Bulgaria Secures €490 Million from EU SAFE Program to Boost Defense Industry
Bulgaria is set to receive €490 million through the EU’s Security Action for Europe (SAFE) instrument
photo credit: citybuild.com
Vitosha Boulevard in Bulgaria’s capital Sofia ranks 54th among the 65 most expensive retail locations in the world, according to Cushman & Wakefield’s 2015/2016 report Main Streets Across the World.
With its EUR 528 per square meter (sq.m.) annual rent, Vitosha Boulevard goes down two positions compared to the 2014/2015 edition of the report.
Obchodna Ulica in Slovakia’s capital Bratislava is at par with Sofia, ranking 53rd in terms of annual rent per square meter.
Magheru Boulevard in Romania’s capital Bucharest is 52nd with rents of EUR 540/sq.m per year.
For a second consecutive year, New York’s Upper 5th Avenue scores first, with yearly rent of retail stores EUR 33,812/sq.m.
The second most expensive on the list is Hong Kong’s Causeway Bay where rents per square meter are worth EUR 23,178 a year.
With its third place in the global ranking Avenue des Champs Elysees in Paris remains the most expensive main street in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. The average rent of retail property there is EUR 13,255/sq.m.
Property values in Sofia have surged by approximately €500 per square metre over the past year, according to data from one of Bulgaria’s largest real estate agencies. Across the country’s main cities, housing costs climbed by 20% in the final quarter of 2
Two-room dwellings make up the largest portion of newly built homes in Bulgaria, according to data for the fourth quarter of 2025.
In 2024, about 68% of households across the European Union were owner-occupied, a slight decline from 69% in 2023, according to Eurostat data. The remaining 32% of the EU population lived in rented homes, up from 31% the previous year.
Bulgaria is facing a sharp rise in construction material costs, which experts warn will drive property prices higher. Svetoslav Zhekov, chairman of the Chamber of Builders in Varna
As Bulgaria enters its first full year in the eurozone, the real estate market in Sofia begins 2026 with a shift from rapid, speculative growth to more stable, needs-driven demand.
Choosing between renting and buying a home is a decision that goes far beyond personal preference.
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