What is the exact minimum wage in Bulgaria right now in 2026?

As of 1 January 2026, the statutory minimum monthly wage in Bulgaria is BGN 1,213 — approximately €620.20 — with a corresponding hourly rate of BGN 7.31. From 1 January 2026, Bulgaria is a member of the eurozone, and all employment remuneration, including the minimum wage, is set and paid in euro. If your employer is paying you less than €620.20 gross per month for full-time work, they are breaking the law.

How does Bulgaria's 10 percent income tax actually work — are there any brackets?

A flat tax rate of 10 percent applies to all personal income in Bulgaria, with some exceptions. There are no progressive tax brackets — everyone pays 10 percent regardless of income level. There is no basic tax-free allowance, except some small exemptions for special types of income or persons with disabilities. This makes Bulgaria's income tax one of the simplest — and lowest — in the entire European Union.

Why does Romania feel like a high-tax country despite also having a 10 percent flat tax?

Because income tax is only part of the story. Employees in Romania pay 25 percent pension (CAS) and 10 percent health (CASS) contributions — 35 percent in social charges — on top of income tax, for a total employee burden of approximately 45 percent. Since 2018, employers in Romania pay no social contributions — all burden was shifted to employees. The employer saves money; you pay the bill. That is the hidden reality of the Romanian wage structure.

Is Bulgaria really in the eurozone now, and does it change anything for workers?

Yes. From 1 January 2026, Bulgaria is a member of the eurozone, and all employment remuneration, including the minimum wage, is set and paid in euro. The conversion from levs to euro was carried out at the fixed statutory rate — one euro equals 1.95583 levs. During the transition period, amounts are displayed in dual form — in euro and in levs — to make it easier for workers to find their bearings. For workers, this eliminates currency exchange risk and aligns Bulgaria more closely with the rest of the eurozone. For your payslip: if you still see BGN as the payment currency after January 2026, something is wrong.

Bulgaria vs Romania vs Greece 2026: Who Gets the Best Deal in Southeast Europe?

Q: What is Greece's minimum wage in 2026 and how is it paid?

From 1 April 2026, Greece implemented a new increase to the statutory minimum wage, raising it to €920 gross per month for white-collar workers. Greece pays statutory wages 14 times per year, with extra installments at Christmas, Easter, and summer leave — so the headline monthly figure understates annual gross pay relative to 12-payment countries. On an annualised 12-month basis, the new minimum salary amounts to €1,073.33 per month.

You are working in Southeast Europe, earning what your employer tells you is a fair wage. But here is the thing nobody at HR will ever sit you down to explain: the gap between your gross salary and your take-home pay is not just a number — it is a policy decision that the government made on your behalf, without asking you. And depending on which side of a Balkan border you happen to work on, that gap could cost you hundreds of euros every single month.

Starting 1 January 2026, the minimum monthly wage in Bulgaria increased to €620.20, marking a rise of €69.54 compared to the 2025 level. Meanwhile, from 1 April 2026, Greece implemented a new increase to the statutory minimum wage, raising it from €880 to €920 gross per month. And Romania? The updated Romanian minimum wage, effective from 1 July 2026, increased from 4,050 lei to 4,325 lei — approximately €850 per month.

Same EU. Same single market rules. Three very different realities. Let us break down who actually wins.

The Hidden Salary Reality Most Southeast European Workers Never Find Out

Here is what workers across Bulgaria, Romania, and Greece are almost universally unaware of: your gross salary and your net salary are completely different animals — and the distance between them depends almost entirely on your country's social security system, not just the headline income tax rate.

Employers across the region will proudly point to a low income tax. Bulgaria and Romania both run a 10 percent flat income tax rate — the joint lowest in the European Union. Greece has reformed its system too, with rates starting at just 9 percent. Sounds great on paper. But that is only one half of the equation, and it is the less painful half.

The real money is being taken from you through social security contributions. Bulgaria's social security contributions total 32.7–33.4 percent, split between the employee at 13.78 percent and the employer at 18.92–19.62 percent. Romania is where the real shock arrives: employees in Romania pay 25 percent pension (CAS) and 10 percent health (CASS) contributions — 35 percent in social charges — on top of the 10 percent income tax, for a total employee burden of around 45 percent. And Greece sits somewhere between the two: social security contributions in Greece total 35.16 percent — 13.87 percent for the employee and 21.79 percent for the employer — capped at €7,761.94 per month.

