Bulgaria vs. Poland
Bulgaria va por delante en impuestos, legalización, coste de vida, vivienda, sanidad. Poland va por delante en seguridad, idioma. Abajo, los datos criterio por criterio.
Verificado
Marcador
Las cifras clave cara a cara, con el lado más fuerte señalado. La puntuación global es decorativa; lo que importa es qué datos encajan contigo.
Resultado principal
Bulgaria va por delante en 4 de 6
Bulgaria
4
Poland
2
NSI Bulgaria — Income, Expenditure and Consumption of Households in 2024 (Household Budget Survey)
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2024
- Verificado
- 14 jul 2026
- Método
- NSI HBS 2024 consumer expenditure per household member = BGN 9,466/yr (COICOP consumption, effectively rent-free — Bulgaria doesn't impute owner rent, ~85% ownership, housing line is utilities). 9,466 ÷ 12 = 788.83 BGN/mo ÷ 1.95583 = €403.32/mo × 1.1399 = $459.75/mo → $460. Household-Budget-Survey basis chosen for peer consistency (matching the capture ratio of the Spain/Czechia figures). Bulgaria is the cheapest of the peer set.
- Notas
- The cheapest vs peers (BG ~$460 < CZ ~$785 < ES ~$941), consistent with income levels. Bulgaria adopted the euro on 1 Jan 2026 (1 EUR = 1.95583 BGN).
GUS — Household Budget Survey 2024 (one-person households), CPI-uplifted
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 may 2026
- Verificado
- 3 jul 2026
- Método
- GUS one-person household consumer spending 2,888.89 PLN/mo (2024) minus actual-rentals line 235.10 → 2,653.79 PLN; uplifted by CPI (+3.6% 2025 avg, +3.1% y/y May 2026) → ≈2,835 PLN; converted at 3.7635 PLN/USD (ECB 2026-07-02). Cross-checked against Eurostat price-level indices (PL ≈ 72% of EU27).
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 1 ene 2026
- Verificado
- 14 jul 2026
- Método
- Best representative freelancer scheme at €60,000, single = свободна професия (scheme bg-svobodna-profesia): 25% deemed expenses → base €45,000; social 27.8% capped at €7,044.43 (max insurable income €2,111.64/mo); 10% tax on €37,955.57 = €3,795.56. Levies €10,839.99 → 18.1%. The ЕООД company chain (10% + 5% dividend) shows a lower headline (~14.5%) but excludes the compulsory owner-manager social insurance, so свободна професия is the honest freelancer burden.
SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (biznes.gov.pl)
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 1 ene 2026
- Verificado
- 3 jul 2026
- Método
- Best eligible scheme pl-ryczalt-it-12 at €60,000 revenue = 257,400 PLN (ECB 4.29): ZUS social 21,459.48 + health 9,966.96 + Labor Fund 1,661.64 + 12% lump-sum tax 27,714.84 = 60,802.92 PLN → 23.6%. Expenses don't reduce ryczałt.
Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (crim_off_cat, ICCS0101, unit P_HTHAB, geo=BG)
Datos abiertos
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2024
- Verificado
- 14 jul 2026
- Notas
- Police-recorded intentional homicide, 2024 (1.23). Downward trend from 2.29 in 2008; recent years 2020 0.96, 2021 1.29, 2022 1.11, 2023 1.15, 2024 1.23. Moderate by European standards.
Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (ICCS 0101)
Datos abiertos
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2024
- Verificado
- 3 jul 2026
- Notas
- Completed homicides. UNODC latest (2023): 0.80 per 100k. Polish police's ~503 'zabójstwa' (2024) includes attempts.
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Bulgaria
Datos abiertos
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2023
- Verificado
- 14 jul 2026
- Método
- Median of the 343 daily country-median download values for BG in 2023 = 42.85 Mbps (139,790 download tests). M-Lab NDT is single-stream and understates real line speeds — Bulgaria has very fast, cheap fibre (commonly 100–1000 Mbps advertised) — comparable only within this criterion. 2023 is the latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API.
- Notas
- Bulgaria is known for fast, inexpensive fixed broadband; the M-Lab single-stream median is used only for cross-country comparability on one consistent method.
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Poland
Datos abiertos
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2023
- Verificado
- 3 jul 2026
- Método
- Median of 343 daily country medians, 563,348 tests (2023 — latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API; 2025/2026 files not yet published).
- Notas
- M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style figures — comparable only within this criterion.
EF EPI 2025 — Bulgaria (score 594, rank 18/123, High band)
Estudio
- Datos a fecha de
- 1 nov 2025
- Verificado
- 14 jul 2026
- Notas
- Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): Bulgaria ranks #18 of 123, score 594 (global average 488), 'High Proficiency' band. English is broadly workable in Sofia's tech and service sectors and among younger Bulgarians; Bulgarian (Cyrillic) remains essential for administration and daily life outside the capital.
