Recent estimates show that real estate prices in Bulgaria are continuing to grow, having increased by 24.8 per cent in the period January 2004 to January 2005.

The average apartment price across the country rose to 540 leva/m2 in 2004, up from 366 leva a year earlier. Apartments across Bulgaria sold at an average of 633 leva/m2 in the fourth quarter, up 11.3 per cent from the previous three-month period. In the last quarter of 2004, Sofia boasted the highest house prices, or 1094 leva/m2 on average. Next come Varna and Bourgas (both on the Black Sea), with 1083 and 962 leva/m2, respectively.

Here are some typical prices in EURO as of February 2005:

Country houses per house with land

Ribaritsa – 20,000 up to 150,000

Old house/mountain village/no outstanding features – 3000 – 10,000

Spa resort – 20,000 upwards

Ski resort – 80,000 upwards, little on offer

Near ski resort – 30,000 upwards

Seaside resort – 30,000 upwards

Veliko Turnovo area – 8,000 upwards

Apartments per square metre in EURO

Sofia

Downtown 390-1660

Lozenets District 500-1000

Iztok District  600-1000

Lyulin High Rise Housing Estate 310-500

Plovdiv

Downtown 320-480

Burgas

Downtown 400-850

Varna

Downtown 650-1000

Greek Quarter 700-1200

Resorts

Sunny Beach 650-1500

Sveti Vlas 600-1500

Ravda 600-800

Sozopol 500-1000

Primorsko 500-1000

Bansko 500-1250

Building Plots per square metre in EURO

Black Sea (with building permission)

Golden Sands                150-180

Evxinograd 55-60

Sinemorets village 40-70

Sozopol 80-150

Mountains

Pamporovo 15-35

Bansko 100-120

Arbanassi (Veliko Turnovo) 20

Sofia (outlying villages)

Bistritsa 15-60

Dragalevtsi 30-100

Simeonovo 20-80

Bankya 15-80

Boyana 35-100