MOTORWAY ( funded by the EU at a time when UK funded 8% of the EU budget ie 8km of every 100km motorway paid by the UK etc etc). With gondola serving up to 4000 people an hour and 36,000 ski apartments added to the towns approx 8500 Bulgarian residents.
THEORETICALLY SPEAKING, should all apartments( say with 2 people, totalling 72000) be occupied it would take EIGHT DAYS to catch the gondola ONCE. Right now 4 hour queues for the gondola are not uncommon for the 65 km piste , all doable in half a day So dont come for the skiing .
WINE from Melnik is very good and nowadays it’s cheaper than beer .eg 5 lev a litre at the market ,verses 3 to 7 lev for a beer in some places ).
Think those that think non BG folk should not stay / vacate in BG they should take a step back and ask why half a million BG now live in the UK and why almost almost a 1000 schools in BG have closed since 2020 .
Live and let live ,

@V.T., It’s overdue warning, so if you’re budgeting well you could easily leave with $1200 per month.

@Dale, I’m not disagreeing with VT but it’s like everything in life. It depends. I’m a digital nomad and I’m approaching two years here. I don’t have a visa so I have to play by the 90/180 rule. I rent an apartment in Bulgaria and one in Slovakia.i don’t have a car and I don’t rent cars. I can do this under $2k a month easy. My apartment in BG is new and fully furnished. My SK apartment is in a good neighborhood and it’s fully furnished. I know of Bansko, visited once. Good article, Dale!

@V.T., Thank you for sharing your input as a local regarding the accuracy of costs and other information about living in Bulgaria. Appreciate the clarification!