The small consumer basket (SCB) reached 58.80 euros in January.

The small consumer basket (SCB) reached 58.80 euros in January. We observe an increase compared to December by 75 euro cents, which is a 1.3% increase. This was announced at a press conference by Violeta Ivanova, deputy director of the Institute for Social and Trade Union Research and Training (ISSIO) of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (KITUB). She presented the union's data in connection with monitoring prices from the small consumer basket in the first weeks after the introduction of the euro.

The price study was conducted in the period 6-10 January and was compared with the data in December last year.

A more significant increase was seen in tomatoes (15.2%) and cucumbers (5.5%), said Ivanova. She also noted the increase in the price of potatoes - 6.5%. The increase in the price of chilled chicken, yogurt, oil and eggs is also more pronounced. A slight decrease is reported for apples and rice.

There is also an increase in espresso coffee in a cup by nearly 6% in shops or small retail outlets, Ivanova announced. There is also an increase in mineral water by 5.6%. We assume that this increase comes from currency conversion, not so much from objective factors, since coffee prices on international markets have a price hold, she commented.

Compared to June 2025, the increase in the MPK is 3.6%, with a more pronounced growth in chilled chicken - by 11%. In the case of bread, the growth is nearly 5%, which according to the president of the Confederation of Bulgarian Trade Unions (CITUB), is serious. He pointed out that this increase in price is inexplicable. In his opinion, the serious deviation in retail and wholesale prices is also inexplicable. The markup of products is in the range of 19.4% - 114% of goods in retail trade, Dimitrov announced. Significant differences by region for a number of key goods remain, he added.

Small retail outlets continue to maintain lower prices compared to large chains in 9 of the 17 monitored items, the CITUB said.

The small consumer basket in Bulgaria continues to be 10 euros more expensive than in Romania and at least 6 euros more expensive than in Croatia, Dimitrov announced. Given that wages in these two countries are higher, he noted.

The Confederation of Bulgarian Trade Unions (CITUB) also reviewed the prices of hairdressing and taxi services, as well as guarded parking lots in January. There was a 3.4% increase in men's haircuts and 2.4% in women's haircuts, Ivanova said. The price, which was offered in leva equivalent, was immediately converted into the same in euros, she pointed out.

The subscription fee for a month of guarded parking has increased by 3% and at the beginning of the year there were reports of such signals in which parking lots in malls or other places immediately converted the leva equivalent into euros, Ivanova said.

Taxi services are increasing - the daytime rate by 8.4% and the night rate by 9.2%, according to the CITUB data.