Pros and Cons of Living in Bulgaria - (An Expat Heaven or Hell?)

Welcome to another video! Today, I will be talking about the pros and cons of living in Bulgaria, specifically Sofia and Plovdiv. I'll further discuss whether Bulgaria is attractive for expats or not. As someone that moved to Bulgaria to start a business over 6 years ago, I have a lot to say about every aspect of life in Bulgaria. All of the pros can be taken as the main reasons why emigration to Bulgaria was my first choice. If you are considering residency in Bulgaria, then this video is for you.

So, what are the advantages and disadvantages of living in Bulgaria as an expat?

Bulgaria is also one of the first countries to make it onto the list as one of the cheapest countries to retire to precisely for this reason. These are just two of the many pros of living in Bulgaria. It’s a country that has a lot to offer.

But what are the cons of living in Bulgaria?

As you can probably guess, one of the main cons of living in Bulgaria is connected to the very cheap lifestyle in the country. Bad infrastructure and corruption in Bulgaria are some of the main issues in the country, more serious ones anyway. In this video, I list many more, so that you can get a clear picture of what the negatives of living here are.

Are any of you living in Bulgaria currently? What are your pros and cons? Let me know in the comments down below!

If you would like to check out a specific part of the video, check out the timestamps below:

0:00 - Intro
0:54 - Taxes in Bulgaria
1:46 - Lifestyle and real estate prices in Bulgaria
3:43 - Transportation in Bulgaria
4:02 - Data in Bulgaria
4:37 - Parks and The City
4:51 - Internet Speed in Bulgaria
5:43 - Nightlife in Bulgaria
6:07 - Nature in Bulgaria
6:56 - The Taxi Service in Bulgaria
8:16 - Infrastructure in Bulgaria
8:48 - Renting in Bulgaria
10:08 - Banks in Bulgaria
11:37 - Customer Service in Bulgaria
11:58 - Restaurants in Bulgaria
14:19 - Corruption in Bulgaria
15:16 - Buildings in Bulgaria
16:32 - Outro

Thanks for watching guys, and I will see you in the next video!!

[Susan-cq]

Been living i. Bulgaria 13 years from the UK. Needed serious medical help, yes one hospital was a bit bad.BUT the medical treatment was first class and no waiting for months. So thankyou doctors who saved my life, I will always be grateful. X

[Kaloyan.Dimitrov]

All your cons are straight to the point. As a Bulgarian I am surprised that you have such an accurate perspective about our country. Prices are cheap when you are a foreigner but for the locals it's too expensive. For example most of the retired people struggle to pay their bills, medicine and food because the average monthly pension is around 200 euros.

[sleeper]

If you are Greek in Bulgaria you are not really a foreigner... So many Greeks here and almost every Bulgarian has been to Greece at some point.

[dianp]

I'm a bike guy and I had to switch bikes in Sofia and buy a mountain bike because the roads are super trash. Imagine needing a mountain bike to ride around the city.

[antonyapostolov]

My friend, when you go to France, people expect you to learn FRENCH. So when you go to Bulgaria, please don't expect people to be willing to speak English :) I get it that it is frustrating, but you can actually make the effort to learn bulgarian. To be honest, bulgarian is actually a pretty easy language in my opinion (as a linguist who's studied alot of languages including thai I know bulgarian is quiet easy). Just make the effort to learn it :) don't expect people to HAVE TO speak english in Bulgaria, it's not even that people don't speak english, it's that Bulgaria is not an english colony. Trust me, in France or Spain it's even worse if you try to speak english :) So there you go, take a 1 hour bulgarian lesson a day and you'll be fine

[lesleyelalami]

Being vegetarian I was amazed to visit one restaurant in Burgas where there was a choice of 40 vegetarian dishes to choose from. Amazing, it's quaint... we loved Bulgaria. Love Sarafovo, Burgas. xxx

[cafeconeli]

