According to data released by the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB) during a press conference on Monday, the required cost of living income for a three-person household (two adults and one child up to 14 years old) was set at EUR 1,473 for the first quarter of 2026. For a single employed person residing alone, the necessary income is EUR 818. CITUB reported that the cost of living income saw a quarterly increase of 2.3% and a year-on-year rise of 5.2%.
Union President Plamen Dimitrov stated that over the past year, the required income increased by EUR 73 for the three-person household and by EUR 40 for a single person. The report also highlighted wage distribution, noting that 58.3% of employees earn an income below the established cost of living wage. However, the union observed a positive trend, reporting a year-on-year decrease in the number of employees falling into this lower earning bracket, attributing this to overall wage increases over the last twelve months.
By the end of 2025, Bulgaria’s national income levels reached 68% of the EU average. Specific expenditures were detailed, showing that approximately EUR 329 is needed monthly for food and catering for one person. Furthermore, annual food prices continue to rise at 6.2%, with notable quarterly increases recorded for items such as vegetables, fruit, bread, meat, and eggs.
Data indicated that employees earning at the minimum wage for full-time work represented 12.2% of all full-time employees.
Topics: #income #person #eur
Is EUR 1,473 the new baseline we should all be preparing for in our budgets?