EF EPI 2025 (rank 15/123, score 600 — Very High band)
Estudio
- Datos a fecha de
- 1 nov 2025
- Verificado
- 3 jul 2026
- Notas
- Own band informed by EF EPI (attribution: EF Education First); English is broadly workable in cities and the service sector, less so in offices/government.
Curated market survey of Bulgarian voluntary health insurers (2026)
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 1 ene 2026
- Verificado
- 14 jul 2026
- Método
- Bulgaria has mandatory public health insurance (НЗОК) with no full private-replacement market, so this is the VOLUNTARY supplementary premium: a comprehensive mid-tier plan (outpatient GP+specialist, labs, imaging, hospitalisation) ~€60/month = €720/yr → $821/yr at 1.1399. Range €30–60/mo (basic) to €60–120/mo (premium with dental/vision).
- Notas
- Supplementary to mandatory public НЗОК, not a replacement (like Austria's Sonderklasse). Main voluntary insurers: DZI, Bulstrad VIG, Generali, Allianz Bulgaria, DallBogg, UNIQA. Indicative premiums, vary with coverage caps and deductibles.
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 3 jul 2026
- Verificado
- 3 jul 2026
- Método
- Comprehensive private plans that include inpatient/hospital cover — top-tier LuxMed/Medicover subscriptions (own or partner hospitals) and standalone health insurance (Signal Iduna, Allianz Zdrowie, PZU) — run ≈400–700 PLN/month. Healthy-35-year-old midpoint ≈ 500 PLN/mo ≈ 6,000 PLN/yr ≈ $1,595 at 3.7635 PLN/USD (range ≈ $1,275–$2,230). Premiums are quoted on request, so this is a curated market midpoint, not a public engine quote.
- Notas
- Residents are covered by mandatory public insurance (NFZ); private cover is optional. Most people buy only a cheaper OUTPATIENT subscription (LuxMed/Medicover ≈150–250 PLN/mo ≈ $600/yr) and use the public system for hospital care. This figure is the with-inpatient comprehensive tier, chosen to be comparable with other countries' comprehensive plans (the earlier $603 was an outpatient-only subscription mislabelled as comprehensive).
Veredicto
Cada perspectiva pondera solo los datos que importan a ese plan y dice a qué lado favorece.
Informática remota / autónomo
Contrato o trabajo por cuenta propia en tecnología, facturando a clientes de fuera.
Bulgaria encaja mejor: 3 de 5
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 1 ene 2026
- Verificado
- 14 jul 2026
- Método
- Best representative freelancer scheme at €60,000, single = свободна професия (scheme bg-svobodna-profesia): 25% deemed expenses → base €45,000; social 27.8% capped at €7,044.43 (max insurable income €2,111.64/mo); 10% tax on €37,955.57 = €3,795.56. Levies €10,839.99 → 18.1%. The ЕООД company chain (10% + 5% dividend) shows a lower headline (~14.5%) but excludes the compulsory owner-manager social insurance, so свободна професия is the honest freelancer burden.
SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (biznes.gov.pl)
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 1 ene 2026
- Verificado
- 3 jul 2026
- Método
- Best eligible scheme pl-ryczalt-it-12 at €60,000 revenue = 257,400 PLN (ECB 4.29): ZUS social 21,459.48 + health 9,966.96 + Labor Fund 1,661.64 + 12% lump-sum tax 27,714.84 = 60,802.92 PLN → 23.6%. Expenses don't reduce ryczałt.
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Bulgaria
Datos abiertos
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2023
- Verificado
- 14 jul 2026
- Método
- Median of the 343 daily country-median download values for BG in 2023 = 42.85 Mbps (139,790 download tests). M-Lab NDT is single-stream and understates real line speeds — Bulgaria has very fast, cheap fibre (commonly 100–1000 Mbps advertised) — comparable only within this criterion. 2023 is the latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API.
- Notas
- Bulgaria is known for fast, inexpensive fixed broadband; the M-Lab single-stream median is used only for cross-country comparability on one consistent method.
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Poland
Datos abiertos
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2023
- Verificado
- 3 jul 2026
- Método
- Median of 343 daily country medians, 563,348 tests (2023 — latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API; 2025/2026 files not yet published).
- Notas
- M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style figures — comparable only within this criterion.
EF EPI 2025 — Bulgaria (score 594, rank 18/123, High band)
Estudio
- Datos a fecha de
- 1 nov 2025
- Verificado
- 14 jul 2026
- Notas
- Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): Bulgaria ranks #18 of 123, score 594 (global average 488), 'High Proficiency' band. English is broadly workable in Sofia's tech and service sectors and among younger Bulgarians; Bulgarian (Cyrillic) remains essential for administration and daily life outside the capital.
EF EPI 2025 (rank 15/123, score 600 — Very High band)
Estudio
- Datos a fecha de
- 1 nov 2025
- Verificado
- 3 jul 2026
- Notas
- Own band informed by EF EPI (attribution: EF Education First); English is broadly workable in cities and the service sector, less so in offices/government.
