Cost of Studying in Bulgaria: Tuition, Living Costs and a First-Year Budget

For the 2026/27 academic year, a non-EU student at a Bulgarian public university pays from $3,750 (€3,300) a year for humanities and economics to $11,360 (€10,000) for English-taught medicine or dentistry; private AUBG charges $15,670 (€13,800) before financial aid. The European Commission puts living costs at $570–1,020 (€500–900) a month. Altogether, a first year costs roughly $10,960–16,410 (€9,651–14,451) for a humanities student doing a preparatory year in Sofia and $18,730–24,180 (€16,491–21,291) for a medical student in Varna.

This guide breaks the budget down: tuition, one-off admission and paperwork costs, housing and everyday spending, the funds you must show for your residence permit, three first-year scenarios and the price of a full medical degree. Figures come from official university and government pages; for a comparison of the institutions themselves, see universities in Bulgaria.

Annual tuition by field

Since Bulgaria moved to the euro at the start of 2026, university price lists are in euros. Public-university rates start with a government decision (No. 438 of 3 June 2026 for 2026/27), after which each university publishes its own fee order.

A preparatory language year is charged separately: $3,970 (€3,500) at Sofia University, $4,200 (€3,700) for Bulgarian or $5,450 (€4,800) for English at MU-Sofia, $5,680 (€5,000) at MU-Varna and $4,540 (€4,000) at MU-Pleven, all for 2026/27.

What tuition covers: MU-Varna lists lectures, seminars and lab classes, assessments, and use of lecture halls, labs and clinics. MU-Plovdiv states that accommodation, health insurance and textbooks are not included.

One-off costs of applying and paperwork

These are easy to miss because they are paid to different bodies.

If you take Sofia University's preparatory year, half of it, $1,990 (€1,750), is due before the university issues your enrolment certificate for the course.

Living costs: housing, food and transport

MU-Pleven publishes the most detailed official estimate. For a small city in 2026/27 it looks like this:

Other cities:

• Varna. Foreign students in MU-Varna's hostels pay 100 leva a month, about $58 (€51), with electricity extra. The university estimates private rent at 500–700 leva a month, or $290–410 (€256–358) at the fixed rate; letting agents usually charge half a month's to a full month's rent as a fee.
• Blagoevgrad. AUBG lists campus housing from $2,100 (€1,850) per academic year and one-bedroom flats of up to $410 (€360) a month including utilities.
• Sofia. Universities do not publish a city budget. The Commission's national range is $570–1,020 (€500–900) a month, and the capital sits towards the top of it.

Health insurance is compulsory for the residence permit unless you are covered by the Bulgarian health system. Prices depend on the insurer; for comparison, AUBG charges a $100 (€90) health insurance fee for 2026/27.

How much money you need to show

The Foreigners Act asks students for enough money to cover their whole stay, measured against the national minimum wage, minimum scholarship or minimum pension. In 2026 the minimum wage is $700 (€620.20) a month, so a year on that benchmark is $8,450 (€7,442.40), twelve months of the minimum wage.

This is not a fee and not tuition: it shows that you can live in Bulgaria without social assistance. The consulate (for the visa) and the Migration Directorate (for the permit) decide which statements or sponsor letters they accept and which benchmark they apply. The full document list is in our Bulgaria student visa guide.

First-year budget: three scenarios

Twelve months at 2026/27 prices. Living costs use the Commission's $570–1,020 (€500–900) a month unless stated otherwise.

Flights, apostilles, translations, insurance (except at AUBG) and setting-up purchases are not included. For the humanities student the preparatory year is an extra year: the bachelor's degree then starts at $3,750 (€3,300) a year.

What a full medical degree costs

Medicine takes six years, and living costs outweigh tuition. At 2026/27 rates:

• MU-Sofia: $11,300 (€9,950) × 6 = $67,790 (€59,700) in tuition alone. With living costs of $570–1,020 (€500–900) a month, about $108,670–141,370 (€95,700–124,500).
• Sofia University Faculty of Medicine: $9,080 (€8,000) × 6 = $54,500 (€48,000) in tuition, about $95,380–128,080 (€84,000–112,800) with living costs.
• A preparatory year adds $4,200–5,680 (€3,700–5,000) plus another year of living costs.

