Mortgage payments on an 80 sq m home take 30% to 36% of monthly income in Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, Burgas and Ruse, according to an analysis by a large lender on the Bulgarian market, reported by Bulgarian National Radio (BNR).

The study compares home prices, incomes and mortgage rates. Average pay in the five cities is between €1,200 and €1,900, while the average monthly payment on an 80 sq m flat is between €360 and €625. Sofia is the most expensive, with such a home costing almost €200,000, followed by Varna and Burgas.

Household loans stood at €33bn at the end of September, up 21% from a year earlier, while the number of loans rose by only 0.5%, Bulgarian National Bank data show. Home loans are close to €20bn, up 25% in a year. This means household debt is growing faster than the number of loans.

The average mortgage rate is 2.4%. Experts say cheap mortgage lending does not make buying a home easier to afford, and prices keep rising. The authors of the analysis ask how far the debt people take on matches their income, and whether they will be able to pay it off.

On 6 November we reported that new homes in Burgas region are the smallest in Bulgaria, at 52.4 sq m on average in the third quarter of 2026, according to preliminary data from the National Statistical Institute.

Experts say the property market has been more balanced and predictable since the euro was introduced.