NSI Bulgaria — Income, Expenditure and Consumption of Households in 2024 (Household Budget Survey)
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2024
- Verificado
- 14 jul 2026
- Método
- NSI HBS 2024 consumer expenditure per household member = BGN 9,466/yr (COICOP consumption, effectively rent-free — Bulgaria doesn't impute owner rent, ~85% ownership, housing line is utilities). 9,466 ÷ 12 = 788.83 BGN/mo ÷ 1.95583 = €403.32/mo × 1.1399 = $459.75/mo → $460. Household-Budget-Survey basis chosen for peer consistency (matching the capture ratio of the Spain/Czechia figures). Bulgaria is the cheapest of the peer set.
- Notas
- The cheapest vs peers (BG ~$460 < CZ ~$785 < ES ~$941), consistent with income levels. Bulgaria adopted the euro on 1 Jan 2026 (1 EUR = 1.95583 BGN).
GUS — Household Budget Survey 2024 (one-person households), CPI-uplifted
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 may 2026
- Verificado
- 3 jul 2026
- Método
- GUS one-person household consumer spending 2,888.89 PLN/mo (2024) minus actual-rentals line 235.10 → 2,653.79 PLN; uplifted by CPI (+3.6% 2025 avg, +3.1% y/y May 2026) → ≈2,835 PLN; converted at 3.7635 PLN/USD (ECB 2026-07-02). Cross-checked against Eurostat price-level indices (PL ≈ 72% of EU27).
Econt and Speedy — Bulgaria's dominant courier networks
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 1 jul 2026
- Verificado
- 14 jul 2026
- Método
- Econt and Speedy form a dense duopoly with nationwide office + automated-locker networks and next-day domestic delivery; cash-on-delivery ('наложен платеж') is the default e-commerce payment method. Fast, cheap, reliable → excellent.
InPost official news / carrier service pages (composite)
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2025
- Verificado
- 3 jul 2026
- Método
- InPost >28,000 parcel lockers (end-2025) with 98% next-day delivery and 763M parcels/yr; ORLEN Paczka ~14k pickup points; Poczta Polska 7.6k offices + 14.3k parcel points; DPD/DHL/GLS/UPS/FedEx nationwide. Next-day is the domestic norm.
Familia
Mudarse con pareja e hijos en edad escolar.
Poland encaja mejor: 2 de 3
Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (crim_off_cat, ICCS0101, unit P_HTHAB, geo=BG)
Datos abiertos
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2024
- Verificado
- 14 jul 2026
- Notas
- Police-recorded intentional homicide, 2024 (1.23). Downward trend from 2.29 in 2008; recent years 2020 0.96, 2021 1.29, 2022 1.11, 2023 1.15, 2024 1.23. Moderate by European standards.
Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (ICCS 0101)
Datos abiertos
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2024
- Verificado
- 3 jul 2026
- Notas
- Completed homicides. UNODC latest (2023): 0.80 per 100k. Polish police's ~503 'zabójstwa' (2024) includes attempts.
Curated market survey of Bulgarian voluntary health insurers (2026)
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 1 ene 2026
- Verificado
- 14 jul 2026
- Método
- Bulgaria has mandatory public health insurance (НЗОК) with no full private-replacement market, so this is the VOLUNTARY supplementary premium: a comprehensive mid-tier plan (outpatient GP+specialist, labs, imaging, hospitalisation) ~€60/month = €720/yr → $821/yr at 1.1399. Range €30–60/mo (basic) to €60–120/mo (premium with dental/vision).
- Notas
- Supplementary to mandatory public НЗОК, not a replacement (like Austria's Sonderklasse). Main voluntary insurers: DZI, Bulstrad VIG, Generali, Allianz Bulgaria, DallBogg, UNIQA. Indicative premiums, vary with coverage caps and deductibles.
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 3 jul 2026
- Verificado
- 3 jul 2026
- Método
- Comprehensive private plans that include inpatient/hospital cover — top-tier LuxMed/Medicover subscriptions (own or partner hospitals) and standalone health insurance (Signal Iduna, Allianz Zdrowie, PZU) — run ≈400–700 PLN/month. Healthy-35-year-old midpoint ≈ 500 PLN/mo ≈ 6,000 PLN/yr ≈ $1,595 at 3.7635 PLN/USD (range ≈ $1,275–$2,230). Premiums are quoted on request, so this is a curated market midpoint, not a public engine quote.
- Notas
- Residents are covered by mandatory public insurance (NFZ); private cover is optional. Most people buy only a cheaper OUTPATIENT subscription (LuxMed/Medicover ≈150–250 PLN/mo ≈ $600/yr) and use the public system for hospital care. This figure is the with-inpatient comprehensive tier, chosen to be comparable with other countries' comprehensive plans (the earlier $603 was an outpatient-only subscription mislabelled as comprehensive).
