Sofia, Bulgaria Report of what it's like to live there - 03/12/19
Personal Experiences from Sofia, Bulgaria
Background:
1. Was this post your first expatriate experience? If not, what other cities have you lived in as an expat?
Yes, this was our first expatriate experience.
2. What is your home city/country? How long is the trip to post from there, with what connections? How easy/difficult is it to travel to this city/country?
My home country is the United States of America and my home town was about a 45 minute drive from Washington DC. To travel between Bulgaria and D.C. usually took about 13 hours, plus any additional layover time. It was pretty easy to get to and not too expensive.
3. How long have you lived here?
I lived in Sofia for one year.
4. What brought you to this city (e.g. diplomatic mission, business, NGO, military, teaching, retirement, etc.)?
Diplomatic mission brought us to Bulgaria.
Housing, Groceries & Food:
1. What is your housing like? What are typical housing sizes, locations, and commute times for expatriates?
Government housing ranged greatly from what we saw. Our apartment was very spacious, had two bedrooms (one which had its own balcony facing Mt Vitosha), two baths, a living room, kitchen, and study. We were right next door to the embassy so trip to work was about 5 minutes.
In the city center there were also apartments that were on the top floor with a 360 degree balcony. Depending on traffic or weather it could take around 15-30 minutes to drive into the U.S. embassy.
About 30 minutes (or 45 minutes if weather was bad) outside the city, were the houses for bigger families. They were up the mountain and had two stories plus had basements.
2. How would you describe the availability and cost of groceries and household supplies relative to your home country?
The cost of goods was surprisingly cheap, but sometimes it would be hard to find specific. Some of the items included coriander, chocolate chips, and american style beef. The biggest problem was finding convenience foods like canned soup of boxed meals. We learned very quickly that if we saw a food or brand we really wanted, we should buy it immediately. It might not be there next time you go to the shop.
3. What household or grocery items do you wish you had shipped to post?
We occasionally wished we’d sent things like canned soup, mac and cheese, or hamburger helper, but the raw ingredients, for the same meals, were easily available.
4. What typical restaurants, food delivery services, and/or takeout options are popular among expatriates?
In the center of Sofia there were many types of restaurants. They had fast food, pub food, french cuisine, bakeries, and so much more! When we ordered in, we usually used from Food Panda. When missing American style food and dining we went to the very popular Happy! Bar and Grill (similar to TGIFridays), or BOOM Burger. For fine french style dining we’d highly recommend Chefs, about 10 minute walk from the US embassy. Any time we had guests we went to Raketa Rakia Bar and Restaurant for a Bulgarian style meal, followed by Kanaal for an inexpensive craft beer.
5. Are there any unusual problems with insects or other infestations in housing?
In our dwelling we never had issues with any kind of infestations, but we had heard that people in the same building occasionally had some issues with ants.
Daily Life:
1. How do you send and receive your letters and package mail? Are local postal facilities adequate?
We only ever used DPO to send or receive mail, so we can’t say how the local postal service worked.
2. What is the availability and cost of household help, and what types of help are typically employed by expatriates?
While we never had household help, we knew people who did. They were usually inexpensive, would come clean the home, and cook a meal once or twice a week.
3. What kinds of gyms or other sports/workout facilities are available? Are they expensive?
Inside the US Embassy there is a gym, free for staff, their family members, and marines. Outside the embassy we never sought out other gyms or workout facilities, but did notice a few while walking through town.
4. Are credit cards widely accepted and safe to use locally? Are ATMs common and do you recommend using them? Are they safe to use?
Credit cards are widely accepted and generally safe to use. Like most European countries, when paying they will bring a card swiping machine to you, so you won’t have to worry about them copying your card information in the backroom. ATMs are common and plentiful, but we wouldn’t recommend using all of them. We advise only using Embassy ATMs or ATMs inside of banks, because credit card skimmers are a real threat in Sofia.
5. What English-language religious services are available locally?
Sofia is a very diversely religious city. In one part of the city you can see four distinct religious buildings within a one mile radius of each other. We never sought out an English language service though so we can not speak on the subject.
6. How much of the local language do you need for daily living? Are local language classes/tutors available and affordable?