I do not agree at all. I grew up outside of Bulgaria and four months ago I wanted to know the country because I was interested in knowing more about my roots. I was in Sofia and I can only say wonders for this European capital. It is very clean, very well cared for and I have traveled quite a bit so I am totally objective. The apartment I was in was wonderful, small, but cozy and comfortable. For me the best countries in the Balkans are: Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania. In the case of Bulgaria I see a great advance, and the great increase in tourism shows it. The people are very nice, I lost a 50 euro bill in Sofia and they returned it to me in less than 15 minutes. That hasn't even happened to me in Western European capitals. The delicious food, the fascinating architecture, full of history, in fact it is the oldest country in Europe. I fell in love with the country and now I am buying a house because I am definitely planning to live in Bulgaria. This country is an underrated gem.I have lived in many places and they all required me to speak their language. (In Spain I suffered racism because one day I made a mistake and spoke with a friend in Turkish, one of the languages ​​I speak) I find it discriminatory that nationals are required to speak a language that is not their own and in their own land. English is not spoken in Greece and Turkey either. I've been to Turkey and they smoked a lot, in Greece the streets are super neglected and dirty, it doesn't look like Europe, it looks like an Arab country. Not to mention sexism in Greece.The quality of life in Bulgaria is much higher than other of its neighbors. Well, it barely has public debt, while Greece, for example, is totally ruined with the largest public debt in all of Europe.

[jrthor]

Great video! Didn't even notice that it was 17 minutes long. Lots of facts and to the point. Me and my family are thinking of moving to Bulgaria so we are researching the country.

[OffGridWithTheUdens]

We have just moved here and yes, it is cheaper than the UK, but I wouldn't say it is cheap to live here. Everything is relative to the local income. Really interesting listening to other people's perspectives.

[sgiauque]

As an American, I visited Bulgaria for a week after volunteering a month in Thessaloniki. I was impressed, enjoyed my time in Sophia.

[nelliqq]

The issue with bad maintenance of the block of flats is quite common in most of the post communist countries. The problem is due to national psychology issues and lack of regulations. Once a flat is bought, the owners can modify the facade as they want, even if it is in a completely different colour or style. The owners of flat are not eager to pay for shared maintenance and the results are obvious. If proper regulations are put in place, the towns and cities can look much better. However, the buildings in Greece and Cyprus are also not the best in terms of architechture and style but at least they have a white paint not terribly flaking.

[arjanvaneersel]

I moved to Bulgaria in 2010 and lived there until 2020. I have very mixed feelings about it, but in general I'm glad I don't live there anymore. The pros you mention are true, but IMO they don't compensate for the cons of living and doing business in Bulgaria. In these almost 10 years that I lived there I have seen the country go backward instead of forward. Bureaucracy and corruption seem to be the national sports and it just got worse over the years. The example of the banks you have is a good one. It all comes from the national bank making things difficult. I can give many more examples of where things became harder. Also the attitude of staff at government organizations shows me that one can take Bulgaria out of communism, but one can't take communism out of Bulgaria.

I never had a language problem, but that's because I speak Bulgarian fairly well. Also I lived in a very small mountain village and there were often problems with the supply of water and electricity. In Sofia and Plovdiv it's ok, but in other places the reliability of such facilities is very poor.

Finally I moved my company to Lithuania where there is a single regulator that's very open to innovation. Since I didn't and still don't believe that Bulgaria will significantly improve anytime soon, due to the political status quo and the mafia capture of government and society on all levels I decided leave Bulgaria completely in 2020. And I don't regret that decision at all.

[kosmicheskiprah]

Amazing and realistic video indeed. Like everywhere in this world, there are no perfect places. Imagine having the Greek beaches, the Irish salaries, the Bulgarian taxes and the Vienna architecture in one place :)
As for Sofia, yes, it indeed needs way much room for much improvement. Its biggest problem is the current mayor, who has been leading it for more than a decade. She is an old-fashioned, already tired, former teacher that lacks energy, motivation and guts for a change. Just like a walking zombie. She is also related to Borissov's GERB party, so you can imagine the huge amount of corruption she is involved with. The street renovations are made with cheap materials and do not last that long and they have to "repair the repaired" quite often. The old historic buildings are left to decay and some even being demolished. This woman is Sofia's cancer and needs to leave. Sofia needs a fresh and energetic mayor.
P.S and OT: If you are an old buildings architecture fan, then definitely go to Ruse. You will like it.