EF EPI 2025 — Bulgaria (score 594, rank 18/123, High band)
Estudio
- Datos a fecha de
- 1 nov 2025
- Verificado
- 14 jul 2026
- Notas
- Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): Bulgaria ranks #18 of 123, score 594 (global average 488), 'High Proficiency' band. English is broadly workable in Sofia's tech and service sectors and among younger Bulgarians; Bulgarian (Cyrillic) remains essential for administration and daily life outside the capital.
EF EPI 2025 (rank 15/123, score 600 — Very High band)
Estudio
- Datos a fecha de
- 1 nov 2025
- Verificado
- 3 jul 2026
- Notas
- Own band informed by EF EPI (attribution: EF Education First); English is broadly workable in cities and the service sector, less so in offices/government.
Dinero y cripto
Optimizar impuestos, banca y normas sobre cripto.
Bulgaria encaja mejor: 1 de 3
Fuente oficial
- Datos a fecha de
- 1 jul 2026
- Verificado
- 14 jul 2026
- Notas
- Crypto is legal. Individual gains from crypto disposals are taxed as investment income at the 10% flat rate (a 10% deemed-cost deduction makes the effective rate ~9%), declared on Annex 5 of the annual return. MiCA is fully in force EU-wide; crypto-asset service providers must be licensed by the Financial Supervision Commission (FSC), transitional-regime deadline 1 July 2026. Supervisor FSC (fsc.bg); tax authority НАП (nap.bg).
Polish tax authority — disposal of virtual currencies (PIT-38, 19%)
Fuente oficial
- Datos a fecha de
- 1 jul 2026
- Verificado
- 3 jul 2026
- Notas
- Holding/trading legal for individuals; 19% flat tax on disposal gains (crypto-to-crypto swaps untaxed). EU MiCA applies; Poland's domestic implementing act was vetoed (latest 2026-06-11), so local CASP licensing is stalled — EU-passported providers serve the market.
Fuente oficial
- Datos a fecha de
- 1 ene 2026
- Verificado
- 14 jul 2026
- Método
- Composite: Bulgaria adopted the euro on 1 Jan 2026 (fixed 1 EUR = 1.95583 BGN); EU member with full free movement of capital, no capital controls or currency-conversion limits. The only notable restriction is a domestic cash-payment ceiling (Law on Limitation of Cash Payments): payments at/above ~€5,113 (BGN 10,000) must be non-cash — a routine AML measure. The EU-wide €10,000 cash cap applies from 2027. No limits on holding foreign currency or cross-border transfers → 'low'.
biznes.gov.pl — cash payment limits (art. 19 Prawo przedsiębiorców)
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 3 may 2026
- Verificado
- 3 jul 2026
- Método
- Composite: no currency/capital controls for EU/OECD flows (Prawo dewizowe, Dz.U. 2024 poz. 1131); PLN fully convertible; B2B cash cap 15,000 PLN per transaction, no consumer cash limit; no FBAR-style foreign-account disclosure (NBP statistical reporting only above 7M PLN of foreign assets); standard EU CRS via banks.
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 1 ene 2026
- Verificado
- 14 jul 2026
- Método
- Best representative freelancer scheme at €60,000, single = свободна професия (scheme bg-svobodna-profesia): 25% deemed expenses → base €45,000; social 27.8% capped at €7,044.43 (max insurable income €2,111.64/mo); 10% tax on €37,955.57 = €3,795.56. Levies €10,839.99 → 18.1%. The ЕООД company chain (10% + 5% dividend) shows a lower headline (~14.5%) but excludes the compulsory owner-manager social insurance, so свободна професия is the honest freelancer burden.
SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (biznes.gov.pl)
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 1 ene 2026
- Verificado
- 3 jul 2026
- Método
- Best eligible scheme pl-ryczalt-it-12 at €60,000 revenue = 257,400 PLN (ECB 4.29): ZUS social 21,459.48 + health 9,966.96 + Labor Fund 1,661.64 + 12% lump-sum tax 27,714.84 = 60,802.92 PLN → 23.6%. Expenses don't reduce ryczałt.
Vida tranquila
Priorizar la seguridad, el aire y una vida diaria sencilla.
Muy reñido para este plan
Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (crim_off_cat, ICCS0101, unit P_HTHAB, geo=BG)
Datos abiertos
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2024
- Verificado
- 14 jul 2026
- Notas
- Police-recorded intentional homicide, 2024 (1.23). Downward trend from 2.29 in 2008; recent years 2020 0.96, 2021 1.29, 2022 1.11, 2023 1.15, 2024 1.23. Moderate by European standards.
Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (ICCS 0101)
Datos abiertos
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2024
- Verificado
- 3 jul 2026
- Notas
- Completed homicides. UNODC latest (2023): 0.80 per 100k. Polish police's ~503 'zabójstwa' (2024) includes attempts.
