Is Bulgaria cheap in 2026? Holiday prices after the euro
Yes: Bulgaria still has the EU's lowest price level (63% of average), but 2026 hotels rose 5–10%. Real euro prices, daily budgets and comparisons.
Yes, Bulgaria is still one of the cheapest seaside destinations in the EU in 2026. Eurostat’s latest comparison puts Bulgaria’s price level at 63% of the EU average, the lowest of all 27 member states. The euro switch did not change that, although hotels raised prices for 2026 and most beaches now charge the maximum their concession allows.
How much do things cost in Bulgaria in 2026?
Prices as of October 2026, mostly checked for Varna:
| Item | Price | Source, date |
|---|---|---|
| Draft beer 0.5 l (restaurant) | €2.56 (€1.80–4.00) | Numbeo Varna, 24 Oct 2026 |
| Cappuccino | €2.63 (€1.50–3.60) | Numbeo Varna, 24 Oct 2026 |
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant or mehana | €11.22 (€8.18–25) | Numbeo Varna, 24 Oct 2026 |
| City bus ticket | €1.00 | Numbeo Varna, 24 Oct 2026 |
| Taxi | €1.42 start + €0.78 per km | Numbeo Varna, 24 Oct 2026 |
| Petrol, 1 litre | €1.54 | Numbeo Varna, 24 Oct 2026 |
| Sunbed or umbrella | about €5; full set up to about €23 | Novinite, 17 May 2026 |
| Coffee at a beach café | €1.99 | Novinite, 17 May 2026 |
| Car vignette | €10 week, €6.60 weekend | Novinite, from 1 Aug 2026 |
| 7 nights at the coast, per person | €170–1,100 (3–5 stars, by board) | Travel Planner, Dec 2025 |
| 4* all-inclusive week, 2 people, July | €1,600–1,700 | Novinite, 17 May 2026 |
Numbeo figures are crowd-sourced averages, so treat them as a guide. Hotels are cheapest outside July and August and when booked early (November–February, according to Travel Planner).
What happened to prices with the euro?
Bulgaria adopted the euro on 1 January 2026 at the fixed rate of 1 EUR = 1.95583 BGN; leva could be spent only until early February. Shops had to show both currencies from August 2025 for a year. A law bans economically unjustified price rises, and in June 2026 Parliament extended it to August 2027, with fines of up to €100,000 (Sofia Globe) for companies. Even so, Romanian tour operator Travel Planner expected hotel prices to climb 5–10% for 2026, up to 7–15% where hotels raised prices twice. To check an old price in leva, divide by about 1.96.
Is Bulgaria cheaper than Turkey, Greece, Romania or the UK?
Numbeo’s country comparison (24–26 October 2026):
- United Kingdom: everyday prices are 67% higher, and restaurants 73% higher, than in Bulgaria.
- Greece: prices are 27% higher, and restaurants 34% higher; sunbed rentals there can start around €20.
- Turkey: about the same overall (around 2% cheaper), with cheaper meals and fuel but dearer beer and coffee.
- Romania: Numbeo users report Romania about 8% cheaper, but Eurostat ranks Bulgaria lowest (63% vs 65%). Petrol is cheaper in Bulgaria (€1.47 vs €1.61).
How much is a day in Bulgaria? Sample budgets
Our estimates per person, built from the prices above, excluding accommodation (Numbeo Varna):
- Frugal, about €25: two bus rides, one coffee, one mehana meal, a beer, supermarket snacks and a free stretch of beach.
- Mid-range, about €55–60: two coffees, lunch out, half of a mid-range dinner for two, two beers, a sunbed and one short taxi ride.
- Comfort, about €90–100: the same plus a premium beach set, taxis instead of buses and wine with dinner.
How to keep your holiday cheap
- Book early, and avoid the last two weeks of July and August if you can; see when to visit Varna.
- Eat in the city rather than on resort promenades, and order local dishes.
- Use the city beach’s free zones or share a sunbed set.
- Buy wine, rakia and food gifts in supermarkets; see Bulgarian souvenirs.
- Driving? Buy the vignette online before you cross; see driving to Varna.
For restaurant prices in detail see Varna eating-out prices 2026, and for rent and monthly costs see the cost of living in Varna.
Sources
- NSI – Household consumption: price levels in the EU, 2025 (18 Jun 2026)
- Eurostat – Comparative price levels of consumer goods and services
- ECB – Bulgaria and the euro changeover
- Sofia Globe – Ban on unjustified price rises extended (11 Jun 2026)
- Novinite – Sunbeds and umbrellas repriced in euros (17 May 2026)
- The Diplomat Bucharest – Travel Planner on 2026 Bulgaria prices (12 Dec 2025)
- Forbes România – Bulgaria holidays up to 15% dearer in 2026 (12 Dec 2025)
- Novinite – Vignette prices up 30% from 1 August 2026
- Numbeo – Cost of living in Varna (updated 24 Oct 2026)
- Numbeo – Bulgaria vs United Kingdom
- Numbeo – Bulgaria vs Turkey
- Numbeo – Bulgaria vs Greece
- Numbeo – Bulgaria vs Romania
Frequently asked questions
Is Bulgaria cheaper than Turkey?
Roughly on a par. Numbeo (Oct 2026) puts everyday prices in Turkey about 2% lower, but beer and coffee are cheaper in Bulgaria. Tour operators quoted a 4-star all-inclusive week in July about €200 cheaper in Bulgaria.
Did prices in Bulgaria go up after the euro?
Somewhat. Tour operators expected hotels to rise 5–10% for 2026, and some shops rounded up. A law bans economically unjustified price rises; in June 2026 Parliament extended it to August 2027.
Is Bulgaria or Greece cheaper for a beach holiday?
Bulgaria. Numbeo shows Greek restaurant prices about 34% higher, and a 4-star all-inclusive July week for two was quoted at over €2,000 in Greece versus €1,600–1,700 in Bulgaria.
Is Bulgaria cheaper than Romania?
It depends on the index. Eurostat ranks Bulgaria (63%) just below Romania (65%) for 2025, while Numbeo's Oct 2026 user data shows Romanian groceries about 14% cheaper. Fuel is cheaper in Bulgaria.
Is shopping cheap in Bulgaria?
Food, drink and local products are cheap; branded clothes and electronics cost roughly the same as elsewhere in the EU. Supermarkets are the best value for wine, rakia and food souvenirs.
