Owners of property in Bulgaria 'have lower cost of living'

People who live in property in Bulgaria benefit from a lower cost of living than people in the UK, particularly when it comes to groceries, according to a new survey.

The Cost of Living 2009 survey, conducted by industry magazine Quest, shows that some items in UK supermarkets are twice as expensive as those in commercial property in Bulgaria after exchange rates are taken into account.

This includes popular foods such as chicken, which is 6.68 levas in Bulgaria, but £4.62 in the UK - the equivalent of 10.44 levas.

According to the publication, the low cost of groceries is just one reason why people are flocking to property in Bulgaria in droves.

"There is little violence, youngsters are polite, you have no fear of walking out at night and you have helpful and friendly neighbours," Quest stated.

Meanwhile, the latest release by property specialist Turkey Real Estate named Bulgaria as one of the top ten countries in the world for people looking to make a profit out of buying a place in the sun.