NSI Bulgaria — Income, Expenditure and Consumption of Households in 2024 (Household Budget Survey)
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2024
- Verificado
- 14 jul 2026
- Método
- NSI HBS 2024 consumer expenditure per household member = BGN 9,466/yr (COICOP consumption, effectively rent-free — Bulgaria doesn't impute owner rent, ~85% ownership, housing line is utilities). 9,466 ÷ 12 = 788.83 BGN/mo ÷ 1.95583 = €403.32/mo × 1.1399 = $459.75/mo → $460. Household-Budget-Survey basis chosen for peer consistency (matching the capture ratio of the Spain/Czechia figures). Bulgaria is the cheapest of the peer set.
- Notas
- The cheapest vs peers (BG ~$460 < CZ ~$785 < ES ~$941), consistent with income levels. Bulgaria adopted the euro on 1 Jan 2026 (1 EUR = 1.95583 BGN).
GUS — Household Budget Survey 2024 (one-person households), CPI-uplifted
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 may 2026
- Verificado
- 3 jul 2026
- Método
- GUS one-person household consumer spending 2,888.89 PLN/mo (2024) minus actual-rentals line 235.10 → 2,653.79 PLN; uplifted by CPI (+3.6% 2025 avg, +3.1% y/y May 2026) → ≈2,835 PLN; converted at 3.7635 PLN/USD (ECB 2026-07-02). Cross-checked against Eurostat price-level indices (PL ≈ 72% of EU27).
Detalles
Impuestos
01+−Freelancer tax burden% effective burden at €60k/year self-employed profileBulgariamejor18,1Poland23,6
Qué mide esto
Effective total burden (income tax + mandatory social and health contributions) for a solo IT freelancer with €60,000/year revenue and 10% deductible expenses, using the most favourable eligible scheme in the country's tax-schemes data. Computed by the SettleMetric tax engine; recorded as a curated value with the winning scheme id in method.
Bulgaria
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 1 ene 2026
- Verificado
- 14 jul 2026
- Método
- Best representative freelancer scheme at €60,000, single = свободна професия (scheme bg-svobodna-profesia): 25% deemed expenses → base €45,000; social 27.8% capped at €7,044.43 (max insurable income €2,111.64/mo); 10% tax on €37,955.57 = €3,795.56. Levies €10,839.99 → 18.1%. The ЕООД company chain (10% + 5% dividend) shows a lower headline (~14.5%) but excludes the compulsory owner-manager social insurance, so свободна професия is the honest freelancer burden.
Poland
SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (biznes.gov.pl)
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 1 ene 2026
- Verificado
- 3 jul 2026
- Método
- Best eligible scheme pl-ryczalt-it-12 at €60,000 revenue = 257,400 PLN (ECB 4.29): ZUS social 21,459.48 + health 9,966.96 + Labor Fund 1,661.64 + 12% lump-sum tax 27,714.84 = 60,802.92 PLN → 23.6%. Expenses don't reduce ryczałt.
Legalización
01+−Remote-work legalization easeBulgariamejorDedicated nomad visaPolandLong stay path
Qué mide esto
Best available legalization route for a location-independent earner with a median (non-EU, non-US) passport, classified from this country's legalization-paths data: dedicated digital-nomad visa; general freelance/self-employment permit; realistic long-stay path (e.g. renewable temporary residence); only short visa-free/tourist stays; effectively none.
Bulgaria
Fuente oficial
- Datos a fecha de
- 1 ene 2026
- Verificado
- 14 jul 2026
- Notas
- Bulgaria created a dedicated digital-nomad residence route via the June 2025 Foreigners Act amendment, opened to applications for 2026 — for non-EU remote workers earning from abroad (income ≥ 50× the previous year's monthly minimum wage, ~€27,500/year). Combined with the 10% flat tax and low cost of living it is one of the EU's most attractive nomad setups. EU/EEA/Swiss citizens simply exercise free movement.
Poland
Wielkopolska Voivodeship Office — business-activity residence permit
Fuente oficial
- Datos a fecha de
- 3 jul 2026
- Verificado
- 3 jul 2026
- Notas
- No digital nomad visa (verified absent on gov.pl); Poland Business Harbour suspended since Jan 2024. Realistic long-stay route: temporary residence via business activity (renewable, up to 3 years) — but sole-proprietorship registration is limited to specific statuses, so most non-EU/non-US freelancers route through a company.
Coste de vida
01+−Cost of living (single, excl. rent)USD/month, single person, excluding rentBulgariamejor460Poland753
Qué mide esto
Monthly cost of a defined single-person basket (food, transport, utilities, mobile+internet, modest leisure) excluding rent, curated from national statistics office price data and large local retailers' published prices, converted to USD at the ECB rate recorded in fx-rates. The method field of each value itemizes the basket inputs.
