:: COST OF LIVING ::

Despite price rises and comparatively high costs in Sofia, Plovdiv and along the coast, the essentials remain inexpensive. If you are camping and buying food in local markets, you can live with €20 a day. Staying in modest hotels or private rooms and eating out regularly, €40-50 should be sufficient, while on a daily budget of €70 or above you can enjoy a very good life, staying in mid-range hotels and taking taxis everywhere. Only if you require business-class accommodation will you need more than that.

The most unpredictable factor is the cost of accommodation, which varies from region to region, as well as depending on the facilities, age and ownership of the place in question. Private rooms and B&Bs can cost anywhere from €6-20 per person and hotels are equally variable, with two-star places costing from €10-30 per person, three-star hotels from €40-80, and four-and five-star establishments from €90-150. There is less variation in the cost of hostels (€5-10), mountain huts (€6-10) and campsites (€4-6), but their standards vary even more.

Once you've sorted out a bed for the night, your remaining daily costs can be very low. Public transport is cheap, with flat fares of about €0.40 on most urban transport and inexpensive rates on intercity buses and trains: travelling second-class by train, you can cross the entire country from east to west for €15, though international services to neighbouring countries are another matter. Providing you avoid deluxe hotel restaurants, eating should likewise prove economical. An average evening meal with drinks will set you back €8-12, less if you stick to standard local food such as simple grills and salad. Bulgarian wine or spirits about €3 and €5 a bottle respectively, and snatching a quick cup of coffee or a sandwich won't set you back more than about €0.60.

Most museums and tourist attractions charge foreigners about five times the amount paid by the natives, and with rates averaging €1-2, and a few places charging as much as €6, they can become a significant expense if you're on a very low budget. Note also that we don't cite museum entry fees less than €1.

If you want more and complete information about living costs such as food, drinks, consumer products, property keep-up costs and utilities, just click on the follow link.

National Statistical Institute

:: CURRENCY ::
The unit of currency in Bulgaria is the lev (Abbr. – lv.), divided into 100 stotinki (Abbr. – ct. or st.). 1 lv.=100 st.
The Bulgarian National Bank is the bank of issue and handles government funds and state-owned enterprises.
On the 5th of July 1999, the Bulgarian National Bank acted on the previously announced re-denomination of the Bulgarian Lev by introducing new banknotes and coins. The Bulgarian Council of Ministers together with the National Assembly passed and enacted a package of laws and decrees outlining and regulating the re-denomination well before the 5th of July 1999. Starting at 12:00 am on Monday, the 5th of July 1999, the Bulgarian lev was substituted by a new lev in a ratio of 1,000:1. That is to say, as of that date 1,000 old leva equalled 1 new lev (equal to 1 Deutsche Mark, 0.37 BGP, 0.51 Euro or US$ 0.55). The re-denomination went into effect for all prices in leva - goods, services, bank accounts, and savings bonds. Until December 31st, 1999, all prices must be stated both in new and old leva; after that date, all prices will be stated in new leva only. The entire process was performed in order to facilitate all payments, as well as all accounting and exchange operations.
Simultaneously with the re-denomination, the Bulgarian National Bank began to circulate new banknotes and coins. Beginning on July 5th, 1999, there were 6 new coins and 6 new banknotes in circulation. Until December 31st, 1999, all individuals and sales persons are obliged to accept both old and new banknotes and coins; after that date, the old currency may be exchanged for new one at any branch of the BNB.

Click here to see the observe of all coins.
Click here to see the reverse of all coins.

1lv-front, 1lv-back, 2lv-front, 2lv-back, 5lv-front, 5lv-back, 10lv-front, 10lv-back
20lv-front, 20lv-back, 50lv-front, 50lv-back, 100lv-front, 100lv-back

:: CURRENCY REGULATIONS ::
Foreigners may export and import Bulgarian banknotes and coins in circulation to the amount of up to BGN 10,000. Sums exceeding this amount may be imported and exported only with a permit by the BNB (Bulgarian National Bank), valid for a period of up to 90 days of its issuance date.
The foreign persons may export convertible (hard) currency in amounts that do not exceed the amount of the foreign currency they had imported and declared. They can import unlimited amounts of foreign currency, which is to be declared.

Please use these links if you need more information on bulgarian currency:
Bulgarian National Bank
Exchange Rates

:: CUSTOM'S FORMALITIES AND LIMITATIONS ::
Upon crossing the state border of the Republic of Bulgaria passengers may import and export commodities that in type, quantities, and value are not of a commercial nature. These do not include objects the passenger carry for personal use and consumption objects. Passengers have the right to import at no custom duty or import fees the objects necessary to the foreign individuals for their stay in the country, which in their type and quantity correspond to both purpose and the duration of their stay, as well as consumption objects: - tobacco products (passengers over 16 years of age) - cigarettes - 200 items, or other tobacco products - 250 gr.; - alcoholic beverages (passengers over 16 years of age) - wine - 2 litres, and alcoholic liquors - 1 litre; - other drinks: coffee - 500g. or coffee extract - 200g. tea - 100 g. or tea extract - 40g.; - perfumes - 50 ml. and toilet water - 250 ml. Passengers who are under full 16 years of age are not entitled to duty-free import of the commodities listed above, except for medications. Passengers older than 16 can import duty-free commodities acquired abroad other than those listed above of a total value up to US$ 100 or the equivalent in other currency units. For passengers under 16 the duty-free import rate for commodities acquired abroad is US$ 50 or their equivalent in other currency units. Personal use objects, new and used, which a passenger may normally need during one's trip, taking into account all circumstances of the travel, are placed under the regime of temporary import with a full exemption of all customs dues. Re-exporting personal belongings cannot take place later than the moment when the natural person who has imported them is leaving the customs territory of the Republic of Bulgaria.

:: VISA FORMALITIES ::
European Union citizens, as well as citizens of Iceland, South Korea, Estonia, Malta, Monaco, Norway, San Marino, Hungary and Switzerland with valid international passports can spend up to 90 days in Bulgaria without a visa.

Citizens of Tunisia with valid international passports can spend up to 60 days in Bulgaria without a visa.

Citizens of Australia, Andorra, the Vatican, Israel, Canada, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, New Zealand, Poland, USA, Slovakia, Serbia and Monte Negro, and Romania with valid international passports can spend up to 30 days in Bulgaria without a visa. For more information, contact the Bulgarian embassies and consulates in the respective country.