Getting Bulgarian Lev: Your Guide to Banks, Bureaus, and Airports

💰 Click here to see Bulgaria Budget Breakdown

💰 Prices updated: August, 2026. Budget figures are estimates — always verify before travel.

Exchange Rate: $1 USD = €0.87

Daily Budget (per person)

Shoestring: €35.00 – €50.00 ($40.37 – $57.68)

Mid-range: €60.00 – €100.00 ($69.21 – $115.35)

Comfortable: €150.00 – €450.00 ($173.03 – $519.09)

Accommodation (per night)

Hostel/guesthouse: €12.00 – €25.00 ($13.84 – $28.84)

Mid-range hotel: €55.00 – €95.00 ($63.44 – $109.59)

Food (per meal)

Budget meal: €10.00 ($11.54)

Mid-range meal: €20.00 ($23.07)

Upscale meal: €60.00 ($69.21)

Transport

Single metro/bus trip: €1.00 ($1.15)

Monthly transport pass: €25.50 ($29.42)

Most visitors arrive in Bulgaria expecting to pay in euros — after all, it’s an EU country. That assumption will cost you money from the moment you land. Bulgaria still uses the Bulgarian lev (BGN), and with airport exchange counters offering some of the worst rates in Europe, knowing where and how to get your lev before you need it is genuinely important in 2026. This guide covers every realistic option: ATMs, exchange bureaus, bank branches, and airport counters, along with the card strategies that make carrying much cash unnecessary.

The Bulgarian Lev in 2026 — What You Actually Need to Know

The Bulgarian lev (BGN) has been pegged to the euro at a fixed rate of 1 EUR = 1.95583 BGN since 1997. That rate does not float, does not change with market conditions, and will not surprise you. It is one of the most stable currency arrangements in Europe.

Bulgaria is a full EU member but has not adopted the euro. As of 2026, euro adoption remains a topic of political discussion, but the lev is still the legal tender for everyday transactions. A handful of large hotels and car rental agencies will accept euros directly, but they apply their own conversion rates — rates that are almost always worse than the official peg. Pay in lev whenever you can.

The lev comes in coins of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 stotinki, plus 1 and 2 lev coins. Banknotes run from 5 BGN up to 100 BGN. In urban areas like Sofia, Plovdiv, and Varna, you will rarely need much cash at all. In villages, rural guesthouses, local markets, and small-town restaurants, cash is still king — keep some on you.

ATMs in Bulgaria — The Smartest Way to Get Cash

Withdrawing lev directly from an ATM gives you the interbank-adjacent exchange rate, which is consistently better than any exchange counter you will find at an airport or tourist strip. ATMs are everywhere: bank branches, shopping malls, petrol stations, and most town centers.

Which ATMs to Use

Stick to ATMs operated by major Bulgarian banks. In 2026, the main networks to look for are:

• DSK Bank
• UniCredit Bulbank
• First Investment Bank (FIBank)
• Unionbank (UBB) — note that Raiffeisenbank Bulgaria’s integration into UBB was ongoing; some ATMs may still carry Raiffeisen branding
• Eurobank Bulgaria (Postbank)

Avoid independent ATM operators like Euronet and Paypoint. These machines appear in high-traffic tourist spots and airport corridors specifically because they charge higher fees. Using one can cost you 10–15 BGN (5.11–7.67 EUR) per transaction from the operator alone, on top of whatever your home bank charges.

What ATM Fees Look Like in 2026

• Major Bulgarian bank ATM with a foreign card: approximately 5.00–8.00 BGN (2.56–4.09 EUR) per withdrawal, charged by the Bulgarian bank
• Independent ATM operators (Euronet, Paypoint): 10.00–15.00 BGN (5.11–7.67 EUR) per withdrawal — avoid
• Daily withdrawal limits: typically 800–2,000 BGN (409–1,023 EUR) per card, depending on the bank and your card settings

The Dynamic Currency Conversion Trap

Every ATM in Bulgaria that detects a foreign card will offer you a choice: be charged in your home currency (EUR, USD, GBP, etc.) or in BGN. This is called Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC), and it is one of the most consistent ways tourists lose money without realising it.

