New member here although I've perused this forum for a few years. I'm an American who's married to a Bulgarian and spent a bunch of time in Sofia, and within a few years would like to move there.
A few observations I've picked up during my time in Bulgaria for anyone interested.
1) The country is beautiful. The communist era and style buildings can take some getting used to but I love the scenery and architecture, with the country side being even more beautiful. Lots to see, lots to explore and it's not a crowded tourist destination which can be both positive or negative based on your viewpoint. I enjoy not seeing any other Americans for weeks at a time. I enjoy the seclusion. At the same time, when I walk to a bus stop or into a restaurant, it's not uncommon for everyone there to turn and stare at me like an alien just landed in the middle of the road. Bulgarians love to stare with interest.
2) I wish more people spoke English. Sure in Sofia, especially nearer to the Vitosha area it's not really a problem but when outside the main areas it can be much tougher if you don't know the language. I've even been in Happy in Sofia with a young waitress around 20 and she didn't speak a lick of English. Daily requirements like buying bus tickets or getting a cab or getting lunch can be tough.
3) The rakia, the food, is great. Also love how much the culture comes thru in the food. Bulgarians are some of the most welcoming and hospitable people I've ever met. Go to their apartment for dinner and they do everything possible to have you feel welcomed. Branching off that, I love the customs around the holidays, the traditions which go into celebrating christmas for example. New Years Eve is always a blast.
As someone looking to move there, there's some issues.
1) As I'm married to a Bulgarian citizen, residency is not a problem nor is the ability to work. However it can be a headache to actually get the paperwork done.
2) Work. That's tough. Average Bulgarian makes about 400-500 leva per month. That won't cut it. The IT sector, particularly coding pays quite well. As a native English speaker, there's some international companies which value your experience as a foreigner if you have a sales/marketing/business background. Teaching English is an option but you won't be really saving money, more enough to live off.
3) Apartments and housing. Do your research. Never purchase or sign from abroad. Get there and inspect the property. If you can, pay cash and buy outright when purchasing. Barter. You'll get a far better deal as the ability to buy upfront is rare in Bulgaria. A nice apartment going for 80-90K Euro can be had for 65K in a single payment. Many of the newer apartments have been built quite cheaply. My advice is to look for an older apartment built with solid concrete and look to remodel it if need me. I for one when buying will tear up and replace the Bulgarian style bathroom with a Western one. I hate how they have showers which soak the entire bathroom. Make no sense whatsoever. But the older apartments offer superior insulation, keep you cooler in the summer, warmer in the winter, thicker walls, just all around built better.
4) If you're planning on any kind of a permanent move, it's best if you can create outside revenue streams before moving. Get creative on the internet, plenty of opportunity there. Something I'll likely consider is buying a multi housing unit in the states before moving, which would bring in maybe 50K USD in revenue each year which is well more than enough to live comfortably and travel. You would in that scenario actually end up saving money as to live comfortably in Bulgaria you need about 3-4K leva per month, so roughly 2K USD. That money would go much farther and you'd save much more than if you did the same and lived in the US or UK.
5) Despite concerns, Bulgaria is extremely safe. Need to look out out for gypsy pickpockets but that goes for any major city. Be aware. Avoid a place like Lion Bridge in the middle of the night but it really is a safe country. One exception is the drivers. They're crazy. Insane.
A few questions for anyone with more experience in Bulgaria, particularly Sofia, than me.
1) What are schooling options for children? How much does a private English language school cost? How many are there?
2) What does the average English language teacher earn?
3)Has anyone had success in opening a business? Something I've noticed about Bulgaria is so many restaurants and stores are the same. Everyone sells the same damn things all over. Little variety. One clothing store after another, same clothes, same shoes. That can be good or bad. Good as there's opportunity to differentiate from your competition and attract a new consumer audience, bad because Bulgarians tend to go with what they're familiar with. So maybe a taqueria could be a great opportunity, become popular and explode, or a real burger joint with true American style burgers, fries and shakes. Or it could be completely rejected by the local. Hard to determine. They do however pay a premium for some Western products. Import/export is another opportunity. And even better, the corporate tax rate is lower than most of Europe, almost to tax haven levels.
New Member with some Observations & Questions
I LOVE the Bulgarian bathrooms. It did take some getting used to, but they are so convenient. I never liked having to worry about dripping on the bathroom floor in the states. Plus, with babies the full room to splash around in without ruining carpets is nice- oh, and having the shower head near the toilet makes cleaning cloth diapers super easy.
Good observations.
Work, yes that's though, the only possibility for a reasonable loan is working for a multinational. Other option is create you own income as you already mentioned.
But 3 - 4K leva a month is far more than comfort if you have no rent or mortgage costs.
Buying a house remote is a no go, for me thats a complete no go, no matter where i go. You must be on the spot and do a good research before taking any steps.