Bulgaria
NSI Bulgaria — Income, Expenditure and Consumption of Households in 2024 (Household Budget Survey)
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2024
- Verificado
- 14 jul 2026
- Método
- NSI HBS 2024 consumer expenditure per household member = BGN 9,466/yr (COICOP consumption, effectively rent-free — Bulgaria doesn't impute owner rent, ~85% ownership, housing line is utilities). 9,466 ÷ 12 = 788.83 BGN/mo ÷ 1.95583 = €403.32/mo × 1.1399 = $459.75/mo → $460. Household-Budget-Survey basis chosen for peer consistency (matching the capture ratio of the Spain/Czechia figures). Bulgaria is the cheapest of the peer set.
- Notas
- The cheapest vs peers (BG ~$460 < CZ ~$785 < ES ~$941), consistent with income levels. Bulgaria adopted the euro on 1 Jan 2026 (1 EUR = 1.95583 BGN).
Poland
GUS — Household Budget Survey 2024 (one-person households), CPI-uplifted
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 may 2026
- Verificado
- 3 jul 2026
- Método
- GUS one-person household consumer spending 2,888.89 PLN/mo (2024) minus actual-rentals line 235.10 → 2,653.79 PLN; uplifted by CPI (+3.6% 2025 avg, +3.1% y/y May 2026) → ≈2,835 PLN; converted at 3.7635 PLN/USD (ECB 2026-07-02). Cross-checked against Eurostat price-level indices (PL ≈ 72% of EU27).
Gasto mensual por categoría (sin alquiler)
NSI Bulgaria — Household Budget Survey 2024 (consumer expenditure by group)
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2024
- Verificado
- 14 jul 2026
- Método
- Each NSI 2024 COICOP group (BGN/capita/yr) converted ÷12 ÷1.95583 ×1.1399. Items sum ≈ $460, matching the headline. NSI merges recreation+culture+education and folds restaurants/hotels into food/misc; housing line is utilities only (no rent, per the HBS convention).
GUS Household Budget Survey 2024 (one-person households), CPI-uplifted
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 may 2026
- Verificado
- 3 jul 2026
- Método
- GUS 2024 one-person household spending by COICOP category, minus the actual-rentals line, CPI-uplifted to mid-2026 (×1.068) and converted at 3.7635 PLN/USD. Categories sum to the ~$753/mo cost-of-living aggregate. National average — city living runs somewhat higher.
Vivienda
Alquiler por tipo de vivienda
Alquiler de oferta: precio en el centro, con el de fuera del centro entre paréntesis ($/mes).
SettleMetric — population-weighted average of covered cities (Plovdiv, Sofia)
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 14 jul 2026
- Verificado
- 14 jul 2026
- Método
- Population-weighted mean of the rent-breakdown matrices of Plovdiv, Sofia; each cell averages the cities that report it. See each city page for its exact local matrix.
SettleMetric — population-weighted average of covered cities (Kraków, Warsaw)
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 3 jul 2026
- Verificado
- 3 jul 2026
- Método
- Population-weighted mean of the rent-breakdown matrices of Kraków, Warsaw; each cell averages the cities that report it. See each city page for its exact local matrix.
Seguridad
01+−Homicide rateintentional homicides per 100,000/yearBulgaria1,2Polandmejor0,7
Qué mide esto
Intentional homicide victims per 100,000 population, latest available year. Country level: UNODC national series. City level: official municipal/police statistics where published; otherwise null (country value shown as country-level).
Bulgaria
Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (crim_off_cat, ICCS0101, unit P_HTHAB, geo=BG)
Datos abiertos
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2024
- Verificado
- 14 jul 2026
- Notas
- Police-recorded intentional homicide, 2024 (1.23). Downward trend from 2.29 in 2008; recent years 2020 0.96, 2021 1.29, 2022 1.11, 2023 1.15, 2024 1.23. Moderate by European standards.
Poland
Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (ICCS 0101)
Datos abiertos
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2024
- Verificado
- 3 jul 2026
- Notas
- Completed homicides. UNODC latest (2023): 0.80 per 100k. Polish police's ~503 'zabójstwa' (2024) includes attempts.
Sanidad
01+−Private healthcare costUSD/year, comprehensive private insurance premium, healthy 35-year-oldBulgariamejor820Poland1600
Qué mide esto
Median of at least three publicly quoted annual premiums for comprehensive private medical insurance (outpatient + inpatient, ~$100k coverage, small deductible) for a healthy 35-year-old resident foreigner, from local and international insurers. Method field lists the insurers quoted.
Bulgaria
Curated market survey of Bulgarian voluntary health insurers (2026)
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 1 ene 2026
- Verificado
- 14 jul 2026
- Método
- Bulgaria has mandatory public health insurance (НЗОК) with no full private-replacement market, so this is the VOLUNTARY supplementary premium: a comprehensive mid-tier plan (outpatient GP+specialist, labs, imaging, hospitalisation) ~€60/month = €720/yr → $821/yr at 1.1399. Range €30–60/mo (basic) to €60–120/mo (premium with dental/vision).
