Bulgaria's Black Sea coast: Sunny Beach, Nessebar, Sozopol, Varna and Burgas compared

The Bulgarian Black Sea coast is two markets under one name. Resort towns such as Sunny Beach, Sveti Vlas and Golden Sands sell holiday apartments to buyers who plan to use them for a few weeks a year and let them in summer, while Varna and Burgas are working cities where apartments are bought to live in or to let all year. Prices, yields, running costs and risks differ between the two, and in 2026 the whole coast is moving after a strong 2025. This guide compares the main places using broker and statistics-office figures as of October 2026. They are asking-price ranges and estimates, not a promise for a particular apartment. For the country as a whole see Best areas to buy property in Bulgaria; for the holiday segment see Bulgaria's holiday property market in 2026.

Prices by resort and city

Prices on the coast depend on the complex far more than on the town. The ranges below are broker summaries of asking prices; sources use different methods and the figures overlap.

• Sunny Beach, Nessebar and Sveti Vlas: quality apartments in well-maintained complexes are reported at about EUR 1,200 to 2,000 per m2, with premium properties above that. The Sunny Beach to Nessebar area has become Bulgaria's fourth-largest property market by number of transactions, which tells you it is liquid by resort standards, but also that supply is large.
• Sozopol: average prices of about EUR 1,500 to 1,600 per m2 are reported, driven by gated complexes with services and limited supply of good property in the old town. Developer listings in the Misarya area ask roughly EUR 1,600 to 2,250 per m2 for new-build apartments.
• Golden Sands: one listing source gives EUR 900 to 2,000 per m2, a wide spread that reflects age and condition.
• Pomorie, Primorsko and St Constantine and Helena: we found no reliable 2026 figure for these, so none is given here. Ask for recent sold prices in the specific complex.
• Varna: the average is reported at about EUR 1,900 per m2 in February 2026, up around 17% on the year; another summary gives about EUR 1,550, and estimates for 2026 run from EUR 1,550 to 2,500 depending on district and age.
• Burgas: about EUR 1,700 per m2 in February 2026, up around 19%; the estimated 2026 range is EUR 1,200 to 2,000. For comparison, Sofia is reported at about EUR 2,500.

The takeaway is that the cities are not cheaper than the better resorts by much, and a good Varna apartment can cost more than an average Sunny Beach one. What you buy in the city is a year-round market; what you buy in the resort is a seasonal one.

What changed in 2025 and 2026

Bulgaria's National Statistical Institute reported that housing prices rose 6.2% in the first quarter of 2026 on the previous quarter and 14.8% on the first quarter of 2025. Among cities, the quarterly rise was highest in Burgas (5.9%), followed by Sofia (5.8%), Varna (4.0%) and Plovdiv (3.9%). Bulgaria also adopted the euro in 2026, which removes currency risk for buyers who earn in euro and makes prices easier to compare with the rest of the eurozone.

For the holiday coast the trend at the start of 2026 is described as moderate growth or stabilisation rather than another jump. That matters if you were hoping to ride a rising market: after double-digit annual gains in the cities, the easy part of the move has probably passed, and yield rather than price growth is the more sensible basis for a decision.

Yield: what to expect, and how it is earned

Broker and advisory sources put gross rental yield in Bulgarian cities at about 4.5% to 5.5%, and often above 5% on the coast. For holiday apartments in Sunny Beach or Sozopol let short-term and actively managed, 4% to 6% a year is reported. Two cautions apply.

• These are gross figures and mostly asking-price based. Maintenance fees, management, platform commissions, taxes and empty weeks come off them.
• Coastal properties see high occupancy in the summer months and much lower demand off-season. A resort apartment earns most of its income in a few months, so a weak summer hurts more than a weak month does in a city.

A city apartment in Varna or Burgas can be let to a long-term tenant all year, which gives a steadier but usually lower figure. Neither route is a guarantee, and we found no reliable monthly rent data for Varna or Burgas to quote, so check current listings for the exact district before you model anything. To see how Bulgaria compares with other markets use the rental yield by country hub.

Annual fees: the number that is easy to overlook

Almost every resort complex charges an annual maintenance fee, usually per square metre, for the pool, gardens, security, lifts and cleaning. In listings we found EUR 8 per m2 at one complex, EUR 12 at another, EUR 20.40 at a third, and an apartment of about 96 m2 at EUR 570 a year, which is about EUR 6 per m2. In short, EUR 6 to 20 or more per m2 per year depending on the facilities, with VAT not always included.

