Its safe to say that a single person can live comfortably in Sofia with 1,000 lv (437/$605), rent excluded. I like that I know the ins and outs of the best sights, restaurants, and things to do in Sofia, but I struggle with a lot of day-to-day interactions, like figuring out an issue with paying bills or handling paperwork at the migration office. If you have not worked in Bulgaria, you should claim your UK State Pension by contacting theInternational Pension Centre. When it comes to the cost of living, the average monthly budget of a family of four ranges between 2,500 lv (1,091/$1,511) and 3,000 lv (1,309/$1,813) without rent. Expats choose to live in Varna for many reasons, however, the main one is the wonderful golden sands of Varnas coastline. Living in the village, youll notice that its segmented into two main parts the one close to the cable car (a popular winter area) and the normal village, which is where most people prefer to live in spring, autumn and summer. 15- Bulgaria has some fastest internet speed in the world, you get great value for money. Also, note that most banks will not offer joint accounts. 10 minuta, anonimno i nije dosadno! I first came to Sofia, Bulgaria in August of 2017. Its great that I can walk around Sofia wearing the clothing I feel comfortable in and not have to worry so much about men harassing me on the streets. This country was established in 681 A.D. and has survived things you wouldnt imagine, they also are the inventors of the Bulgarian alphabet that through the centuries expand to most of the Slavic countries, they even have a day for celebrating the Bulgarianalphabet and culture, its on the 24th of May, you will see student take the streets with their parade. Its worth noting that renting in Burgas is cheaper, with a difference of around 40% in prices. You will have to renounce UK citizenship if you apply for Bulgarian citizenship after Brexit. Many of the expat city-dwellers are workers, and the city boasts a thriving start-up scene. The largest community is in the capital, Sofia. You can choose your GP so most expats tend to choose a local and/or English-speaking doctor. According to (now 10-year-old) figures from think tank the IPPR, some 18,000 Britons have moved to Bulgaria, about half living here for half the year and the other half permanently. as slaves, as in the Blacks in America in the 16-18 Century. However, if you are employed locally and earn an average salary for the country, you will have to adjust your lifestyle accordingly. Bulgarian is a difficult language, made more difficult by the fact that it uses the Cyrillic alphabet. Emilie, thank you for you Intro. Burgas - a cultural hub on the coast of the Black Sea 6. Romania has the fastest internet anywhere on the continent. Required fields are marked *. Just be careful if youre taking a walk to the bar with food in your hands. Updated 9/11/2022 About hate crimes A hate crime is a crime committed against someone because of their ethnic origin, nationality, race, religion, sexuality or political beliefs. Confirm you'd like to join our email list. Expat Advice for the First 30 Days Abroad, Tips for Learning the Local Language as an Expat, The 10 BEST Provincetown Airbnb Rentals to Book NOW, 16 Best Strasbourg Airbnb Homes to Book Today, 16 Perfect Sitges Airbnb Rentals to Book This Year. If youre considering retiring to Bulgaria, you really should start language lessons. a) Muslims - between the end of the 14th century and the end of the 19th century, Bulgaria was under rule of the Ottoman Empire (Islamic State) and she used the enslaved peoples (Bulgarians, Serbs, Greeks, Albanians, etc.) Varna is popular for its seagull population, keep in mind that theyre quite intrusive. Other beneficial activities include language learning in a multicultural environment with modern and advanced methods and a rich pool of young, enthusiastic, and dedicated Bulgarian and foreign teachers. Spring and autumn days are purely magnificent, especially if you visit the Sea Garden for a morning or evening walk. Renting a property is relatively cheaper, especially if you choose a region outside the city centre. Yet in the city center, theres a literal yellow brick road, fairytale-like cathedrals and churches, and beautiful architecture that wouldnt be out of place in Moscow. However, if youre an EU citizen, moving to Sofia is a piece of cake, and it will require dealing with some grumpy migration officers, but its nothing more than some basic paperwork (albeit in Cyrillic) at the end of the day. We started Robe Trotting to share our experiences. Bulgaria has aNet loss of one person every 11 minutes. Bulgaria is a country in Southeast Europe, bordering Romania to the south, North Macedonia and Serbia to the east, Turkey and Greece to the north, and the Black Sea to the west. If you are trying to familiarise yourself with the country, its worth watching some episodes. I guess its best kept under wraps. With over 90 neighbourhoods, you can expect a different vibe in every city area. Moving to a new country is like entering a new world where different rules apply, and it takes a while before you can fully understand them.Not knowing the language and not having any close friends, it may be quite frustrating to handle even simple daily tasks, let alone sort out the basics - how to get a job, a place to live and a residence permit. Living in Popovo is a great way to be introduced to the old Bulgarian traditions and to truly explore what life in Bulgaria is like from a different perspective than that of the large city. The scenery is just beautiful. Enjoy your trip and good luck with the relocation. Our most popular evergreen guides are kept fresh and up-to-date by our in-house research team. There