Curious about the performance of short-term rentals in Sofia, Bulgaria? Over the last year, the average occupancy rate was 65% with an ADR (Average Daily Rate) of 58€. Hosts earned on average 1073€ per month.

90-day occupancy forecast for Sofia so you can update rates and stay ahead of competitors.
Key metrics to optimize your pricing strategy
Avg. Monthly Revenue
1073€
$976 USD
YoY Revenue Change
11%
vs. previous year
Occupancy Rate
65%
~20 days/month
Average Daily Rate
58€
$53 USD
Seasonality Index
35%
demand variation
Best Months
October, June
peak season
Worst Months
January, February
low season
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Over the analysis period of June 2025 to May 2026, Sofia averaged 65% occupancy at a 56 EUR ADR, producing roughly 1,057 EUR in monthly revenue per active listing across 235 booked nights a year. Sofia is the only Bulgarian market in our dataset, so it effectively sets the national benchmark: a healthy two-thirds occupancy paired with one of Europe's lowest ADRs, the classic high-volume, low-rate profile of an affordable Eastern European capital.
The seasonality index sits at a moderate 36%, confirming the flatter, business-supported demand curve rather than a resort-style peak, with the spread running from the October and May highs to the January and February lows. Revenue is also trending up, with year-on-year growth of 10% reflecting Bulgaria's rising tourist arrivals and Sofia's growing visibility ahead of Eurovision 2027. The takeaway for managers: returns here come from keeping the calendar full and nudging rate up in the shoulder peaks, not from chasing a high nightly price.
Average occupancy rate by month in Sofia, compared with the same month a year earlier.
| Month | Occupancy | Prior year |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 2025 | 64.8% | 64.8% |
| Aug 2025 | 65% | 68% |
| Sep 2025 | 72.7% | 68.7% |
| Oct 2025 | 72.4% | 73.2% |
| Nov 2025 | 66% | 65.9% |
| Dec 2025 | 67.4% | 63% |
| Jan 2026 | 55.4% | 55.2% |
| Feb 2026 | 64.8% | 60.5% |
| Mar 2026 | 63.2% | 61.3% |
| Apr 2026 | 63.4% | 65.4% |
| May 2026 | 67.6% | 66.9% |
| Jun 2026 | 64.1% | 68.1% |
📌 Historical trends reveal seasonal highs – plan accordingly.
These figures reflect real-time demand in Sofia, helping you plan and price strategically.
Sofia is Bulgaria's capital and main gateway airport, so its Airbnb demand is built less on beach tourism and more on year-round city traffic: business travellers visiting the tech and outsourcing hubs around Tsarigradsko Shose, conference and government visitors, and budget-conscious Europeans drawn by some of the cheapest city-break prices in the EU. The compact, walkable historic core around Vitosha Boulevard and Serdica keeps guests close to the Aleksander Nevski Cathedral, the ancient Serdica ruins and the National Palace of Culture (NDK), which supports steady short-stay bookings.
The city also doubles as a launchpad. Vitosha mountain rises directly above the southern suburbs with a December-to-April ski season, while many travellers use Sofia as a one or two-night stop before continuing to Plovdiv, the Rila Monastery or the Black Sea coast. That mix of business, transit and value tourism gives Sofia flatter, more resilient occupancy than a single-season resort, and Bulgaria's confirmed hosting of Eurovision 2027 is expected to lift demand further.
Sofia's demand is moderately seasonal rather than spiky. The strongest months in the data are October and May, the two shoulder seasons when sightseeing weather is mild and conference activity peaks; the weakest are January and February, once the New Year crowd has gone and deep winter sets in. Summer holds up reasonably well because July and August bring warm 27-29C days plus events like the A to JazZ Festival in South Park (2-5 July 2026) and Sofia Pride in June.
Winter is a tale of two markets: city demand softens, but the Vitosha ski season (typically late December to mid-April) and Christmas-New Year travel cushion the dip. Other demand anchors include the Sofia International Film Festival each March and the wider tourist peak of July-September. Managers should price up around the May and October shoulders and the festival and ski windows, and lean on longer-stay and corporate bookings to fill the quiet January-February trough.
Sredets (District 1) is the historic centre and the prime short-term-rental zone, wrapping the Serdica ruins, Vitosha Boulevard's pedestrian dining strip and the main government and cultural buildings; listings here command the best rates and steadiest occupancy. Adjacent Oborishte and Serdika extend that walkable core with quieter period apartments, while Triaditsa, anchored by the NDK and the central rail and metro hub, suits guests who want transport links and a slightly lower price point.
Lozenets, just south of the centre, is an upscale, leafy residential district popular for longer and business stays, with good restaurants and easy access toward Vitosha. Further out, Mladost and the Tsarigradsko Shose business corridor draw corporate and tech-sector guests near the airport and office parks, trading walkability for value and parking. For ski-season demand, properties on the southern fringe toward Vitosha district offer the fastest mountain access.
Short-term rentals in Sofia fall under Bulgaria's Tourism Act, which treats platform lets as tourist accommodation rather than ordinary residential tenancies. Hosts must register the property with the municipality and obtain categorization, meaning the unit is inspected and assigned a star rating like a hotel or guest house, with a registration fee charged per bed. Each property is entered into the national Unified Tourism Information System (ESTI), and hosts are required to report guest stays, recording each visitor's identity details at check-in.
A bigger change is arriving in 2026: under EU Regulation 2024/1028 on short-term rental data, Bulgaria must implement mandatory online registration numbers for platform listings, with the compliance deadline around April-May 2026. Listings without a valid registration number risk being delisted from Airbnb and Booking.com. Managers operating in Sofia should secure municipal categorization and an ESTI registration now, keep ownership and tax documents ready, and confirm their registration number is displayed before the EU rules bite.
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* Calculations based on 30 days/month. Actual results may vary depending on market, season, property type, and implemented strategy.
Sofia averaged about 65% occupancy over the June 2025 to May 2026 period, which works out to roughly 235 booked nights a year per active listing. That is a healthy, business-supported level for an Eastern European capital, paired with a low average daily rate of around 56 EUR, giving the typical listing about 1,057 EUR in monthly revenue.
The strongest months are October and May, Sofia's mild shoulder seasons when sightseeing and conference demand peak, so push rates then. Summer holds up with the A to JazZ Festival (early July) and warm weather, and the Vitosha ski season cushions winter. The clear soft spot is January and February, best filled with longer or corporate stays.
Yes. Under Bulgaria's Tourism Act you must register the property with the municipality, obtain categorization (a hotel-style star rating with a per-bed fee), and enter it in the national ESTI system, reporting each guest's details at check-in. From around April-May 2026, EU Regulation 2024/1028 also requires an online registration number, or platforms can delist you.
The historic centre, Sredets, around Vitosha Boulevard and the Serdica ruins, earns the best rates and steadiest occupancy. Oborishte, Serdika and NDK-anchored Triaditsa extend that walkable core, while leafy Lozenets suits longer business stays. For corporate guests near the airport and tech parks, Mladost and the Tsarigradsko Shose corridor offer better value.