Rising Prices: 1.5 Million Bulgarians Earn Less Than the Minimum Needed to Cover Basic Living Costs

The cost of living continues to rise. A single working person now needs to earn at least €842 a month after tax to maintain a decent standard of living, while a family of three with one child under the age of 14 needs €1,516. These are the findings of a third-quarter survey by the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB). But the reality is that almost 58% of people in employment in Bulgaria – more than 1.5 million people – earn less than the amount needed to cover basic living costs.

• A family of three needs 1,516 euros per month to make ends meet

Rositsa, who runs a stall at Sofia's Women's Market, says she would have to offer a salary well above the figure calculated by CITUB if she wanted to hire someone to help her.

Rositsa, trader at Sofia's Women's Market: "At least €2,000 – otherwise, why would anyone work if they couldn't afford to support themselves?"

We also asked people how much money they thought was needed to live comfortably.

"Life is difficult. Everything gets more expensive every day, but we have to get on with it; we have no other choice. But my philosophy has always been: put your effort into living, not dying. Death comes on its own; life is what you must make meaningful."

"At least €1,500 in net income per person."

"A working person needs more than €900 – around €1,000 a month."

Mahmoud, from Tunisia: "In recent years, the cost of living here has gone up. Prices have risen, and something in the shops gets more expensive every month."

On an annual basis, the cost of living has risen by 6.4%. A single person now needs €51 more than a year ago. Angel, however, manages to get by on less than €842 and even manages to put some money aside.

Angel Georgiev, employed: "It's enough for me because I'm careful with my money. I try to make sure I have some left until my next payday. If my salary were raised to €842, I'd be grateful because I would be able to save more. A penny saved is a penny earned."

A family of three needs an additional €92. Until recently, Sofia's family consisted of three people, but they now have a new addition, little Kaloyan.

Sofia, mother of two: "In Sofia, I would say that €5,000 would be enough to live very comfortably. For a family of four, that means being able to buy good-quality food, travel, go out from time to time, and afford clothes and other necessities."

Food alone costs €333. Some products in Bulgaria are considerably more expensive than the EU average, including milk, dairy products and cooking oil.

Violeta Ivanova, Deputy Director of CITUB's Institute for Social and Trade Union Research: "When we compare the prices of essential food and non-food products, the increases in Bulgaria differ significantly from those recorded in EU countries. It is worth noting that prices for cereals, including bread, have risen by 1.5% in Bulgaria, compared with just 0.4% across the EU. The most striking and sharpest increase has been in diesel prices. In Bulgaria, they have risen by 55%, compared with an EU average of 40%. Milk and dairy products are more than 26% above the European average, while vegetable oils and fats are 42% more expensive."

We are seeing increases in the prices of key energy sources. Another major concern is the rise in oil prices, which have increased by 68.8% year on year.

CITUB is calling for wages to be increased by at least 10% to ensure they keep pace with inflation.