God created the earth in 6 days, on the 7th day he gave each country a little piece of his creation.
To one country he gave beautiful mountains, to another lush dense green forests, to another stunning coasts and so on until all his creation was divided out.
The last in line were the Bulgarians and there was nothing left to give them, so God gave them a piece of Paradise……….
Bulgaria is truly a beautiful and fascinating place and if you are thinking of moving to Bulgaria then you will want to know what is great and not so great about living here.
New to Bulgaria? Find your ideal city or town with this expat-friendly guide.
Bulgaria is unlike any other country and for some it will certainly be a culture shock, for others it will be the realization that they have finally found their paradise.
But before we get onto the pros and cons of living in Bulgaria I want to debunk a myth about life here.
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By UK standards the cost of property is exceptionally cheap, and yes, the cost of living is low. BUT, the cost of living is only low if you have a good income or large savings. If you need to work in Bulgaria you will need to earn well above average wages to have a good standard of living and finding such a job is not easy, especially if you cannot read, write, and speak Bulgarian.
A UK pension will go far further than in the UK and you will have a good standard of living here but prices are rising and in a few years Bulgaria will switch over to the Euro, just something to think about.
Sofia is Bulgaria’s largest and most dynamic city, but is it the right place for you? Explore the pros and cons of moving to Sofia to weigh your options.
Now, let me tell you a bit about this amazing country.
What will probably shock you about Bulgaria is just how much history is packed into a country of just 111,000 square meters. Forget the youngsters of Rome (a mere 2800 years old) or Athens (only 6000 years old), Plovdiv has been inhabited for the last 8000 years and is the oldest inhabited city in Europe.
You probably think the oldest gold in the world was in found in Egypt but no, in Varna gold was discovered dating back to 4600BC. And the artifacts found there changed the worlds understanding of the evolution of Europeans.
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Or perhaps you would be interested to know that there are over 16,000 natural springs in Bulgaria, the second highest number only to Iceland in the whole of Europe.
Or that over half of the world’s Rose Oil is produced in Rose Valley Bulgaria.
We could go on and on about the history and culture of Bulgaria and whilst that is certainly one of the big draws of coming to live in Bulgaria, most people will want to know what every day living is like, what are the advantages and disadvantages of moving to Bulgaria.
Below are a personal list of pros and cons of living in Bulgaria drawn up from my years of living here as an expat. The regions of Bulgaria are many and varied, and other people will have very different pro and cons lists to the one I have created, but I hope it gives you food for thought when thinking of moving to Bulgaria.
Moving to Bulgaria for work, study, or family reasons? Start with our essential guide on obtaining a D Visa.
The Pros of Moving to Bulgaria
#1 The People of Bulgaria
It doesn’t matter where you live in the world, your neighbours and the people around you can make or break paradise.
The people of Bulgaria are definitely one of the positives of living here. If you make an effort to know even a little of the language, to try to integrate and to embrace the Bulgarian way of life then they will welcome you with open arms.
Most villages especially will be eager for you to move there if you have a young family, most youngsters leave the villages seeking employment in Europe, so they encourage young families to move there and keep the village alive.
You will come home to find gifts of fresh fruit and vegetables or homemade wine hanging from your garden gate, people will take the time to teach you how to grow produce in your garden or how to cut your grape vines, nothing is ever too much trouble for them.
Get a puncture at the side of the road and you can guarantee people will stop to offer you assistance.
Try to walk around the village of an evening and you won’t get far before being offered a drink, or a plate of food, or invited to join a conversation. Everyone takes time to stop and chat, or to give a wave and a hello as they pass by.
The friendliness and willingness of locals to help in any way they can is legendary and certainly is a massive positive of living here.
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#2 Quality of Life
This is the sum of everything good about living in Bulgaria. The hot summers naturally make you happy, the fresh food, the traditions, the fresh country air, the endless starry skies, many nights sharing a glass of wine or two with friends and neighbours, the celebrations at every opportunity, the friendly people, and of course the low cost of living all go into a huge melting pot to give an outstanding quality of life.
#3 Bulgarians Love Socialising
Nearly every week of the year is one celebration or another, in fact, not content with having a birthday every year, Bulgarians also celebrate their name day.
Sharing time with friends and family is extremely important. In fact many stores close on a Saturday and Sunday so the staff can go to the village to spend time with their family and friends.