As an illustration that is our own arithmetic and not market data: a 55 m2 apartment at EUR 1,500 per m2 costs EUR 82,500. At EUR 12 per m2 the fee is EUR 660 a year, about 0.8% of the price; at EUR 20.40 it is EUR 1,122, about 1.4%. When a seller quotes a gross yield of 5%, a fee of that size takes a visible share of it, and the fee is due whether or not the apartment is let. Ask for the last two years of fee statements, what the fee covers, and whether it is charged in the winter months when the pool is closed.

Buying costs

Plan for roughly 5% to 6% of the price on top, and more in Sofia. The components reported are a municipal transfer tax of 0.1% to 3% depending on the municipality, notary fees of 0.1% to 1.5% capped at BGN 6,000 (about EUR 3,068), a registry fee of about 0.1%, legal fees of EUR 300 to 1,500 and an agent commission of 2% to 3%. These are summary figures from buying guides, so confirm them with the notary and your lawyer for the specific municipality. For what to check on a resale see Bulgaria resale property checklist, and for new build against resale see Bulgaria new-build vs resale. If you plan to finance part of the price, see Bulgaria mortgage for foreigners.

Short-term rental rules in 2026

Holiday letting is where the rules are tightening. Advisers report that from 20 May 2026 platforms such as Airbnb and Booking must exchange data automatically with the Bulgarian state, which makes unregistered letting much harder to hide. Registration in the municipality and the national tourism register is required, and fines of up to EUR 2,500 for an individual and EUR 5,500 for a company are reported for letting tourists without registration. Owners are also described as liable for tourist tax, with a patent tax of BGN 25 to 250 (EUR 12.78 to 127.82) per room per year cited as one option. Bulgaria is still at an early stage of applying the EU short-term rental regulation, so details may change. Treat this section as a signal to check, not as advice, and read Bulgaria short-term rental rules before counting on holiday income.

Getting there

Flights decide how often you will actually use a resort apartment and how easy it is to let. Varna has seasonal direct flights from several Polish cities, including Warsaw Modlin, Gdańsk, Katowice and Wrocław, announced by Wizz Air; timetables change every season, so check the current schedule rather than relying on a past one. Burgas and Sofia are served too, but we did not confirm direct routes from Poland for them. Plan a realistic number of visits per year before you decide a resort is convenient.

Risks

• Oversupply and ageing stock. Much of the Sunny Beach stock dates from the building boom of the 2000s (general knowledge, not from this research), so a large number of similar apartments compete for the same summer guests, and some complexes are tired. Compare asking prices with sold prices in the same complex.
• Seasonality. Income arrives in a few months. A bad summer, a weak airline schedule or a new competing complex hits the whole year.
• Fees and complex management. Maintenance fees can rise and a poorly run complex loses value. Ask about arrears, the condition of the common areas and who manages them.
• Legal and registration risk. Check the title, the building's commissioning documents and debts before paying a deposit, and use an independent lawyer rather than the seller's.
• Regulatory risk for holiday lets, as above.
• Liquidity. Resort apartments sell well in a good year and slowly in a weak one; a city apartment is usually easier to resell.

How to choose between the resort and the city

• You want to use the apartment yourself for several weeks and let it in summer: a resort complex with a fair fee, a short walk to the beach and a track record of lets. Price the fee and the season in.
• You want a steady long-term tenant and a market that works all year: Varna or Burgas, in a district with working demand. Expect a lower headline yield and a deeper resale market.
• You want to compare two complexes: ask for sold prices, the last two years of fee statements, the share of owners who let, the management company and its contract, and whether the building has all its permits.

FAQ

Is Sunny Beach cheaper than Varna? Often yes for an average apartment, but the ranges overlap and a good city apartment can cost more. Compare complexes, not towns. What yield is realistic? Reported gross figures are about 4% to 6%; net depends on fees, management and how much of the summer you let. Can I rely on a quoted yield? Treat any yield as an estimate until you see the owner's actual accounts for the building. Is the coast good for year-round living? Varna and Burgas are; most resort complexes empty out in winter.

How we help

We help you compare areas and complexes against your goal, check what an advertised yield leaves after fees and taxes, and prepare the questions to put to the seller and to a Bulgarian lawyer. Informational only; not legal, tax or investment advice. Figures are indicative, come from broker, press and statistics-office summaries and change over time; confirm current numbers for the specific building before you buy.