For about twenty days now, the prices of basic food and non-food goods in Bulgaria have been monitored daily through the new state website kolkostruva.bg, which aims to provide objective information on whether and how the upcoming introduction of the euro from January 1, 2026 affects consumer prices.
According to the latest analysis of the data, there have been no serious changes in prices in the last two weeks. Comparisons on the platform clearly show that the prices of the same product vary dramatically depending on the settlement, with smaller settlements without large retail chains having higher prices, writes 24 Chasa.
An example of this is the village of Aydemir, the largest Bulgarian village with over 6,500 inhabitants, where the bread “Dobrudzha” of 650 grams is sold for 1.85 leva – significantly more than the standard price of 1.49 leva, which is observed in almost all major cities in the country. The difference is especially noticeable when considering that the same product in Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna and Ruse rarely exceeds 1.49 leva, and is sometimes offered at promotional prices of 1.39 leva.
Teteven, another small town with tourist importance, also demonstrates price discrepancies – in the retail chain, bread costs 1.49 leva, but in other local stores the price reaches 2.49 leva, which is almost 70% higher than the base price.
The situation is even more curious in the Ruse village of Basarbovo, where the standard 650-gram size is missing, and the only available 500-gram loaf of bread is sold for 1.59 leva. Although Basarbovo is located only a few kilometers from Ruse and its residents have easy access to large stores, the data illustrates how much more limited the supply is in smaller retail outlets.
The differences are no less significant for yellow cheese - one of the products with the greatest price fluctuations. In the same store, you can find options for 11 leva per kilogram, but also those for over 30 leva. The reason lies in the ripening period, but consumers in small settlements often do not have access to labels that would inform about the quality of the product. Thus, yellow cheese is often offered in the medium and high price segment, but without clarity about what exactly the customer is buying.
Conversely, in large cities, retail chains provide a wide assortment - from low-budget options to premium products, while also providing the necessary information on the labels. This is what allows customers to make an informed choice and not pay unnecessarily.
The pricing of fruits and vegetables is also subject to analysis. For example, second-class Turkish carrots are offered at the same price - 1.19 leva per kilogram - in both Pernik and Aytos. The situation is similar with the price of Bulgarian carrots at 0.99 leva in different cities, such as Blagoevgrad and Veliko Tarnovo. This is due to the centralized logistics of retail chains, which maintain equal prices throughout the country.
The analysis from the kolkostruva.bg platform emphasizes the importance of competition and transparency in the trade of basic goods. It is clearly seen that in settlements without representatives of large chains, consumers pay a higher price for the same products.