#4 Food and Wine
The superb food and wine of Bulgaria is a well-kept secret that many are delighted to discover.
Bulgarian wine is especially good, in fact Winston Churchill declared that Bulgarian Melnik wine was his favourite and imported over 500 litres a year for himself.
Many of the wines here you will not find anywhere else in the world and Mavrud especially is well worth seeking out.
When it comes to food, the quality of the ingredients make even the simplest dishes absolutely delicious.
People in the villages are largely self-sufficient, growing their own vegetables and raising their own meat. Bulgarians mainly eat what is in season or the produce that they have bottled during the summer which is eaten during the winter months.
When it comes to traditional Bulgarian food must tries are tarator (a cold soup made from yoghurt, garlic, and cucumbers), banitsa (a pastry often filled with cheese and/or spinach), Sarmi (stuffed cabbage or vine leaves) and of course the Shopska Salad which is a salad topped with white cheese.
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#5 Lack of Commercialism
One of the things I love about Bulgaria is the lack of commercialism, although sadly this is changing.
There is no pressure to keep up with the Jones or to have the latest this that or the other. People are generally happy with their lot and when something is broken or worn out they will repair rather than replace.
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#6 The Weather
If you love the seasons you will love Bulgaria.
There are real winters when you can have a metre or so of snow and temperatures can drop to minus 20. But the country is geared up for the bad weather, there are plenty of snow ploughs and gritters and roads are rarely closed. By law you must fit winter tyres to your car and they make driving fairly easy no matter what the weather.
The springtime is beautiful when everything is starting to bud, the weather is getting warmer and the arrival of summer is just around the corner.
Summers can be hot. And I mean hot. 40 degrees plus is normal but so are summer storms which are short but heavy. Although summers are short they are beautiful.
The autumn can be warm and a little wet but still good enough to sit in your garden of an evening.
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#7 Every Problem has a Solution
Bulgarians are extremely resourceful. They will always have a solution, a way of fixing or improvising.
#8 You Will Take Pleasure from the Simplest Things
There is just something about Bulgarian life that makes you so grateful for even the smallest things. Just knowing that you have months of beautiful summer evenings to enjoy, that your garden will produce an abundance of produce that will see you through the winter, watching the storks make their nests, or the friendly greetings everywhere you go.
You soon learn that you need very few possessions to be truly happy, it is the place you live and the people around you that is important.
#9 Proud to be Bulgarian
I have included the fact that Bulgarians are very proud of their country as a pro of living here because, for me, it shows that they care about their national identity, their history, and traditions. Sadly a trait missing in many nations.
It is important to be reminded that we all have an obligation to keep the old skills alive, and to not forget what sacrifices past generations have made.
Everywhere you go you will see the flag of Bulgaria proudly displayed, youngsters are encouraged, and indeed want to uphold traditions.
In fact, on historic dates of significance pamphlets are handed out detailing what happened on that date or why the day is so special. It is keeping the memories and traditions alive so that the identity of Bulgaria is never lost.
#10 It is a Safe Country
Crime rates are very low and from my experience, the Police are efficient in dealing with any crimes that do happen. Rarely does any type of crime go unsolved.
You can safely walk the streets at night, leave your home unlocked, or let your kids play out unsupervised.
Car crime is very rare and a burglary is front page news, whilst anti-social behaviour or violence in public is totally out of the ordinary.
Of course there are crimes committed and the big cities are bound to have their share of problems as any city would, but there is a respect in society and for society here that some countries sadly lack.
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#11 The Countryside
Bulgaria is sparsely populated and the endless fields, mountains, valleys, and forests are totally unspoilt.
There are 3 national parks and 11 natural parks covering tens of thousands of hectares and are home to thousands of species of animals and plants.
You can walk for hours and hours without seeing another soul.
Then there are hundreds of lakes and waterfalls to explore, many that you can swim in, go fishing or enjoy watersports.
Then there are the breathtaking mountain ranges enabling Bulgaria to have some of the finest ski-resorts in Europe but at a fraction of the cost of their more famous European counterparts.
If you want an outdoor lifestyle then Bulgaria is definitely for you.
#12 Housing
Buing a home in Bulgaria is relatively inexpensive and relatively straight forward. There are options for people outside EU to buy a house too.
A professional Bulgarian real estate agent can navigate that for you or you can browse the real estate listings in Bulgaria by yourself so find out what is currently on the market.
