Grocery Shopping: Where to Find the Best Deals Near the Border

As the holiday season approaches, the National Statistical Institute and the Bulgarian Food and Tobacco Agricultural Cooperative Union report a drop in food prices. But where are the best shopping bargains to be found? NOVA’s team ventured across the borders to Greece, Turkey, and Romania to compare prices.

Gürgevo, Bulgaria

Just a stones-throw away from Ruse, the central market in this Bulgarian town is a popular shopping destination for Ruse residents. But remember, the fee for crossing the Danube Bridge is 10 BGN in both directions. The market offers a variety of produce, with many stores selling directly from producers. Here’s what we found:

• Promotional olive oil at 6 lei (around 2.30 BGN)
• Rice at 8.25 lei (about 3.18 BGN)
• Wheat flour at 2.20 lei (around 0.84 BGN)
• Minced meat at 27 lei/kg (about 10.36 BGN/kg) and chicken fillet at 25 lei/kg ( roughly 9.68 BGN/kg)
• White cheese at 45 lei/kg (around 17.41 BGN/kg)
• Fresh milk at 7.50 lei (approx. 2.90 BGN)
• Eggs at 10 lei for 10 eggs (about 3.85 BGN)
• Diverse bread options at around 5 lei (approx. 1.93 BGN) each

Total for 10 items: 150 lei (about 58.36 BGN)

Serres, Greece

Convenient for residents of Blagoevgrad, Petrich, and Sandanski regions, Serres offers a wide range of products. For the same items, we spent 48 euros (approx. 94 BGN).

Edirne, Turkey

Once renowned for its affordability, Edirne has seen increased prices due to high inflation. Still, some products remain cheaper. DiмитърIvanov bought the following:

• Chicken fillet at 200 lira (approx. 10.70 BGN)
• Minced meat at 260 lira (around 14.14 BGN)
• Milk at 1.60 BGN
• Cheese at around 16 BGN
• Eggs at 4.30 BGN
• Bread at 1.10 BGN to 5 BGN
• Wheat flour at around 20 BGN
• Rice at 4 BGN/kg
• Lentils at 3.20 BGN
• Olive oil at 3.75 BGN

Total for 10 items: approximately 60 BGN

Montana, Bulgaria

Lastly, we visited Montana, where the prices were as follows:

• Olive oil: 3.60 BGN
• Rice: 4 BGN/kg
• Lentils: 5.40 BGN
• Chicken: 14 BGN/kg
• Minced meat: 11 BGN/kg
• Cheese: 11 BGN
• Milk: 4 BGN (100ml)
• Eggs: 4 BGN (10 eggs)
• Bread: 1.75 BGN

Total: 59.22 BGN

So, where should you go to stock up on holiday supplies? It depends on what you need and how far you’re willing to travel. Happy shopping!