Yes Bulgaria is a safe country! Pickpockets can also be found in every big city in Holland or west Europe, so i see no difference.
I know that there are several private schools in different languages, do not know something about the prices. Maybe you can find something here: http://aeasofia.com/
On the forum i have seen more questions about positions as a English teacher, try the search maybe you can find some more info about that.
There are a lot of opportunities in Bulgaria, many western people doing business in Bulgaria. Try some search on the internet and you discover more succes story's from people doing business here.
Wes81 wrote:Good observations.
Work, yes that's though, the only possibility for a reasonable loan is working for a multinational. Other option is create you own income as you already mentioned.
But 3 - 4K leva a month is far more than comfort if you have no rent or mortgage costs.
Well coming from that states we will have a mortgage cost as we're planning on being there for a few years and ultimately owning an apartment. Another goal is not just to live in Sofia but to also use it as a base to travel throughout Europe. Plus a child.
If I were a single bachelor just looking to live and have fun, something around 2K leva would be plenty.
I think the main point in general is to do your best to find revenue streams not based on the local economy. Software engineering for a Western company would be great. There's a few jobs in business/sales/marketing one can get where being a native english speaker is in demand. Teaching English would give you enough to live on. But pulling revenue from elsewhere is the real cash cow given how cheap the standard of living is.
Thank you for your accurate statements.
At this point, I would like to receive an advice pertinent to my personal situation.
I am a dual citizen, Polish-American. I was employed as a teacher for about 25 years in major US city. My background: education(licensed in the USA(multiple states), UK and Poland, law in Poland.
Currently, I retired with the monthly pension about $ 3K. I own a house, still paying mortgage about $800 a month.
Bulgaria is a part of my childhood memories. I consider moving to Bulgaria, but a healthcare is perceived as a big problem. Would you be so kind and advise?
Healthcare in Bulgaria can be hit or miss- especially if you are on public insurance. However, if you can pay for private care (which with $2,200 a month, you should have no problem paying for private care unless you have major health issues) you should be fine. If you have health problems that need regular monitoring, or think you will in the near future, you should stay by one of the bigger cities where you will have more healthcare options.
As an example- I have had two children born in a private hospital in Varna. Both times the level of care was excellent and the cost was around 2400 bgn (including prenatal care and a 4 night hospital stay). However, in Gabrovo (where I live) the healthcare is almost no-existent. I had to go to the emergency room once while pregnant and we waited 40 minutes while I was having contractions in the 6th month without anyone checking me in. Similarly- my son had an allergic reaction to a nut and swelled up- luckily nothing with his airway because we waited for 45 minutes in the waiting area outside of emergency and finally just left because no one would check us in.
So- if you go private and in large cities, you will get adequate care. If you go public and in smaller cities, you will struggle to find good providers.
Thanks again. The $2200/mo means premium for a private insurance or just a fee?
Do you think that Burgas is big enough and worth a consideration?
I was saying $2200 is what you are living on (you said you have $3k minus $800 for your mortgage)... not what you would pay into insurance or for healthcare fees.
Whether you would want private insurance or not is up to your healthcare needs. I am a young fairly healthy person so the public health insurance and paying out of pocket when necessary works for me. For someone older or who has more frequent health problems, it would be advisable to look into private health insurance. But I wouldn't pay more than 200-300 bgn per month for it.
Some health costs to give you an idea (without insurance):
Checkup/exam: 20-40 bgn
x-ray: 7-50 bgn (I guess I have seen some x-rays around 70 for more complex things like a panoramic oral x-ray)
sonogram: 30-40 bgn
dental filling: 20-60 bgn
Cesarean childbirth: 2000 (might give you an idea on operation costs, as I am unsure of those)
Basic lab fees: 10-40 bgn
As you can see- most healthcare is incredibly reasonably priced, even paying out of pocket. But if you have several prescriptions, or need regular care, you might look into insurance.
Very informative.Thank you very much.😀😀😀
"3) Apartments and housing. Do your research. Never purchase or sign from abroad. Get there and inspect the property. If you can, pay cash and buy outright when purchasing. Barter. You'll get a far better deal as the ability to buy upfront is rare in Bulgaria. A nice apartment going for 80-90K Euro can be had for 65K in a single payment. Many of the newer apartments have been built quite cheaply. My advice is to look for an older apartment built with solid concrete and look to remodel it if need me. I for one when buying will tear up and replace the Bulgarian style bathroom with a Western one. I hate how they have showers which soak the entire bathroom. Make no sense whatsoever. But the older apartments offer superior insulation, keep you cooler in the summer, warmer in the winter, thicker walls, just all around built better."
You can only pay 10,000 in cash for property the rest must be by transfer. It seems this is the law. We are in the first stages of buying here so will kow more an the real hard facts in a few days. WE agreed teh price this afternoon it's now down to the Lawyer checking the paprs and that everything is OK with no hidden nasties.
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