Always choose BGN. Look for “Withdraw in BGN,” “Теглене в лева,” or “Without conversion / Без конверсия.” If you choose your home currency, the ATM operator — not your bank — sets the exchange rate, and it will be significantly worse than the official peg.

Step-by-Step ATM Withdrawal

1. Insert your card and select English from the language menu.
2. Enter your PIN.
3. Select “Withdrawal” (Теглене на пари).
4. Choose or enter your amount.
5. When prompted about currency, select BGN / Без конверсия (Without conversion).
6. Confirm and collect your cash, then take your card.

Currency Exchange Bureaus — How to Spot a Good One

Private exchange bureaus (обменно бюро) are a legitimate and often competitive option, particularly in Sofia’s city center, Plovdiv’s old town area, and the Black Sea resort strips. The Bulgarian National Bank tightened oversight of these offices after 2024, requiring clearer disclosure of rates and commissions, which has pushed some of the shadier operators out of the market. Still, not every bureau is equally honest.

Reading the Board

Every reputable bureau displays two columns: Купува (Buy) — the rate at which they buy your foreign currency — and Продава (Sell) — the rate at which they sell foreign currency to you. For most visitors exchanging euros for lev, focus on the “Buy” rate for EUR.

With the official peg at 1 EUR = 1.95583 BGN, a good bureau in 2026 will offer you around 1.94 BGN per euro. The bureau’s profit comes from the spread between buy and sell rates, not a stated commission. A bureau advertising “NO COMMISSION / БЕЗ КОМИСИОННА” is not necessarily the best deal — check the spread. If they’re buying EUR at 1.90 and selling at 1.99, that wide spread is their real fee.

Step-by-Step Exchange at a Bureau

1. Check the Buy rate for your currency on the displayed board before stepping inside.
2. Confirm verbally that there is no additional commission on the amount you want to exchange.
3. Hand over your foreign currency. Watch the clerk count it.
4. The clerk will calculate and count out your lev.
5. Count the lev yourself before leaving the counter. This is not optional. Mistakes — accidental and otherwise — happen at this stage.
6. Ask for a receipt (касова бележка).

The scent of a good bureau is mundane: no flashing neon, no tout standing outside calling to you, and a clearly visible rate board that includes both buy and sell columns for at least EUR, USD, and GBP.

Airport Exchange Counters — Why You Should Almost Always Skip Them

Sofia Airport (SOF), Varna Airport (VAR), and Burgas Airport (BOJ) all have currency exchange counters in arrival and departure halls. They are convenient, professionally staffed, and reliably offer some of the worst exchange rates in Bulgaria. The spread between buy and sell rates at airport counters is consistently wider than at city bureaus, and the difference adds up quickly on larger amounts.

The practical rule is simple: exchange only the absolute minimum you need for the first hour after landing. That means enough for a bus ticket, a coffee, or a taxi top-up — around 20–50 BGN (10–25 EUR equivalent) at most. Get the rest from an ATM, either at the airport or in the city.

Every major Bulgarian airport has ATMs from mainstream banks in the arrivals area. Use those instead of the counters. Even with the 5–8 BGN ATM fee on a foreign card, you will come out ahead on any withdrawal larger than about 100 BGN.

Paying by Card and Mobile in 2026

For most urban spending in Bulgaria, you will not need cash at all. By 2026, contactless payments are the default in Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, and Burgas.

• Visa and Mastercard: accepted in virtually all supermarkets (Kaufland, Lidl, Billa), restaurants, hotels, petrol stations, and shops in urban areas
• Apple Pay and Google Pay: work anywhere contactless card payments are accepted — which in cities means almost everywhere
• Revolut and Wise cards: excellent choices for Bulgaria because they convert at or near the interbank rate with minimal fees, and the lev-euro peg means rate uncertainty is essentially zero



• American Express: accepted at some higher-end hotels and international chains, but far from universal — do not rely on it

Outside cities, the picture changes. Village guesthouses, roadside restaurants along rural highways, local craftspeople at outdoor markets — many of these still operate cash-only. If you are planning a road trip through the Rhodopes or the Danube plain, keep at least 100–150 BGN in your wallet.

