Bulgaria remains the EU country with the lowest nominal minimum wage, but when adjusted for purchasing power the country moves up the ranking and is no longer at the bottom, according to the latest Eurostat data for the second half of 2026.
The gross monthly minimum wage in Bulgaria stands at 620 euros as of July, placing the country last among European Union member states in terms of nominal income. However, the ranking changes when wages are measured through the purchasing power standard (PPS), which reflects the actual value of earnings after taking into account differences in prices between countries.
Under this indicator, Bulgaria’s minimum wage is below 1,000 PPS, but the country ranks ahead of Estonia, where the figure is 935 PPS, and Latvia, with 938 PPS. Turkey also remains below the 1,000 PPS threshold, while Eurostat has no available data for Ukraine and Moldova.
The PPS system is used to provide a more accurate comparison of living standards because it adjusts incomes according to the cost of goods and services in each country. One PPS unit represents the same purchasing capacity across different economies.
The gap between European countries becomes considerably smaller when measured by purchasing power rather than by nominal wages. In euro terms, minimum salaries range from 620 euros in Bulgaria to 2,771 euros in Luxembourg. After adjustment for purchasing power, the difference narrows, with Estonia at the bottom with 935 PPS and Germany at the top with 2,164 PPS.
