Cost of Basic Consumer Basket Exceeds €61 As Food and Fuel Prices Continue to Rise

The cost of the small consumer basket in Bulgaria rose to over €61 for the period 2–6 April, marking a 2% increase compared with March, when it stood at €59.85, according to data presented by the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria.

Price increases have been felt most sharply in vegetables, largely due to reliance on imports. Tomato prices have surged by 29%, while potatoes are up by 5%. Lemons and mineral water have also risen by around 3%.

Eggs and whole chilled chicken have both increased by 1% compared with March. More moderate rises have been recorded for staple goods such as cooking oil and bread, while prices of yoghurt and cucumbers have remained stable.

Significant regional price differences persist. For example, a kilogram of cheese in Sofia costs €3 more than in Pernik, while pork leg in Vidin is nearly €2 more expensive than in Vratsa.

Fuel prices have also seen steep increases since January. Petrol A95 price has risen by nearly 17%, diesel by 36%, and propane-butane by 34%.

Violeta Ivanova of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria said the sharpest increases have been in tomatoes, potatoes, lemons and petrol, noting that the consumer basket has risen by €4.30 over the past 10 months, with most of the increase occurring in the last four months.

Lyuboslav Kostov of the same organisation pointed out that while the production cost of a litre of fresh milk for Bulgarian producers is around €0.40, the retail price reaches €1.88—more than four times higher.

Plamen Dimitrov, president of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria, said petrol prices have increased by about 20% between January and April, while diesel has risen by 45%. Compared with June last year, the small consumer basket has grown by 7.5%.

Bulgaria continues to record some of the highest prices for basic goods within the European Union. The trade union has warned that if the trend continues, inflation could exceed forecasts and household purchasing power may deteriorate.