Living in Sofia, Bulgaria

Sofia is Bulgaria’s three thousand year old magnificent capital city.  It is a city steeped in dramatic history but one that suffered greatly from Allied bombing during the Second World War.

The ravages of the war years coupled with decades under communist rule mean that Bulgarians have a lot of work to do to reclaim Sofia’s status as a great European capital city.  But this is work that has begun in earnest already, and if you’re living in Sofia today you’re witnessing the rebirth of this lively and cosmopolitan city.

Bulgaria’s years under communist rule saw Sofia become industrialised and over populated and this resulted in the creation of factories and unattractive high rise, high density apartment blocks that now frame the beautiful inner city area.  But if you look past these ugly reminders of the city’s relatively recent past you will see a truly European Sofia that is about to re-emerge.  Tree lined boulevards, open air cafes, balconied buildings and beautiful and opulent Orthodox churches are all tucked away down side streets, and they form the roots from which a brand new Sofia is now emerging.

As Bulgaria aligns itself for EU accession in 2007 Bulgarians are pushing hard towards modernisation, and forward thinking companies from outside the country are establishing bases particularly in Sofia.  There has been an influx of expatriates in Bulgaria especially from Britain and Germany, and particularly in the real estate field.  As word gets out that property in Bulgaria offers fantastic investment potential and that some of the most significant real estate development is happening in Bulgaria’s capital city, expect the influx of expatriates to rise.

When living in Sofia the expatriate has to accept a far slower pace of life!  The wonderful age of technology has yet to dawn in many of the government offices, banks and official institutions and ‘getting things done’ can be a labour of love - from getting a telephone connected to paying a utility bill or transferring money for example.  On the positive side, the cost of living in Bulgaria is very low, and unlike most capital cities Sofia does not have higher prices for services, facilities etc.
If you’re thinking about moving to Sofia you should remember that poverty is still rife across Bulgaria and nowhere is this more obvious than on some of the already modernised city streets in Sofia where a wealthy Bulgarian businessman can lunch at a sophisticated bistro with his international clients and look out across the street at a pack of under nourished stray dogs which in turn may sit and watch as a poverty stricken individual is forced to look through rubbish for scraps of food or items to recycle, use or sell on.

Crime is still quite high in Sofia as well, particularly in some of the more run down areas; but in general the Bulgarians welcome foreign residents to their capital city and are people who like to socialise and spend time away from work benefiting from the wealth of leisure activities their country’s stunning landscape offers - from skiing, hiking, fishing, climbing, sunbathing and sailing.  If you move to Sofia or elsewhere in Bulgaria you too will benefit from all the country has to offer.

Remember that times are changing fast in Bulgaria; the Bulgarians are fiercely determined and proud people working towards what they see as their golden future, i.e., EU accession.  Membership of the EU is not guaranteed but it is highly likely, the inflow of investment that will likely follow will build momentum and strength but it may not bring the immediate wealth that many in Sofia are hoping for.  To live in Sofia today is to witness the coming together of a nation with one cause, but to remain living in Bulgaria the expatriate should be prepared for a fair wait if it’s sophistication that they are after.  It will take the country a while to adjust to life in the Western world…which is not necessarily such a bad thing, and many expatriates already living in Bulgaria actually hope that the country will remain relatively unchanged for the foreseeable future.