FED up of his overpriced London bedsit and high crime rates, Ian Wilson had few second thoughts when he decided to ditch the rainy UK for the Blue Flag beaches of a sun-soaked European hotspot dubbed the ‘new Costa del Sol’.
Now, he owns a beautiful penthouse apartment and a second property he rents out on Airbnb, while dining out for little more than a tenner – with thousands of other Brits expats making the same short-three hour flight to start a new dream life abroad. So what’s it all about?
Bordered by Greece, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and a beautiful stretch of the Black Sea coastline, expats in Bulgaria say the wallet-friendly holiday destination – famous for its party hotspot Sunny Beach – is a savvy spot for those looking to relocate permanently.
Boasting a lower cost-of-living and sweltering weather – as well as snow-capped mountains perfect for skiing – up to 18,000 Brits are now thought to be living there, with reports earlier this year revealing a surge in expats rushing to snap up homes for as little as £3,000.
Shocking figures recently laid bare the mass exodus of young Brits, with 174,000 16-to 34-year-olds leaving the UK in the year to March – accounting for just over two-thirds of total Brits who left the country, sparking fears of a “brain drain”.
And with Chancellor Rachel Reeves announcing punishing tax rises designed to plug a “£20 billion Budget black hole”, these numbers are unlikely to slow down any time soon.
Ian, 65, points to a “poor quality of life”, “inability to afford a decent lifestyle” and “ever-increasing crime levels” as his chief motivation for upping sticks from the UK.
Living in a £650-a-month bedsit in South West London after an accident at work led to his retirement on health grounds, he took the plunge back in 2020 and soon met his wife Tatyana, a Bulgarian local.
“We live in a beautiful penthouse apartment in a suburb of Varna (a large, northern port city known as the marine capital of Bulgaria), with a vibrant, very friendly community, to which I have become very much a part of,” he tells The Sun.
“We have 75 local shops and small businesses within 100 metres of our front door.”
The couple paid €148,000 (£129,000) for their apartment in April 2022, saying it’s now worth around €300,000.
They also own a studio apartment which they rent on Airbnb, bought for €55,000 in May 2022 and now worth around €80,000, plus two lock-up garages and a parking space to rent out.
Ian estimates the cost of living is about 60 per cent cheaper than back in the UK.
“A main course in a decent restaurant costs around £8.50,” he says.
“Three courses and wine and water for two in an upmarket restaurant is around £40 per head but you can eat for far less too.
“We have a restaurant two minutes walk from us and today I had lamb’s liver risotto, a 500ml Bulgarian porter beer, a double espresso and a big portion of tiramisu for £10.36.”
Ian has two step kids, saying private school costs £3,500 a year for a pupil compared to an average of £18,000 in the UK.
Low crime is another appealing aspect of life in Bulgaria, whose cheap beach resorts have seen it emerge as a rival to Spain and its Costa del Sol getaways.
“In the whole five years I’ve been here, I’ve never witnessed violence or any crime,” Ian says. “I feel very safe walking the streets at night and so does my wife.”
Ian also has high praise for the health care system.
“I’ve used it extensively and I’m very thankful to both the public and private sectors here because I’ve had some life-threatening conditions, mostly gastrointestinal,” he says.
“Unlike most health services, you can often access private care here free, so long as you’re paying your state contributions – which I do.
“Waiting times are minimal, you can book yourself an X-ray, CT, or MRI within three days.”
‘I fell in love’
Sarah Astbury, 52, has lived in Bulgaria for 15 years since relocating from Chesterfield in Derbyshire and says she “has no desire to return to the UK”.
“I first visited back in 2004 when I was looking for a holiday home,” she says. “I looked at Chile and Tasmania before someone suggested Bulgaria.
“I thought: ‘Where is Bulgaria?’, I had to Google where it was but when I visited, I fell in love with the country.”
To move to Bulgaria, Brits first need to secure a long-stay visa known as a type ‘D’, which is usually valid for six months.
An application can then be submitted for prolonged residential status, with prerequisites including a valid employment contract, a pension entitlement, an EU Blue Card for highly qualified professionals or a Digital Nomad long-term residence permit.
