Euro changeover: On the menu this summer

How restaurant owners and customers expect the currency change at the height of the summer season

published on 8/12/25 8:18 PM

Photo: pixabay

We are in the middle of Bulgaria’s summer tourist season, when the Black Sea coast — though not only there — is full of visitors from home and abroad. Unless you are staying at an all-inclusive hotel, a holiday also means setting aside a sizeable budget for eating out. Price increases in restaurants across the country are being felt — not only in resorts, but nationwide. The reinstatement of the 20% VAT rate, up from 9% during the pandemic, partly explains this, as do rising food prices and the higher minimum wage, now 1,077 BGN (€550) per month.

A Radio Bulgaria team interviewed restaurant-goers in the capital to find out how noticeable the price increases are to them, and whether they are concerned about an even bigger jump after the adoption of the single European currency. Among those we spoke to were people for whom Bulgaria is a summer destination.

Clement, aged 20, has an Austrian mother and a Bulgarian father. He lives and works in the UK but regularly visits his homeland. He believes the Bulgarian lev should be retained and notes that he has seen restaurant prices rise, not only in Bulgaria but elsewhere too.

“I live in the United Kingdom, so perhaps I am not the right person to comment on whether and how these changes are being felt. But I can say this: yes, indeed. I am a staunch supporter of the Bulgarian lev and, for me, the introduction of the euro would be a mistake. If a referendum were to be held, I would wholeheartedly support it. You can really feel that prices are rising in both Bulgaria and the United Kingdom,” says our compatriot.

Doroteya was born in Bulgaria but has spent most of her adult life in the United States, which is why she finds it easier to communicate in English.

“It’s hard for me to express an opinion because I’m not the one who has to deal with the consequences, but I’m in favour of it. I feel like the European Union has definitely improved the quality of life of people. I understand their concerns about things getting more expensive and the quality of life potentially decreasing,” says Doroteya optimistically.

Here is another outsider’s view of prices in Bulgaria. Devin, a 39-year-old Australian welder, is currently on a three-day trip to the country with his girlfriend. He finds restaurant prices here very low compared with those in his home country.

“Economically, it’s cheap. I would say that, as far as going out is concerned, drinks are at least half the price, cigarettes are maybe a fifth of the price, and groceries are at least half the price compared to Australia — it’s well cheaper than Australia. I’m not sure about the price versus wage ratio, but yeah, for an Australian earning a medium wage, it’s much cheaper here.” (The minimum monthly wage in Australia, converted to euros, is approximately €2,249, while in Bulgaria it is €550 — editor’s note.)

Bulgaria’s restaurant industry has no issue with adopting the euro at the start of 2026 or displaying prices in two currencies, as has been required since 8 August this year. However, Richard Alibegov, chairman of the Bulgarian Restaurant Association, told Radio Bulgaria there is another problem: the reconfiguration of cash registers.

“It’s not that businesses aren’t ready. They depend on the licensed companies they work with for deliveries and so on, as well as on cash register companies. This is not something that businesses can do alone. We did what we could,” Alibegov emphasised.

The owner of a small restaurant in Sofia’s Mladost district has also noted price increases and what he sees as inadequate action by the state. He supports the introduction of the single European currency but does not hold back on his criticism.

“Unfortunately, the state isn’t solving anything; it’s only regulating when prices should be announced in leva and euros. In my opinion, the state is mostly guessing,” says businessman Nikolay Karadimov. “If possible, they should allow a transition period for all these non-essential services, at least until 1 January.”

The deadline for adjusting cash registers is 8 October, after which the regulatory authorities will impose sanctions if prices are not displayed in both currencies. As consumers, we will have to learn to divide by 1.95583 more quickly (1 euro equals 1.96 leva).

Editor: Elena Karkalanova

Posted in English by E. Radkova

Photos: BTA, Pixabay, Pexels, BGNES, Ani Petrova

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