- Notas
- Supplementary to mandatory public НЗОК, not a replacement (like Austria's Sonderklasse). Main voluntary insurers: DZI, Bulstrad VIG, Generali, Allianz Bulgaria, DallBogg, UNIQA. Indicative premiums, vary with coverage caps and deductibles.
Poland
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 3 jul 2026
- Verificado
- 3 jul 2026
- Método
- Comprehensive private plans that include inpatient/hospital cover — top-tier LuxMed/Medicover subscriptions (own or partner hospitals) and standalone health insurance (Signal Iduna, Allianz Zdrowie, PZU) — run ≈400–700 PLN/month. Healthy-35-year-old midpoint ≈ 500 PLN/mo ≈ 6,000 PLN/yr ≈ $1,595 at 3.7635 PLN/USD (range ≈ $1,275–$2,230). Premiums are quoted on request, so this is a curated market midpoint, not a public engine quote.
- Notas
- Residents are covered by mandatory public insurance (NFZ); private cover is optional. Most people buy only a cheaper OUTPATIENT subscription (LuxMed/Medicover ≈150–250 PLN/mo ≈ $600/yr) and use the public system for hospital care. This figure is the with-inpatient comprehensive tier, chosen to be comparable with other countries' comprehensive plans (the earlier $603 was an outpatient-only subscription mislabelled as comprehensive).
Dinero y cripto
01+−Crypto regulationBulgariaLegal regulatedPolandLegal regulated
Qué mide esto
Own classification of the legal status of holding, trading and cashing out cryptocurrency for individuals: legal-friendly (legal with clear, favourable rules or explicit tax exemptions), legal-regulated (legal under standard licensing/AML and taxation), restricted (partial bans: payments or banking access prohibited), banned (holding/trading prohibited). Classified from national regulators' and central banks' official positions.
Bulgaria
Fuente oficial
- Datos a fecha de
- 1 jul 2026
- Verificado
- 14 jul 2026
- Notas
- Crypto is legal. Individual gains from crypto disposals are taxed as investment income at the 10% flat rate (a 10% deemed-cost deduction makes the effective rate ~9%), declared on Annex 5 of the annual return. MiCA is fully in force EU-wide; crypto-asset service providers must be licensed by the Financial Supervision Commission (FSC), transitional-regime deadline 1 July 2026. Supervisor FSC (fsc.bg); tax authority НАП (nap.bg).
Poland
Polish tax authority — disposal of virtual currencies (PIT-38, 19%)
Fuente oficial
- Datos a fecha de
- 1 jul 2026
- Verificado
- 3 jul 2026
- Notas
- Holding/trading legal for individuals; 19% flat tax on disposal gains (crypto-to-crypto swaps untaxed). EU MiCA applies; Poland's domestic implementing act was vetoed (latest 2026-06-11), so local CASP licensing is stalled — EU-passported providers serve the market.
02+−Financial control levelBulgariaLowPolandLow
Qué mide esto
Own composite of state control over personal money flows: currency/capital controls (IMF AREAER), restrictions on foreign accounts and transfers, mandatory income declaration scope for residents, cash payment limits, banking access for foreigners. Low = free movement of personal funds and easy non-resident banking; very-high = strict capital controls and pervasive reporting. Method field on each value lists the inputs used.
Bulgaria
Fuente oficial
- Datos a fecha de
- 1 ene 2026
- Verificado
- 14 jul 2026
- Método
- Composite: Bulgaria adopted the euro on 1 Jan 2026 (fixed 1 EUR = 1.95583 BGN); EU member with full free movement of capital, no capital controls or currency-conversion limits. The only notable restriction is a domestic cash-payment ceiling (Law on Limitation of Cash Payments): payments at/above ~€5,113 (BGN 10,000) must be non-cash — a routine AML measure. The EU-wide €10,000 cash cap applies from 2027. No limits on holding foreign currency or cross-border transfers → 'low'.
Poland
biznes.gov.pl — cash payment limits (art. 19 Prawo przedsiębiorców)
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 3 may 2026
- Verificado
- 3 jul 2026
- Método
- Composite: no currency/capital controls for EU/OECD flows (Prawo dewizowe, Dz.U. 2024 poz. 1131); PLN fully convertible; B2B cash cap 15,000 PLN per transaction, no consumer cash limit; no FBAR-style foreign-account disclosure (NBP statistical reporting only above 7M PLN of foreign assets); standard EU CRS via banks.
Infraestructura
01+−Domestic delivery qualityBulgariaExcellentPolandExcellent
Qué mide esto
Quality of in-country parcel delivery. excellent = nationwide next-day widely available, dense parcel-locker network, real-time tracking standard; good = 1–3 day delivery, lockers in major cities; basic = reliable but slow (3–7 days), mostly to-door or post-office pickup; poor = unreliable delivery, street addresses often unusable, informal workarounds common. Classified from official service/coverage data of the national postal operator and the two largest private carriers; inputs itemized in each value's method field.
