Bulgaria and Turkey are the two destinations we are asked about most. Both are close, both have a coast, and in both you can buy a home for the price of an ordinary two bedroom flat in Odesa.
The difference that actually matters is not the price. It is what exactly you own, how much you pay above the price, and what you receive besides an apartment.
Form of ownership: the main difference
In Turkey a foreign buyer owns property on the same footing as a citizen. There is the TAPU, the deed from the land registry, and it confirms full title to an apartment or to a house with its plot. Restrictions apply only near military installations and under district quotas, and that is checked before the transaction.
Bulgaria works differently. A citizen of a country outside the European Union cannot own land directly. An apartment in a complex can be bought: you own the building, while the land beneath is in shared ownership or held by the developer's company, and for an apartment that is a normal arrangement.
A house with a plot, however, requires a Bulgarian company: the land is registered to it and you own the company. The structure is workable and lawful, but it is a legal entity with accounting, filings and annual costs even when it does nothing.
So the answer depends on what you are buying. An apartment: little difference. A house with land: Turkey is simpler.
What is payable above the price
In Turkey the main item is the transfer fee, four per cent of the declared price, plus the mandatory valuation, the compulsory DASK earthquake insurance, translations and a sworn interpreter at the registry. Together around five per cent.
In Bulgaria the sum depends on the municipality: the local transfer tax, the notary fee, registration, interpreter services. The order of magnitude is the same few per cent, but the structure differs, and the exact figure is calculated for the specific property and municipality because the rates are local.
Add the annual costs: property tax and the complex service charge in both countries, and the upkeep of the company in Bulgaria where one is used.
What the document gives you
Turkey: a purchase from 400 thousand dollars with an undertaking not to sell for three years grants citizenship to the applicant, their spouse and children under 18. A cheaper purchase may support a residence permit, and there much depends on the district.
Bulgaria: there has been no citizenship by investment since 2022. There is a residence permit on ownership of housing from 600 thousand leva, about 307 thousand euros. The permit runs annually, and after five consecutive renewals with at least half of each year spent in the country you may apply for permanent residence.
The difference is fundamental: Turkey gives a passport for three years of holding a property; Bulgaria gives status in an EU state, but slowly and on condition that you genuinely live there.
Climate and season
Turkey: a longer season, swimming from May to October and longer in Antalya. Mild winters, though out of season the resort towns empty and some businesses simply close.
Bulgaria: a shorter season, July and August above all, cooler water. Winters closer to ours, with ski resorts in the mountains, which is an advantage the Turkish coastal resorts do not have.
For year round living both work only in the larger cities, not in resort complexes. That is what buyers think about least and regret most often.
Travel
Bulgaria is closer: through Romania it is a day behind the wheel, and out of season that matters. Turkey means a flight or a long drive, and from Odesa that is currently its own logistical exercise.
If you plan to travel there several times a year and drive yourself, the difference in travel outweighs the difference in property price over time.
Letting: where it is more realistic
Turkey has a longer resort season, and nightly letting in Antalya runs longer than a Bulgarian summer. But competition is higher too: large complexes let dozens of apartments at once, and the operator sets the price rather than you.
Bulgaria has a shorter season, but the long term rental market in the cities rather than the resorts is calmer and easier to read. An apartment in Varna or Burgas is let to locals rather than holidaymakers, which is a different economy: less money in season, but steady all year.
A rule for both countries: a resort complex stands empty out of season while its costs run for all twelve months. If rental income is part of your calculation, count it over eight months and the costs over twelve.
Selling later
Exiting resort property always takes longer than exiting city property. There are fewer buyers out of season, several units in the complex are often on the market alongside yours, and whoever is in a hurry drags the price down.
In Turkey, where the property was bought under the citizenship programme, it cannot be sold for three years. That is a condition rather than a risk, but it belongs in the plan from the outset.
Prices
We will not print country averages without a date and a source: they vary by city and change every year. The right way to compare is to take two specific offers within your budget and look at them together with costs and taxes over the next five years.
One honest benchmark: for the sum that buys a two bedroom flat in a mid range Odesa district, both countries offer either a small apartment in a resort complex further from the sea, or a studio closer to it. Everything else depends on the city and the year.
How to choose
If the aim is a passport, that is Turkey, from 400 thousand dollars. If the aim is status in the European Union and you are prepared to live there, that is Bulgaria. If the aim is a holiday home, look at the specific complex, its management and the journey rather than at the country.
Write to us with your budget and your purpose and we will send two selections, one per country, with the costs above the price worked out.
Where is it simpler to buy a house with land?
In Turkey: a foreign buyer owns the house and the land directly under the TAPU. In Bulgaria a non EU citizen cannot own land directly, so a house with a plot requires a Bulgarian company.
Which is cheaper to complete?
In Turkey the main cost is the four per cent transfer fee plus the valuation and DASK, around five per cent in total. In Bulgaria the rates are local and depend on the municipality, so the sum is calculated for the specific property.
Does Bulgaria grant citizenship for property?
No, fast track citizenship by investment has been suspended since 2022. There is a residence permit on ownership of housing from 600 thousand leva, about 307 thousand euros, renewed annually.
Which country is closer to Odesa?
Bulgaria: through Romania it is a day behind the wheel. Turkey means a flight or a long drive, and from Odesa that is currently its own logistical exercise.
Where is the season longer?
In Turkey: swimming roughly from May to October, longer in Antalya. In Bulgaria July and August dominate and the water is cooler, but there are ski resorts in the mountains.
We will shortlist options for your budget and guide the deal from the first viewing to signing.