Local language, both speaking and reading, is nearly essential in Sofia. While the educated Bulgarians will usually be able to hold a conversation in English, the uneducated will not. This in my experience hindered shopping, ordering at restaurants, and getting directions. When coming to Sofia you should know the basics of Bulgarian (hello, good bye, thank you, How much, etc.), but more importantly you must know the Cyrillic alphabet. Even if a word is pronounced in English, it will be written in Cyrillic. We learned this the hard way by going to McDonald's and trying to order, off the menu, a “??? Mak” which literally pronounced "big mac." We never sought after classes or tutors so we can’t speak on the subject.
7. Would someone with physical disabilities have difficulties living in this city?
Anyone with a physical disability would have difficulties living in Sofia. The side walks are littered with parked cars in such a way that would have us walking in the road. While elevators and escalators are becoming more common in buildings and malls, there are are usually no handicapped accessible entrances to those buildings. On top of all of that, Sofia is a very hilly city, which can make navigating the city, especially in winter, treacherous for anyone.
Transportation:
1. Are local buses, trams, trains or taxis safe and affordable?
Though we never took the bus, train or trams, we can say that the taxis and subway system are very safe and quite affordable. The subway system can get you almost anywhere you need to go in the city and for a cheap price. The few times we took taxis were a little more nerve wrecking, but still an option we would recommend. The taxis would swerve to avoid potholes, speed to make it though lights, and cut each other off to get to exit ramps.
2. What kind of car do you recommend bringing to post, given the terrain, availability of parts, burglary/carjacking risks, etc.? What kind of car do you advise not to bring?
Sofia is so easy to travel in we never really needed a car, except to get out of the city. If we were to bring a car though, we’d recommend some kind of SUV. Especially after a rough winter roads in Sofia can take their toll on a car. Most people that lived in the city had a garage under or inside their building, which made burglaries much more difficult. I would not recommend any low riding car or sports car.
Phone & Internet:
1. Is high-speed home Internet access available? How long does it typically take to install it after arrival?
Due to unique circumstances we didn’t have to wait at all for our home internet to be installed. While using telenor they had an extremely cheap deal that included home phone, internet, and cable.
2. Do you have any recommendations regarding mobile phones? Did you keep your home-country plan or use a local provider?
We are a data intensive couple, and M-tel was amazing. Fairly cheap, rarely dropped signal, and easy payment methods.
Pets:
1. Are qualified veterinarians and/or good kennel services available? Do animals need to be quarantined upon entry to the country? Are there other considerations regarding pets that are particular to this country?
We didn’t bring pets to Bulgaria so we can’t speak to veterinarians, kennels, or entry for pets. If bringing pets you may want to consider that stray dogs are plentiful in Bulgaria. Even though most of the strays in the city are tame and won’t bother you or your pet, there are some packs that are extremely territorial. Another think you might want to think about is the disease carrying bugs like ticks or fleas.
Employment & Volunteer Opportunities:
1. What types of jobs do most expatriate spouses/partners have? Locally based or telecommuting? Full-time or part-time? Can you comment on local salary scales?
There were a few jobs for spouses and EFMs, but we never took advantage of them. It also would have been nearly impossible to get a job on the local economy without Bulgarian language.
2. What volunteer opportunities are available locally?
There are plenty of opportunities for volunteer work, but I never took advantage of those opportunities.
3. What is the typical dress code at work and in public places? Is formal dress ever required?
The dress code in public spaces is casual. For example, during sunny weather we saw many people sun bathing in minimal or no clothes in public spaces. Winter usually made people dress more conservatively, but that is more to stay warm.
Health & Safety:
1. Are there personal security concerns to be aware of at this post? Please describe.
Like any large city petty crimes like pick-pockets and shoplifting are abundant. Just keep an eye out for your belongings.
2. Are there any particular health concerns? What is the quality of available medical care? What medical conditions typically require medical evacuation?
No particular health concerns in the city, but things like tuberculosis and rabies are more common in the village areas.
3. What is the air quality like at post (good/moderate/bad)? Are there seasonal air quality issues? Does the air quality have an impact on health?
Overall the air quality is good in Sofia. Winter can get a little rough due to people burning things to stay warm, and because the mountains surround the city the pollution remains stagnant.
4. What do people who suffer from environmental or food allergies need to know?
Seasonal allergies can be bad in Sofia. There are parts of the year you can see the pollen floating in the air, but over the counter seasonal allergy medications are easy to obtain.