Universities approve fees for later years annually. For 2026/27, MU-Plovdiv and MU-Varna published first-year fees only, and in 2025/26 MU-Plovdiv charged $10,220 (€9,000) for year one and $9,080 (€8,000) for years two to six. Treat any whole-degree figure as an estimate rather than an exact price.

How and when you pay

Annual tuition is normally split into two instalments at the start of each semester. At Sofia University in 2026/27, full-time students pay for the winter semester by 30 September 2026 and for the summer semester by 14 February 2027. If you withdraw before the academic year begins, SU refunds 80% of the semester fee paid; after that, nothing is refunded.

Payment is by bank transfer to the university, and the payer covers bank charges; the Bulgarian National Bank, where SU's accounts are held, does not take cash. Because of sanctions on Russian banks, a direct transfer from Russia is unreliable, so choose and test a lawful payment route a few weeks before the deadline; see how to pay for studies abroad from Russia.

Ways to spend less

• Compare universities for the same subject. Sofia University's medical faculty charges $9,080 (€8,000) a year against $11,300 (€9,950) at MU-Sofia, a gap of $13,290 (€11,700) over six years.
• Price the Bulgarian track. Dentistry in Bulgarian at MU-Sofia is $3,920 (€3,450) a year cheaper than in English, but the $4,200 (€3,700) preparatory year absorbs the first year's saving.
• Choose your city. A hostel bed costs about $58 (€51) a month in Varna and $85–110 (€75–95) in Pleven, while private rent starts at $170–340 (€150–300).
• Check special categories. If you hold both a Bulgarian and a non-EU passport and are admitted on the government's terms, you pay 50% of the foreign rate, never less than what Bulgarians pay. Who can use the quota for people of Bulgarian ethnicity is covered in lower-fee and free study options.
• Do not budget on part-time work. Students may work up to 20 hours a week during term. At the 2026 minimum hourly wage of $4 (€3.74), that is at most about $370 (€324) a month before tax, far below tuition.

Common budgeting mistakes

• Looking only at tuition, although over a six-year medical degree living costs are the bigger share.
• Assuming the first-year fee applies to every year. Later years may be priced differently.
• Using lev figures from old articles. Divide by 1.95583 and check which academic year they refer to.
• Confusing proof of funds with payment. Living funds are shown separately from tuition.
• Transferring money on the last day. International payments from Russia can take longer than usual, and SU removes students who have not paid for the semester.

FAQ

Sources

• Sofia University: annual fees 2026/27, orders RD-19-297, RD-19-296 and RD-19-276 (payment deadlines, refunds, dual-citizenship rule); checked 29 Sept 2026
• MU-Sofia: fees 2026/27; checked 29 Sept 2026
• MU-Varna: fees 2026/27, test fees and hostels; checked 29 Sept 2026
• MU-Plovdiv: admission and fees 2026/27 and tuition page; checked 29 Sept 2026
• MU-Pleven: expense guide 2026/27; checked 29 Sept 2026
• AUBG: cost of attendance 2026/27 (PDF) and NBU: fees; checked 29 Sept 2026
• IISDA: long-stay residence permit, documents and fees; checked 29 Sept 2026
• Embassy of Bulgaria in Russia: D visa and consular fee; checked 29 Sept 2026
• Ministry of Labour and Social Policy: minimum wage from 1 Jan 2026, $700 (€620.20) a month and $4 (€3.74) an hour, adopted by Decree No. 243 of 13 Nov 2025 and Employment Agency: work for students; checked 29 Sept 2026
• European Commission, Study in Europe: Bulgaria and Bulgaria and the euro; checked 29 Sept 2026
• ECB rate of 29.09.2026: €1 = $1.1355. Rounding step: $1 below $100, otherwise $10.

A personal budget, a shortlist that fits it and support through admission are provided under an agreement with StudyU. Universities set their fees, and the consulate and the Migration Directorate judge whether your funds are sufficient.

During the free initial consultation, we clarify your goal, profile, timing, and budget and identify the next realistic step.