This is where workers get caught out. You negotiate a gross salary, you celebrate the number, and then payroll runs — and you are left wondering where the money went. Do not leave this on the table without understanding exactly what is being deducted and why.

What the Law Actually Says

In Bulgaria, your employment terms are governed by the Labour Code (Kodeks na Truda) and the Social Security Code (Kodeks za Sotsialno Osiguryavane). The amount of the minimum wage is determined by the Council of Ministers. From 1 January 2026, Bulgaria joined the eurozone, and all employment remuneration, including the minimum wage, is set and paid in euro. The conversion from levs to euro was carried out at the fixed statutory rate — one euro equals 1.95583 levs.

Crucially, the law provides an express guarantee for workers: the currency conversion of remuneration may not lead to its reduction. The amount in euro may not be lower than the exact equivalent of the previous remuneration in levs, converted at the fixed rate. If your employer converted your salary and it somehow came out lower than it should have been, they broke the law. Full stop.

In Romania, the minimum wage is governed by Article 164(1) of Law No. 53/2003 (the Romanian Labour Code). The July 2026 increase to RON 4,325 was enacted per Government Decision HG 146/2026 and Emergency Ordinance OUG 89/2025. In Greece, the current floor was set by Ministerial Decision 8934/2026, published on 27 March 2026, which increased the statutory minimum salary and daily wage as of 1 April 2026, with the increase determined at 4.55 percent.

Three countries, three sets of legal instruments. Your rights are only as strong as your knowledge of them.

The Real Numbers for 2026

These are not estimates.

Category	Bulgaria	Romania	Greece	Source
Gross minimum wage (monthly)	€620.20	€850 (≈RON 4,325)	€920	BTA/Eurofast; HG 146/2026; Ministerial Decision 8934/2026
Effective from	1 Jan 2026	1 Jul 2026	1 Apr 2026	Official decrees
Income tax rate	10% flat	10% flat	9%–44% progressive	NAP; ANAF; AADE
Employee social security rate	13.78%	35% (CAS 25% + CASS 10%)	13.37%	NSSI; ANAF; e-EFKA/Trading Economics
Employer social security rate	18.92%–19.62%	2.25% (CAM)	21.79%	NSSI; ANAF; e-EFKA
Max social security base (monthly)	€2,300	No cap on pension base	€7,761.94	NSSI (State Gazette No. 68, Jul 2026); e-EFKA
Pension fund increase (2026)	+2 percentage points from Jan 2026	No change	No change	BTA / State Gazette
Eurozone membership	Yes (joined 1 Jan 2026)	No (RON)	Yes (EUR)	Official
Minimum hourly wage	€3.74	≈RON 25.95	€5.31	Eurofast; HG 146/2026; Ministerial Decision 8934/2026

As of 1 January 2026, Bulgaria's statutory minimum monthly wage rose to BGN 1,213 (approximately €620.20), marking a 12.6 percent increase over the 2025 level. Greece's minimum, by contrast, is nearly 48 percent higher than Bulgaria's in gross terms — but your net pay is a completely different story once the tax calculator runs.

Here is what the numbers actually mean for a real worker. A Bulgarian employee on minimum wage takes home approximately €477 net per month after 13.78 percent social security contributions and 10 percent flat income tax — modest, but the cost of living in Sofia is among the lowest of any EU capital. A Greek minimum-wage worker grossing €920 will see 13.37 percent in social contributions and progressive income tax applied — their net monthly is higher in absolute terms, but Athens rents and prices are a different league entirely. Romania sits in the middle on paper but asks its workers to hand over 35 percent in social contributions alone before income tax even enters the conversation. The headline 10 percent flat tax in Bucharest obscures what is, in practice, one of the heaviest employee-side deduction burdens in Central and Eastern Europe.

What Your Employer Will Never Tell You

This is where most workers leave real money on the table. Your employer handles the numbers. They withhold. They remit. And unless you know what to look for, you will never catch an error — or a shortfall.

First: Bulgaria's social security cap is your friend — if you earn more. With the adoption of the State Social Security Budget Act for 2026 (State Gazette No. 68 of 28 July 2026), the maximum monthly insurable income is €2,300 from 1 August 2026. Once your salary exceeds €2,300 per month, you stop paying additional social security on the excess. If you are earning above that threshold and your employer is still withholding social contributions on the full amount, you are being over-deducted. Go to the National Revenue Agency (NAP — nap.bg) immediately.