is so much history that you can explore in Plovdiv, considering that its the 6th oldest city in the world and the oldest in Europe. You can live a pretty luxurious life without checking your budget too frequently without thinking too much about it. You dont have to worry if you fall ill in Sofia the city has great hospitals and medical clinics to keep your health in check. It will require more work to settle down than, say, Spain, but that work could pay off with a whole new lifestyle. Therefore, if youare considering Bulgaria, it is one of those nations where preconceptions count for very little. One of the greatest things about living in Sofia is that if youre working as an expat and earning in another currency, like I do as an American working mostly with American companies, you can really splurge on a lot of daily activities. Required fields are marked *. Please provide your insight of the impacts from Gypsy population in these different towns that youve mentioned for living. 9- Food and drink are very cheap and convenient if you arent from the fancy type. Recently, the city port has been renovated and improved, with a ton of new restaurants, nightclubs, and bars to visit. As the country is becoming more popular with expats, they discover other locations as well. Because Gypsies menace daily lives in Bulgaria, Romania quite a bit and that should be a part of the equation for older US expats living in these countries. But to settle well you must truly integrate into the community and learning the language properly is a must. We avoid military conflicts, crime is low, we don't actively engage in heated political debates, public protests are rare (but avoid them if they do break out), and religions coexist happily on the whole. Living in Bulgaria was a good fit because I needed a place to stay that was cheap, outside of the Schengen zone, yet located in Europe as I had upcoming projects in the area. You may need to provide a clean UK criminal record certificate. The city is vibrant and thrilling, with a range of different restaurants, coffee shops, entertainment venues, concert halls and theatres. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 - Expatra Ltd. UK Company Number 09686420. I run several travel blogs, including one focused on Bulgaria and the Balkans, and I make a living for myself that way and by occasionally taking on freelance writing projects or other sponsored work. She lives with her husband and two children and has an affinity for writing. Healthcare in Bulgaria is universal and financed by compulsory health insurance contributions. A basic plan from Uniqa for a couple under 70 years old will cost 330 BGN (145) a year. The average salary after taxes in Bulgaria is $852, which is enough to cover living expenses for 1.2 months. Your pension and other incomes will be taxed in Bulgaria at a flat rate of 10 percent, compared to the UKs 20 45 percent. Its located near the geographic centre of the country and is the midpoint between Varna and Sofia. You can also explore the Archaeological Museum, the Sea Casino, the Zoo, and visit the Sand Fest in Burgas during the summer. I will be the first to admit that a lot of my struggle here is because I havent acclimated here nearly as much as I should have: I still dont speak much of the language, and I struggle to find new and creative ways to put the 500-odd words of Bulgarian I speak into new configurations without having to ever conjugate a verb. Its a perfect location for expats who are fond of a green way of living and are looking forward to having the opportunity to move into a spacious house with a garden, where they can grow their own food and crops. The average salary as of December 2020 in Bulgaria is around 1500 leva(657.10 / $915.49). One of the factors behind the outsourcing success. The other reason for the decisions these people have made is the cost of living in Bulgaria. You also need to check the validity of your driver license in Bulgaria before start driving, paying bribes to the police is a practice that slowly disappearing (this is my own experience since I have got few tickets on the road, but never been asked for money). Cost of living in Sofia is the best part of being based here! Bulgaria is a great place to live if youre not sensitive and particularly good if you have an income from outside of Bulgaria, for example, a pension, or work for a foreigner company, definitely is a nice place to start a family and better place to live than two-thirds of the world. Theres a great etiquette guide on the Bulgarian Embassy of London site. Its the cheapest and fastest way to securely transfer money overseas. The environment is extremely laid back and youll notice that everyone speaks English. Bulgaria implemented ODIHR's Training Against Hate Crime for Law Enforcement programme from 2012 until 2017.Bulgaria also took part in ODIHR's project on "Building a Comprehensive Criminal Justice Response to Hate Crime", helping to develop a joint training programme for police and prosecutors that was piloted in the country. Our previous 1-bedroom apartment in the center had been 350 euro a month, and when my husband lived in a studio, he had a gorgeous one for just 220 euro a month. Plovdiv is a good place to live for all ages. Mobile phone packages are cheap for 25 leva you get unlimited calls to all networks with some GB internet. Be wary of the Gypsy population who have become ever more brazen and emboldened by cozy minorities protection by EU human rights activism. I rent an apartment for about 450 euro a month with my husband. Renting a property in Plovdiv is more affordable when compared to Sofia. the fertility rate in Bulgaria is 1.43child per woman. 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