site.btaSmall Consumer Basket Prices Up by 0.8% - CITUB

The value of the consumer basket in November increased by 0.8% month-on-month, the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB) reported on Wednesday.

CITUB monitors 21 items, 20 of which are food products and one non-food item. The November survey was conducted in more than 600 small and large retail outlets across 81 municipalities.

Several additional staple products are also included, such as lemons, snacks, 0.5-liter mineral water, and a cup of coffee served in a cardboard cup. “Between November 13 and 15, prices were monitored in 28 regions. The small consumer basket reached BGN 112.80 in November, showing a moderate increase of 0.8%,” said Violeta Ivanova, Deputy Director of the Institute for Social and Trade Union Research at CITUB.

She noted that during this period, compared to October, the price of cucumbers rose by 12.6% because they are now out of season. In addition, the price of poultry increased by 2.3% within a single month.

“Bread increased by 0.7% in November. Sausages rose by 2.5%, despite the fact that prices on commodity exchanges have remained stable,” Ivanova added.

She added that the trend for lower prices in small retail outlets continues, with cow’s milk cheese being one such example. “In smaller shops, the average price of cheese is BGN 17.82, which is BGN 3.71 lower than in large retail outlets, where it is BGN 21.53. In small stores, the price of eggs is BGN 0.37 lower than in large chains. For chicken, rice, and beans, prices in small shops are about BGN 0.60 lower,” Ivanova noted. She added that in large retail outlets, the price of tomatoes increased by 3.4%, while in small shops prices remained almost unchanged.

Among the goods that have been gradually increasing from June to November are bread and chicken, while coffee went up by 30%.

The presented results show that during the period from June to November, the price of the small consumer basket increased by BGN 1.76. “In terms of percentage growth on a monthly basis, we see a slow but noticeable increase mainly in a few key goods, such as chicken by more than 9%, bread by 4%, cheese-filled pastry by 3.6%, and sausages by 3.7%,” said CITUB President Plamen Dimitrov.

Dimitrov drew attention to the dynamics of mineral water and coffee prices for the period June-November 2025. “It turned out that the price of coffee sold in shops has increased by 30% - from under BGN 1 to BGN 1.28, which is a significant rise. The price of mineral water has increased by 5% over six months,” he noted.

 “The price of 1 kg of Dobrudzha bread has increased by 4.2% compared to June - from BGN 2.63 in June to BGN 2.74 in November. Another product that stands out for us with a price increase is chicken, which is nearly BGN 0.73 more expensive. The price in June was BGN 8.02, while in November it reached BGN 8.75, marking a 9.1% increase over six months. Sausages have seen a price increase of 3.7% over six months, rising from BGN 12.60 per kilogram to BGN 13.07. Cucumbers have increased by BGN 0.81 stotinki over six months, from BGN 3.48 to BGN 4.29. Apples have recorded a 5% increase over this six-month period,” said Violeta Ivanova.

Differences between wholesale and retail prices for the period June–November 2025 were also noted. “The largest increase between wholesale and retail prices is observed for cow’s milk cheese. The wholesale price is around BGN 12, while the retail price reaches BGN 19.38. This is an increase of BGN 7.38, or a 64% rise,” Ivanova said. She also noted regional differences in prices of certain goods across the country. “At retail level, the highest price of rice is in Burgas - BGN 5.69, while the lowest is in Pazardzhik - BGN 4.30. The difference is nearly BGN 1.40,” she added.