Sarah was working as a yoga teacher and masseuse when she made the move in 2020.
Settled with her partner, the couple and their two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels split their time between an apartment in one of Bulgaria’s main coastal towns and a house in a small village, which is home to 30 families.
“It’s the best of both worlds,” she says. “We can enjoy the buzzy life of the tourist town but retreat whenever we like.
“Life is much cheaper here, although the cost of living is increasing. Council tax is less than a hundred pounds and we spend £500 annually on the logs which heat our home.
“We pay about £60 a month for electricity and water is next to nothing.
“Petrol is about 245 Lev, which is 109p a litre.”
Unlike Ian, the yoga teacher thinks the healthcare system, which costs her £20 a month to access, is “hit and miss” and “certainly not five star luxury”, saying Brits sometimes move home for NHS treatment.
The driving is also a downside. She says: “You have to drive really offensively here, they drive far too fast.”
Bulgaria has long been seen as a budget-friendly alternative to skiing in the Alps, with three major resorts – Bansko, Borovets and Pamporovo.
“I’m a skier and skiing here is a lot cheaper, from the lift passes to eating and drinking on the slopes,” Sarah says.
“The skiing is good, it costs £25 for a day pass at the resort I like.”
Political turmoil
Despite expats’ sunny dispositions, life in Bulgaria does not come without a dark side.
This week, the fragile political landscape of the past few years boiled over, with nationwide mass protests forcing the country’s PM to resign – less than a year into the job.
Coming just 20 days before the nation is set to join the euro, thousands poured on to the streets of capital Sofia to demonstrate against the government, which has faced allegations of widespread corruption.
Bulgaria ranks among the highest in Europe in terms of the public’s perception of official corruption, according to global civil society organisation Transparency International.
In spite of these challenges, expats remain undeterred, with some thriving after setting up their own businesses in the holiday hotspot.
Jean-Paul Dunin, who has lived in Bulgaria for five years, says the draw to the country is the “sheer variety of landscapes – vineyards, mountains, hikes, rivers”, which makes it feel “like several countries packed into one”.
“Summers are hot, which is wonderful for vineyards and evenings outdoors, with the Black Sea coast beautiful and varied,” he adds.
“Winters are cold and ski resorts offer excellent value.”
Jean-Paul or JP, 59, and his partner Donna, 54, relocated from St Leonards, East Sussex and, like Sarah, knew little about the country before being seduced by its charms.
The couple live in south-east Bulgaria’s Haskovo region and run a business offering wine and cultural tours.
“Our business grew naturally – friends and family visited us, then friends of friends, and everyone said the same thing: ‘You need to share this with people, and you’re amazing hosts so just do it’,” JP says.
“We want travellers to experience the Bulgaria we know – warm, generous, quietly beautiful.”
The tourist guide says the costs are significantly lower than in the UK, almost across the board.
“You can still buy a solid village house for a fraction of UK price, often what you’d pay for a small deposit back home,” he says.
“Renting is much cheaper too – what would be a single room rate in many UK cities can get you an entire home here.”
Great weather, relaxed lifestyle, good food, incredibly affordable
JP
Bulgaria’s 10 per cent flat-rate tax system, for both personal and corporate income is, he feels, “straightforward and generally favourable”.
“Winters are cold, but heating costs – wood, pellets, electricity – tend to be noticeably cheaper than UK energy bills,” he adds.
“The day-to-day cost of living is very reasonable. Supermarket basics are cheaper and fresh produce, especially local fruit and veg, is excellent value.
“Eating out is still very affordable, a good meal with wine doesn’t leave you wincing when the bill arrives.
While the expats agree the bureaucracy can be “baffling” and the country as a whole is a little rough around the edges, they say they are living the dream.
“I get why people say Bulgaria is the new Costa del Sol — great weather, relaxed lifestyle, good food, incredibly affordable,” says JP.
“But what I love about Bulgaria is that it hasn’t lost its authenticity. It still feels undiscovered in the best ways.”