2026 Budget Reality — What Cash You’ll Actually Need

Here is what realistic daily cash spending looks like in Bulgaria in 2026, broken down by travel style:

Budget Traveller

• Hostel dorm: 30–50 BGN (15–25 EUR) per night
• Local canteen (механа) lunch: 10–15 BGN (5–7.50 EUR)
• City bus or metro ride: 1.60–2.00 BGN (0.82–1.02 EUR)
• Street banitsa and coffee: 3–5 BGN (1.50–2.55 EUR)
• Estimated daily cash needed: 50–80 BGN (25–41 EUR)

Mid-Range Traveller

• Three-star hotel: 120–200 BGN (61–102 EUR) per night
• Sit-down restaurant meal with drink: 25–45 BGN (12.80–23 EUR)
• Taxi across Sofia: 8–15 BGN (4–7.67 EUR) via app
• Estimated daily cash needed: 80–150 BGN (41–77 EUR), rest on card

Comfortable Traveller

• Four-star hotel: 250–450 BGN (128–230 EUR) per night
• Fine dining or wine-bar dinner: 80–150 BGN (41–77 EUR) per person
• Private transfers or car rental: billed directly to card
• Estimated daily cash needed: 100–200 BGN (51–102 EUR) for tips, markets, and incidentals

Tipping in Bulgaria is customary but not obligatory. In restaurants, rounding up or leaving 10% is normal. Taxi drivers appreciate rounding to the nearest lev. At hotels, 5–10 BGN per bag for the porter is appropriate.

Common Mistakes That Cost Tourists Money

These are the errors that come up again and again, and every single one is avoidable:

• Accepting Dynamic Currency Conversion at ATMs or card terminals. Always decline and pay or withdraw in BGN.
• Using Euronet or Paypoint ATMs. Their fees are disproportionately high. Walk an extra block to find a bank ATM.
• Exchanging large amounts at the airport. You will lose 3–5% instantly compared to a city bureau or ATM.
• Not counting your lev at the bureau before walking away. Short-changing at the handover stage is the most common form of currency bureau fraud in Bulgaria.
• Assuming euros work everywhere. They usually do not, and when they are accepted, the conversion rate applied by the merchant will not favour you.
• Carrying too much cash in rural areas without a backup plan. Some mountain villages have no ATM within 20 kilometres. Check ahead and withdraw before you head into remote areas.
• Using your home bank’s standard debit card without checking its foreign transaction fees. Many traditional UK, US, and Australian bank cards charge 2–3.5% on every foreign transaction plus a flat fee per ATM withdrawal. A Revolut or Wise card in BGN eliminates most of that cost.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use euros in Bulgaria in 2026?

In most places, no. Bulgaria’s official currency remains the lev (BGN). Some large hotels, international car rental agencies, and a small number of tourist-oriented businesses accept euros, but the rate they apply is typically unfavourable compared to the official peg of 1 EUR = 1.95583 BGN. Always pay in lev where possible.

Where is the best place to exchange money in Bulgaria?

Reputable private exchange bureaus in city centers — particularly in Sofia, Plovdiv, and Varna — generally offer the most competitive rates. Check the buy/sell spread before exchanging, count your lev before leaving the counter, and always request a receipt. ATMs at major bank branches are the second-best option.

How much cash should I carry in Bulgaria?

In cities, 50–100 BGN (25–51 EUR) is usually enough for a day’s incidental spending, since card and mobile payments are widely accepted. If you are travelling to rural areas, mountain villages, or smaller towns, carry 150–200 BGN (77–102 EUR) as a buffer, since ATMs can be scarce in remote regions.

Are there ATM fees for foreign cards in Bulgaria?

Yes. Major Bulgarian bank ATMs typically charge foreign cardholders 5–8 BGN (2.56–4.09 EUR) per withdrawal. Independent operators like Euronet charge 10–15 BGN (5.11–7.67 EUR) or more. Your home bank may add its own foreign transaction fee on top. Cards from Revolut or Wise significantly reduce these costs.

Is it safe to use ATMs in Bulgaria?

Generally yes, especially at ATMs attached to bank branches or inside shopping malls. In 2026, Bulgarian bank ATMs have improved anti-skimming technology. Standard precautions apply: cover your PIN, check for anything unusual on the card slot, and avoid using standalone ATMs in poorly lit or deserted locations late at night.

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📷 Featured image by Roman Manshin on Unsplash.