Bulgaria
Econt and Speedy — Bulgaria's dominant courier networks
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 1 jul 2026
- Verificado
- 14 jul 2026
- Método
- Econt and Speedy form a dense duopoly with nationwide office + automated-locker networks and next-day domestic delivery; cash-on-delivery ('наложен платеж') is the default e-commerce payment method. Fast, cheap, reliable → excellent.
Poland
InPost official news / carrier service pages (composite)
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2025
- Verificado
- 3 jul 2026
- Método
- InPost >28,000 parcel lockers (end-2025) with 98% next-day delivery and 763M parcels/yr; ORLEN Paczka ~14k pickup points; Poczta Polska 7.6k offices + 14.3k parcel points; DPD/DHL/GLS/UPS/FedEx nationwide. Next-day is the domestic norm.
02+−International delivery easeBulgariaMinor frictionPolandMinor friction
Qué mide esto
Ease of receiving goods from abroad. seamless = major international carriers deliver door-to-door, meaningful duty-free de-minimis threshold, customs clearance predictable in days; minor-friction = carriers present but low de-minimis, extra paperwork or routine delays; significant-friction = frequent customs holds, high brokerage fees, some marketplaces refuse to ship; unreliable = parcels regularly lost or blocked, informal import channels dominate. De-minimis thresholds and clearance rules from the national customs authority (official source, cite the regulation); carrier presence from carriers' official pages.
Bulgaria
European Commission — removal of the €150 duty-free import threshold (EU-wide, from 1 July 2026)
Fuente oficial
- Datos a fecha de
- 1 jul 2026
- Verificado
- 14 jul 2026
- Notas
- Intra-EU shipping is frictionless (single market/customs union). From 1 July 2026 the EU removes the €150 duty-free threshold for non-EU imports (a transitional flat per-item customs duty applies; VAT already collected since 2021). Minor friction on non-EU inbound parcels — the same EU regime as other member states.
Poland
European Commission — removal of the €150 customs duty exemption (Reg. EU 2026/382)
Fuente oficial
- Datos a fecha de
- 1 jul 2026
- Verificado
- 3 jul 2026
- Notas
- Intra-EU shipping is frictionless (single market, all major carriers). Non-EU imports: the €150 duty-free threshold was removed on 2026-07-01 — a temporary flat €3/item duty applies to ≤€150 IOSS consignments (until the 2028 Customs Data Hub); VAT collected at checkout via IOSS. Predictable but no longer duty-free.
03+−Internet speedMbps, median fixed downloadBulgariamejor42,8Poland41,7
Qué mide esto
Median fixed-broadband download speed over the trailing 6 months from M-Lab NDT open data (CC0), aggregated at country or city level. Not comparable with Ookla figures (different test methodology) — do not mix sources within this criterion.
Bulgaria
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Bulgaria
Datos abiertos
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2023
- Verificado
- 14 jul 2026
- Método
- Median of the 343 daily country-median download values for BG in 2023 = 42.85 Mbps (139,790 download tests). M-Lab NDT is single-stream and understates real line speeds — Bulgaria has very fast, cheap fibre (commonly 100–1000 Mbps advertised) — comparable only within this criterion. 2023 is the latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API.
- Notas
- Bulgaria is known for fast, inexpensive fixed broadband; the M-Lab single-stream median is used only for cross-country comparability on one consistent method.
Poland
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Poland
Datos abiertos
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2023
- Verificado
- 3 jul 2026
- Método
- Median of 343 daily country medians, 563,348 tests (2023 — latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API; 2025/2026 files not yet published).
- Notas
- M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style figures — comparable only within this criterion.
Idioma
01+−English proficiencyBulgariaHighPolandmejorVery high
Qué mide esto
Own banding of how far English gets a resident in daily life (government offices, healthcare, housing, services). Informed by EF EPI band (research source, cited with attribution, not republished) plus official language status and service-sector realities. Values are our bands, not EF scores.
Bulgaria
EF EPI 2025 — Bulgaria (score 594, rank 18/123, High band)
Estudio
- Datos a fecha de
- 1 nov 2025
- Verificado
- 14 jul 2026
- Notas
- Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): Bulgaria ranks #18 of 123, score 594 (global average 488), 'High Proficiency' band. English is broadly workable in Sofia's tech and service sectors and among younger Bulgarians; Bulgarian (Cyrillic) remains essential for administration and daily life outside the capital.
Poland
EF EPI 2025 (rank 15/123, score 600 — Very High band)
Estudio
- Datos a fecha de
- 1 nov 2025
- Verificado
- 3 jul 2026
- Notas
- Own band informed by EF EPI (attribution: EF Education First); English is broadly workable in cities and the service sector, less so in offices/government.
En profundidad: impuestos en Bulgaria ·impuestos en Poland ·calculadora de ingreso neto