The price of housing in large Bulgarian cities continues to rise, despite the clear decrease in the number of transactions. In the second quarter of 2026, the prices of this type of property were 15.5% higher compared to the same period last year, while sales shrank by 18.1%, according to preliminary data from the National Statistical Institute (NSI).
"These prices are very uncontrollably jumping and growing. The growth in values continues compared to the same period in 2025. Everywhere the increases are double-digit in the major markets", says Dobromir Ganev, consultant, mentor and manager of a real estate agency.
On a quarterly basis, prices increased by 4.5%, after an increase of 6.2% in the first three months of the year. The strongest growth was recorded in Plovdiv – 5.8%, followed by Stara Zagora with 2.9%, Varna with 2.8% and Sofia with 2.4%. A decrease of 1.5% was recorded in Burgas.
The discrepancy between prices and activity is one of the clearest signals about the state of the market. Transactions have been decreasing on an annual basis for the third consecutive quarter – by 22.5% at the end of 2025, by 18.5% in the first and by 18.1% in the second quarter of 2026. However, the smaller number of buyers has not yet led to a decrease in the price of properties.
The increase in prices for existing homes is particularly strong. Their prices have increased by 17.6% per year, while their sales have decreased by 19.2%. In new construction, the price increase is 12.3%, and the number of transactions is shrinking by 15.4%. In two years, existing homes have become more expensive by about 36.4%, and new ones - by 29%.
The credit market also remains a significant factor. According to data from the Bulgarian National Bank, housing loans reached EUR 19.022 billion at the end of July 2026, which is an increase of 25.7% on an annual basis. The average interest rate on new housing loans in July was 2.43%, and the annual percentage rate of charge was 2.77%.
At the European level, Bulgaria also remains among the countries with the strongest growth in housing prices. For the first quarter of 2026, the increase in our country was 14.8% on an annual basis, compared to an average of 5.1% for the European Union. According to this indicator, the country was second among the countries with available data – after Portugal.
Thus, the market is entering a more special phase: demand is weakening in terms of the number of transactions, but prices continue to rise, supported by the rapid growth of housing lending and limited supply in some large cities.
Detailed statistics on average property prices in Bulgaria by city and neighborhood can be seen at imot.bg