#13 Wildlife
Bulgaria is home to an amazing array of wildlife. Here you will find birds of prey, pelicans, storks, bears, wolves, jackals, wild boar, red foxes, deer, and polecats to name but a few.
Bulgaria is truly a nature lover’s paradise and you will see some of these wild animals right on your doorstep. You certainly never have to go far to be enthralled by the beautiful birds or animals all around you.
The Cons of Moving to Bulgaria
I will repeat that this is my perception and my experience of living in Bulgaria and that where you choose to move to may be totally different. And these are not necessarily disadvantages of living in Bulgaria, rather things that you need to be aware of and prepared for.
#1 Racism
Cities such as Sofia are very multi-cultural but many other places have never seen an Afro-Caribbean or Pakistani person for example. This may or may not be an issue where you are thinking of moving to in Bulgaria but just be mindful that many parts of Bulgaria are not multi-cultural.
Bulgaria is often compared to the UK of 50 years ago which is a blessing in many ways but in other ways some people may find offensive. It is just something to be aware of.
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# 2 Bureaucracy
Whatever you need to do, if it involves paperwork, and it most definitely will, you will need to do it in triplicate.
You will need to zigzag between departments because each department will only deal with a certain aspect of your query and are likely to close for lunch halfway through the process.
I also learnt quite quickly to ask the same question in 3 different ways, although you are still likely to get 3 contradictory answers from the same person.
#3 Bulgarian Time
If someone says I will be there in 10 minutes they usually mean in an hour. There is no rush to get anywhere on time, so you arrive when you do, it is just another part of the laid-back lifestyle here.
Bad timekeeping drives me insane, for you this may be neither here nor there.
#4 The Bulgarian Language
Learning the language is a problem for many people. Not only do you need to learn a new language but also a new alphabet.
But learning just a few words will get you a lot of respect and personally I find reading far easier than speaking the language.
In the cities many people speak English and even if you try to speak in Bulgarian they will respond in English. In the villages few people speak English so it is worth learning the basics at least.
#5 Driving in Bulgaria
The standard of driving in Bulgaria is low with road signs and the Highway Code is seen as advisory rather than an instruction. Be prepared for cars on the wrong side of the road on blind bends, horse and carts on dual carriageways, or turkeys being herded down country lanes. And cars being driven at breakneck speed.
Roads are generally in very bad condition with one metre wide potholes common, so your car suspension lasts a very short time here.
Also you will find that drink driving is very common, especially in the villages, although there are very severe penalties if you are caught.
There are actually very few cars on the road here, but the fatality rate is high, so always drive with extreme caution.
Whilst on the subject of cars always buy an imported car as they will usually have been well maintained. Maintaining a car is not cheap and many Bulgarians will not have the money to regularly service or look after their cars. Most of the garages will sell cars imported from Germany or Italy so finding good cars is not a problem, but expect to pay UK prices or more for a good car.
#6 Smoking
Smoking is a national hobby. This is not a problem for everybody, I know, but for others it may be. I have never come across a no smoking bar or restaurant for example, even though smoking indoors in banned.
And I will relay the story of how I once went to the doctors to find him smoking during the consultation and walking the surgery with a lit cigarette in hand. It was just one of those many hey-ho moments.
#7 Monsters
I will put this in the con section because the majority of people don’t have a love for bugs or snakes and when I moved here no one anywhere mention this.
Bulgaria has bugs and insects that you have never even dreamt about in your worst nightmares. Some are huge and look terrifying. The good news is that very few will harm you and they are essential to the eco system.
There are numerous snakes here but only the horned viper is dangerous (mainly found in Southern Bulgaria), the rest are great for keeping down the rats and mice.
There is a huge variety of wild animals, many which are extinct in the rest of Europe, and if you are not a country person then this is something to be aware of. For example, there are packs of Jackals which can be heard howling of an evening around most villages, I love that, but some people may not.
As a side note it is worth mentioning that hunting is common here and the meat is for consumption rather than sport.
This is not an exhaustive list of course, space prohibits that, but these are certainly things that you should be aware of.
Living in Bulgaria has its challenges, but the rewards are huge.
Don’t come here expecting Benidorm or to change the country into a mini-UK, yes there are insular enclaves of expats, but the people who get the most benefit from living here are the ones who embrace the Bulgarian way of life, leave their UK mindset behind, and accept and love this amazing country and its people for what it is.
Interested? Here is how to buy real estate in Bulgaria.