[varvara]

Hi Jim, you did well on the Pros and some of the cons are justified smokey taxis, and buildings which needed plastering and a coat of paint but you really need to look at many of your other criticisms of Bulgaria.

Comparing Sofia and Budapest is totally unfair and lacking any objectivity. Have you forgotten that the Bulgarians were subjugated for 5 centuries under the Turkish yoke. Have you considered that communism brought ugly concrete buildings have you forgotten that Bulgaria did not receive any help from a “Marshall plan” or equivalent. You said taxes are low and thats right but if tax revenue is slow infrastructure takes longer to repair. What happens in Bulgaria happens for a reason. Remember also how many people have left Bulgaria to look for work or their futures !.

You talk about corruption well dare I say it your home country has been fiddling the books for decades. People haven’t paid taxes or have bribed officials in Greece also. Creative accounting and deceit enabled Greece to enter the EU. Even Mr Varofakis whom I admire admitted as much. Sorry mate but many countries have corruption. Look at Italy, 5% of the entire economy is in the hands of the Mafia and no one talks about it, Instead they focus on small scale issues in Bulgaria its ridiculous.

You talk about English language competence in Bulgaria, your not being fair or reflecting the current situation. Have you ever tried to get anything done in English in France…NO CHANCE and the french consider themselves cultured and educated. Im English from Newcastle and I find it amazing how all the utilities in Bulgaria have english language services. Ive had air conditioners installed, IKEA deliveries, speedy deliveries dentist visits and have done 100% of these and more solely with English. Whilst in quarantine I even had a call from the social services in English asking if I needed any shopping delivered. Impressed or what !.

You talk about fine dining, lets be honest fine dining is not a big thing across the balkans (including Greece) generally. The focus is on hearty, rustic, traditional fare made from fresh and tasty ingredients. We have good wines here and fantastic Rakia. If fine dining is desired then Western Europe is full of such places with prices to match. Having said that if you look there are some places which offer to the more discerning palate in the bigger cities.

I think like me you are probably a travelled person and as such are aware that all countries have strengths and weaknesses. Your mistake here is that your “Cons” are not really justified. You have to treat countries like people and accept them for what they are. Life is easy in Bulgaria and the quality of life is good and the Greeks know it as do the Brits.

[daistoke]

I am useless at languages, I couldn't learn Welsh despite being Welsh. From experience if someone does the "if they don't speak English I'll shout louder" approach then you will often meet with indifference, non cooperation and even hostility, in banks, hotels, shops etc. If you are willing to accept that it's your problem for not speaking the language and be a bit humble about it I find 95% of staff are very willing to try and help. (In the UK about 60% of staff will try to help)
I have had 4 staff helping me at a VivaCom office, all using their very limited English to sort out this old man problem. By the time they succeeded we were all laughing and I went home with everything solved.

[EddyCroft]

I found similar experience living in Sofia. Love all the big parks everywhere too.

[Felixxxxxxxxx]

This has been the best pros and cons video about Bulgaria that I have seen. Great job!

[HoukaiBG]

Bulgarian here. I will only talk about the English language issue - the reason why most customer service does not speak English is because the companies do not want to pay high salaries. I work with English and my salary varies between twice and trice the salary of a CS agent with only Bulgarian.
In addition, the general population does not learn English and even if someone knows it, it will be at an abysmal level. Don't get me wrong, you will understand them, but no self-respecting employer will hire them for their English-speaking skills.

[gerassimos.fourlanos]

A great video. The thing about the banks is a real cause for concern for someone who plans to settle in Bulgaria, or run a business from there.

[nikolainagele]

Fine dining is possible, there are a lot of fancy restaurants (maybe no Michelin star), but you max. pay 30 % of Munich for example. They are just not on every street corner. If I like a restaurant, I take a contact card, and then decide next time, where I wanna go...after looking at all the cards collecting..But as living 7 years in Raion Oborishte, Sofia 1505, I can agree to most of what you are saying. Good job!