Moved Back to Sofia After 9 Years in London… Now Considering Returning

Posted by Electrical_Steak4316@reddit | expats | View on Reddit | 15 comments

Hey Londoners,

How has life in London changed compared to 2 years ago? Mainly in terms of cost of living, housing prices/rent, and overall quality of life.

I lived in London for 9 years, then moved back home to Sofia, Bulgaria about 2 years ago. While it’s nice being close to family again, I honestly still can’t get used to some things here: the mess and rubbish everywhere, the general Balkan grumpiness, casual homophobia, and the feeling that quality of life is slipping.

Real inflation here feels more like 15-25% since I came back, and with the euro adoption coming, things don’t seem like they’ll improve anytime soon.

Naturally, I’ve started reconsidering moving back to London. I still have friends there and, most importantly, my brother. Career-wise I’m not too worried. I used to work in hospitality as a GM and Operations Manager, and now I manage a well-known international fashion brand.

For those living in London now:
-Has quality of life improved or worsened recently?
-How bad is the housing situation really?-
Does London still feel worth it despite the costs?

I used to live in warehouse spaces around Manor House and Hackney Wick, so I know the reality of London living pretty well. 😄

That said, I’m probably not looking to go back to that lifestyle anymore. I’d more likely rent a place with friends or with my brother.

Curious to hear honest opinions from people actually living there now.

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Electrical_Steak4316@reddit (OP)

Seems much cleaner than most capitals. Obviously, it’s super messy on Saturday at 2 a.m., but by Sunday morning at 9 is usually quite clean

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Electrical_Steak4316@reddit (OP)

Why did you leave Dublin in the first place? Was it homesickness, burnout, cost of living, or something else?

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Good_Membership9036@reddit

A lot of things combined, mostly burnout and at that point i had to leave the house that I was in the whole time- so I didnt want to look for another accommodation, housing crisis and all. I tried to open my business in croatia but it didnt go that well and I realised that with all pros & cons, my life in Ireland was much more comfortable with many opportunities that I dont have here, from concerts, events etc. Thankfully someone In close to will rent me a room in their house now, so I have the opportunity to go back

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Electrical_Steak4316@reddit (OP)

100% agree! I miss the dynamic, the craziness, and just how many options there are for art, bars, galleries, random events etc. Sofia is a capital, but sometimes it feels like you see the same people everywhere and the scene is much smaller than it first appears.

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EfficientValuable717@reddit

A lot of people don’t realize co-signing basically means trusting someone with your future credit as much as your own money.

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Electrical_Steak4316@reddit (OP)

Thanks, and yes I do have settled status. Agreed about the job market, and the current political situation in the UK isn’t great either. Regarding living conditions, Sofia is getting insanely expensive, especially since adopting the euro. Most supermarket prices for everyday products are on par with, if not even above, prices in London. Although my salary is good on paper for Bulgaria, I was definitely able to save more in London.

ElEstrategaSecreto@reddit

Отивай, тая държава е неоправяема

TrainingAd377@reddit

Same here bro, moved from western Eu back to Bucharest, still can't adapt back and can't cope anymore with how things are going on here..

gootchvootch@reddit

Did you naturalise as British whilst you were in the UK? Just checking to hope that you did.

Notimetobev0id@reddit

London is an absoloute dump, people throw trash everywhere and have no thought for others. Far too many people everywhere, can't stand it.

Im Croatian that live in Dublin for 7 years. I made a mistake last summer to go back home. Next week I'm returning to Dublin. Because of similar issues, mostly Balkan mentality that 20-30 years behind the rest of the world, nationalism, racism, homophobia. Basically hating anything thats different. And shitting in people who even look and dress different (colored hair, piercings etc)- which is me as well. And also a lot pf systems are backwards like not being able to pay with your phone in a lot of places etc. I think people really underestimate the comfort of more developed countries. Yes, they also have a lot of issues there but its stil worth it

DubaiImmoFacts@reddit

yeah honestly I think that’s the part people underestimate the most

sometimes you leave a place because on paper it stops making sense… then after a while you realize daily atmosphere and how you actually feel somewhere matters way more than expected

Dry-Feedback-5282@reddit

Depends on what you want. It's a bit shit everywhere lately, and jobs are hard to come by universally not just in the East or West. If you have some savings from your time living in London, they'll last you a lot longer in Sofia, and probably your living conditions will be cheaper and better. But overall, I'd stick with Sofia personally and then re-evaluate later on. Assuming you have settled status, you have up to 5 years outside of the UK.

United-Reference-954@reddit

That’s actually a fair take Sofia definitely stretches savings further right now, so I’d probably lean staying put and reassessing when the job market isn’t this messy. No point stressing two cities at once when one already gives you breathing room.

krkrbnsn@reddit

I’m mid-30s and have lived in London for the past 9 years. It’s really hard to generalise but for me personally I feel like my life has improved in the past few years.

The years during and just after covid were my lowest points in London. The job market came to a standstill and so did all the things that made London actually worth living in. I felt trapped both physically and financially, and a ton of my friends left the city.

The city is basically back to pre-pandemic levels for everything. I just went through a job search at the beginning of the year and it feels like a much better market than a few years ago (I’m in tech). I’m making more than I ever have which has helped me take advantage of what makes London so great - entertainment, nightlife, culture, food scene, pub scene, etc.

The housing market is pretty bad though. I haven’t had to deal with it personally since I haven’t moved since Covid. But many of my friends (with good careers) have found it difficult to find a good place due to the influx of everyone moving back post-covid.

Ultimately, this will be a very personal decision. There are a lot of people struggling, particularly those in the service and gig industries and younger people who are new in their careers. But if you have experience and a network, I do still think London is a great place to build a career. And since you already know people living here, finding housing shouldn’t be impossible.