Second: Romania's social contribution structure is uniquely brutal for employees. Since 2018, Romanian employers pay no social contributions — all burden was shifted to employees. This means the employer's statutory contribution cost (at just 2.25 percent CAM) is rock-bottom, while you as the worker absorb the full 35 percent. This is not widely advertised. If you are negotiating a salary in Romania, you need to negotiate on net, not gross — the spread is enormous.

Third: Greece's progressive income tax has genuinely improved. Greece taxes personal income on a progressive scale from 9 percent to 44 percent under Law 5246/2025, effective from 1 January 2026. The 2026 reform cut most brackets by 2 percentage points, introduced a new 39 percent band for incomes of €40,000–€60,000, and gave workers under 25 a full 0 percent rate on income up to €20,000. If you are a young worker in Greece and nobody has told you about that under-25 exemption, your employer may have been withholding tax you do not legally owe. Contact AADE (aade.gr) to check.

For Bulgarians, the starting point for any payroll dispute is nap.bg (National Revenue Agency) or nssi.bg (National Social Security Institute). Use the official calculators before you trust a payslip. And if numbers do not add up — ask. In writing.

Bulgaria vs Romania vs Greece: The Balkan Salary Reality

Want to see the stark difference in a single sentence? Greece's minimum gross wage (€920) is 48 percent higher than Bulgaria's (€620.20), and Romania's (≈€850) sits 37 percent higher. But gross wages are a marketing figure. What actually lands in your account is what matters.

Bulgaria has a 10 percent flat income tax rate on all personal income for 2026 — the same rate it has maintained since 2008. There are no progressive tax brackets; everyone pays 10 percent regardless of income level. Combined with a 13.78 percent employee social security rate, Bulgaria's total employee deduction is approximately 23.78 percent of gross. Romania nominally matches that 10 percent income tax, but Romania's 10 percent income tax is misleading — employees also pay 25 percent pension (CAS) and 10 percent health (CASS) contributions, meaning the total employee burden is around 45 percent. Greece sits closer to Bulgaria on the social contribution side at 13.37 percent for employees, but its progressive income tax scale means mid-to-high earners face significantly heavier tax rates than their Bulgarian counterparts. Greece also pays statutory wages 14 times per year — with extra installments at Christmas, Easter, and summer leave — so the headline monthly figure understates annual gross pay relative to 12-payment countries.

The conclusion? For minimum-wage workers, Greece wins on gross and wins on absolute net. For mid-salary earners, Bulgaria wins on effective total deductions because of the flat tax and lower social security rate. Romania's system is hardest on workers of all three — the employer pays almost nothing in contributions while employees carry the full load.

Use the EuroDuty salary comparator to run these numbers side by side for your exact income level — it covers all 27 EU countries with 2026 rates.

How to Claim What You Are Owed

Check your Bulgarian payslip against the legal minimum. From 1 January 2026, your gross monthly wage cannot legally be below €620.20. If it is, your employer is in breach of the Labour Code. File a complaint with the General Labour Inspectorate (Izpalnitelna Agentsiya "Glavna Inspektsiya Po Truda") at git.government.bg.
Verify your social security deductions in Bulgaria. Log in to the National Social Security Institute (NSSI) at nssi.bg and check your insurance record. Your employer should be declaring and paying contributions on your behalf every month. Gaps in your record mean gaps in your future pension.
If you are on the Bulgarian minimum wage, confirm the euro conversion was done correctly. The law guarantees that the currency conversion of remuneration may not lead to its reduction — your salary in euro may not be lower than the exact equivalent of your previous remuneration in levs at the fixed rate of 1.95583. If it is, contact the National Revenue Agency (NAP) at nap.bg.
Romanian workers: always negotiate net, never gross. With 35 percent in social contributions plus 10 percent income tax, a RON 4,325 gross minimum delivers a dramatically lower net figure. Use the EuroDuty salary calculator to see exactly what you will take home — before you sign anything.
Greek workers under 25: check whether the 0 percent tax relief on income up to €20,000 is being applied. The 2026 reform gave workers under 25 a full 0 percent rate on income up to €20,000. If your employer has been withholding income tax on your full salary, contact AADE at aade.gr or your local tax office to claim the difference.
Cross-border workers: do not assume your country of residence determines your social security country. EU Regulation 883/2004 on social security coordination applies. If you work in one country and live in another, you may be paying into the wrong system — or paying double. Check with the NSSI, ANAF, or e-EFKA depending on your situation.

Calculate your exact net salary and compare your rights across all 27 EU countries at EuroDuty — completely free.