5. Are there any particular mental health issues that tend to crop up at post, such as Seasonal Affective Disorder (winter blues)?
As with any temperate climate winters can be hard on most, since the sun is only up during work hours.
6. What is the overall climate: is it extremely hot or cold, wet or dry, at any time of year, for example?
Sofia has very warm summers and very dry cold winters. During summers temperatures could spike into the 90s, but it was never extremely humid or dry. During the winter we were there, it snowed every day for a month! Temperatures could plummet into the negative degrees and it would be very dry. We used a humidifier regularly.
Schools & Children:
1. Are preschools available? Day care? Are these expensive? What has been your experience with them, if any? Do the schools provide before- and/or after-school care?
we can not speak on this subject.
Expat Life:
1. What is the relative size of the expatriate community? How would you describe overall morale among expatriates?
The expatriate community was relatively large for a medium-sized embassy, and moral seemed great.
2. What are some typical ways to socialize, either with local people or with other expatriates? Are there groups or clubs that you can recommend?
Most of our time was spent outside in parks or walking down a new road or path. Socializing outdoors was very common in Sofia, but we never looked for groups or clubs.
3. Is this a good city for single people? For couples? For families? Why or why not?
This city is good for everyone. There is a festive night life downtown, and plenty of things to see and do in the numerous parks scattered through the city. For families, there are play grounds every where and museums that share the rich history of Sofia.
4. Is this a good city for LGBT expatriates? Why or why not?
This city isn’t the best for anyone who considers themselves LGBT. While you can probably get around undetected, there have been previous physical attacks on the LGBT community.
5. Is it easy to make friends with locals here? Are there any prejudices or any ethnic groups who might feel uncomfortable here?
Like everywhere around the world ignorance can be common and dangerous. It is easy to make friends with locals as long as you can speak the language. The biggest prejudice is toward the Roma population. It is widely believed that they are sub-human and have magical abilities that are used purely the harm others. This prejudice is so extreme that other races (South American, Middle Eastern, African) can be confused for Roma and receive the same treatment regardless of identification documents.
6. Are there problems with ethnic, race/racial minorities or religious prejudices? Gender equality?
There didn’t seem to be a large amount of religious prejudice. The Roma prejudice (see above) was extreme. The gender equality was about on par with the US. Where women can have jobs, but are also expect to take care of the house and kids.
7. What have been the highlights of your time in this country? Best trips or experiences?
The views are AMAZING! From almost anywhere in the city you can see Mt Vitosha. There are so many parks to visit. We Visited Veliko Tarnovo. This amazing cliff side town is beautiful, but be warned it can be a workout to visit.
8. What are some interesting/fun things to do in the area? Can you recommend any “hidden gems"?
Park Center Mall was a great place to catch an English movie (subtitled in Bulgarian). Yuzen park (or south park) was directly behind the US embassy, and had tons of paths to discover, and events almost every weekend. 100 beers is a small beer shop downtown where you can get beer from all over the world. Even though its technically not legal, most people will have a beer in the park while enjoying a sunny day. When taking the subway be sure to visit to archaeological sites embedded in most stops along the way.
9. Is this a "shopping post"? Are there interesting handicrafts, artwork, antiques, or other items that people typically buy there?
I wouldn’t consider this a “shopping post,” but Bulgarian embroidery is well known and their Rose oil is ranked as one of, if not, best in the world. There are plenty of wood carvings and paintings sold around the city, but don’t get scammed with a knock off import.
10. What are the particular advantages of living in this city?
Its very easy to safe money, the food is amazing, And the park spaces are very well maintained
Words of Wisdom:
1. What do you wish you had known about this particular city/country before moving there?
I wish I'd known Bulgarian or at least their alphabet. I can not stress this enough for long time stayers.
2. Knowing what you know now, would you still move to this city?
Absolutely!
3. If you move here, you can leave behind your:
Expectations of a dark, bleak, or gray Eastern European city. Sofia has many influences from the Mediterranean and Europe which have not only affected the foods but also the culture.
4. But don't forget your:
Humidifier, translator, and skis.
5. Do you recommend any books or movies about this city/country for those who are interested in learning more?
not at this time
