Bread, the basic item in the consumer basket, is cheapest in Bulgaria, according to a report on the 2007 Retail Market Development Index in the European Union, released by the European Commission on February 21 2008, as quoted by Investor.bg.

The price of bread in Bulgaria was 41 per cent that of the EU average, while in Romania, which joined the EU at the same time in January 2007, it was 59 per cent. According to the same report, the price of electricity was the lowest in Bulgaria.

The report covered 20 segments in the field of consumer goods and services and the main parameters under review were prices, complaints from consumers, goods safety, the percentage of substituted goods and customer satisfaction.