal experiences have found Bg to be a very economical and beautiful place to live on a typical Eu pension. 

As for barking dogs and rural life  There are challenges for any stranger in a strange land, but then again as a visitor, one must consider the differences in culture and historic tastes    for example, I can't stand Tarator and the idea Of devouring pigs, brain or beef tongue, I consider this  repulsive.   In Asia I would not eat bugs and worms   But that doesn't mean the entire menu of offering in most restaurants is not healthy, not appetizing, and not appealing to even any one of the most discerning taste

In short, there are some things in life you cannot change and rarely does a culture change to suit one single visitor.   Or to be more blunt. Some people are not happy any place.

Without becoming vitriolic, I would say attitude is the basis of happiness.

@Johnavann

Mmmm. I do like beef tongue cooked in butter.but not battered . I did try pigs brains  in Boracay philippines . Sheeps brain in a Greek restaurant I worked in as a teenager .. I tried a 23 day old duck inside an egg in dipolog Philippines they call it balout..    But I was a little drunk for that one .. iv had chicken black pudding . Chicken intestines on a stick .. looked like a jumping jack that we used to buy for firework night .. uugh an the very worst was chicken feet omg that without a doubt is the most disgusting thing lol  I refused to eat chicken heads .. you just have to draw the line somewhere lol

And I have tried the parson nose lol

Well our experience is totally different. We find the cost of living is very low compared to the UK and as for the people?

Had a puncture and as I was getting the Jack out a car stopped and a man jumped out and even though we speak a little of the language he insisted on taking over and changed the wheel for one of those silly little space savers we had which did not hold pressure. Wondering what to do next, another car pulled up...The owner of the biggest and magnificent house in the village and the owner of a cheese and dairy factory in town.

He got drove me the 15 km to town to get the spare wheel tyre fixed and then got a neighbour to put it on.

He spoke no English and I little Bulgarian...he would take no money so later I bought him a Bottle of Scotch.

Would that happen in the UK??

All the people we have met here in the North West over the 10 years we have been here have been great, kind and helpful.

Go to our local town any time any day and you will see people walking around, the elderly sitting chatting, the young, couples with children...and no violence EVER. Would find it hard to find a comparison with the UK...so come and join us and the scenery is great!

Well said, @Johnavann!

@daxman---I have had the same delightful experience with unselfish people stopping to assist and observed with delight that children can plan in a local park after dark.   I moved here after experiencing what USA has bercome and the difference is well worth the few inconveniences. 

And today....My car is in the garage for new drive shafts, so no car.

However the village has a bus 4 times a day to the local town. I dont know the schedule, so off I go down the lane to ask someone.

Saw an elderly guy tending his animals, so in my best broken Bulgarski I asked if he knew the times.

That resulted in his adult son and his wife coming out to see what was going on.

Resulted in an exchange of photographs, a great laughs, hugs and handshakes....AND the offer of a lift to town tomorrow morning!!

What amazing people to offer help a total stranger....

Sorry,,,but THIS is BULGARIA~~~