Cost of Living: 2,785 BGN Net Monthly Income Needed To Support a Family with One Child

The “net” wage needed to cover living expenses after taxes and social security contributions for a single person living alone in Bulgaria is 1,547 BGN. For a family with one child, the necessary monthly amount rises to 2,785 BGN.

These figures come from the latest data of the Institute for Social and Trade Union Research under the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB) for the third quarter of 2025.

Some 1.6 million workers in Bulgaria earn less than the calculated living wage.

Compared to September 2024, the cost of living has increased by 93 BGN for a single person and by 169 BGN for a family, according to Violeta Ivanova, Deputy Director of the Institute for Social and Trade Union Research and Training at CITUB:

"Over the past year, from September to September, prices have continued to rise, which has pushed up the funds required to cover basic living costs. Nearly 60% of employees in the country, or 1.6 million people, earn below the net monthly income considered the necessary for subsistence. This number has decreased by around 40,000 over the year."

The union analysis highlights that price growth in Bulgaria remains above the EU average. While incomes are just over 60% of the EU average, food prices in Bulgaria stand at 87% of the EU level.

The minimum wage covers only 54% of the cost of living, showing a significant gap between earnings and the expenses necessary to meet basic living standards, CITUB noted.