At the end of 2025, the topic of the transition to the euro actively entered our daily lives and quite naturally raised the question whether the currency transition would also affect the prices of insurance products.

The main interest focused on Motor Third Party Liability insurance (MTPL), as it is the mandatory and most widely used motor insurance.

In the following lines, we will make a brief summary of MTPL prices at the end of last year and in January 2026 in order to track whether the transition to the euro has had an impact or whether this is simply normal market dynamics.

What were the average prices at the end of 2025 and is there any change at the beginning of 2026?

- What were the average prices at the end of 2025?

Let us recall the average calculated price of Motor Third Party Liability insurance

The dynamics of the average insurance prices in 2025 from March to December ranged from 312.40 BGN / 159.73 euros to 357.65 BGN / 182.86 euros.

The insurance market went through a significant price path during this period. In February the average MTPL price was 329.78 BGN / 168.61 euros, while in November it was 357.65 BGN / 182.86 euros, which means that from February to November the average prices increased by:
➡ 27.87 BGN / 14.25 euros or over 8.5% price growth for nine months.

While February was moving around the average market levels for the period (333.94 BGN / 170.74 euros), November clearly stands out as the month with the highest average prices. This shows a clear trend over time and an intensified price increase at the end of the year.

November turned out to be the month with the highest average calculated price for the studied period in 2025. By the end of the year – in December – the average insurance prices were 326.31 BGN / 166.84 euros, close to the mid-year price levels in June and October – 324.09 BGN / 165.70 euros and 329.89 BGN / 168.67 euros.

The data for 2025 shows that the highest average price of Motor Third Party Liability insurance was recorded in November, not at the end of the year. In December the market returned to levels close to those in June and October, which clearly outlines a stable price trend rather than a tendency toward continuous price increases. This creates a stable market base for the beginning of 2026 and shows that the observed changes at first glance are part of normal market dynamics rather than the result of extraordinary external factors.
More about the price analysis for the past year can be seen here:
https://24ins.bg/bg/aboutus/blog/mtpl-analiz-to-noemvri25/

- How did 2026 begin: is there any change in the average price levels of the insurance?

January 2026 under the microscope and comparison of the average prices between December 2025 and the first month of the new year

The comparison between December 2025 and January 2026 reports a moderate increase in the average price of Motor Third Party Liability insurance – by 2.67 euros or 5.22 BGN, which equals a growth of 1.6%:

Transition from lev to euro:

Here is how the moderate price increase at the beginning of 2026 looks –
At first glance, the difference in the average price of Motor Third Party Liability insurance between December 2025 and January 2026 is minimal – only about 1.6%.
However, this relatively small percentage does not simply reflect a change between two consecutive months. In fact, the difference marks a transition between two different periods – the end of a year in which prices were formed entirely in levs and the beginning of a new one in which the market is already adapting to the new payment currency – the euro. It is precisely this contextual change that makes the movement of prices more significant than the simple numerical comparison suggests.

In other words – this is not a typical monthly fluctuation, but rather a gradual adjustment of the insurance market to the new currency, without sharp jumps or price shocks for drivers.

What average prices are observed in the first month of 2026 by region? Are there sharp jumps or are the changes minimal? Or are price levels maintained from the previous month?

Below you can see a table in which the average prices for Motor Third Party Liability insurance by city are arranged, based on the provided data for December 2025 and January 2026.

The cities are arranged according to the absolute increase (or decrease) in BGN / in euros / in percentage – from the largest increase to the largest decrease in price:

Main observations from the data:
• Largest increase: Kyustendil records a record increase of over 92 BGN / 47 euros (+29.6%). Montana and Gabrovo follow.
• Largest decrease: Vidin, which was the most expensive city in December, recorded the most significant reduction of 174.03 BGN / 88.99 euros (-26.20 %). Kardzhali is also among the cities with a significant price decline.
• Minimal change: Plovdiv, Varna and Razgrad maintain almost identical price levels between the two periods.
• The capital: In Sofia (city) a moderate increase of 14.35 BGN / 7.34 euros (+4.10%) is observed.

Most expensive vs cheapest city – Motor Third Party Liability insurance for December 2025 and the development of the average prices for these cities in January 2026

• Most expensive city: Vidin – December: 286.49 euros / 560.31 BGN and January – 197.5 euros / 386.28 BGN
• Cheapest city: Yambol – December: 148.02 euros / 289.49 BGN and January – 160.86 euros / 314.62 BGN

The difference between the most expensive and the cheapest city remains high in both observed periods – about 93% in December and about 23% in January.

Conclusion:
1. Overall market dynamics – stability during the transition to the euro
In December 2025 the average MTPL price for the country was 326.31 BGN (166.84 €). In January 2026 it slightly increased to 331.53 BGN (169.51 €). This represents a minimal overall growth of 1.6%, which is surprisingly low given expectations for an inflationary margin after the euro adoption.
2. Regional dynamics – the great equalization
This is the most significant market change. The euro likely acted as a “spotlight” on pricing.
• December anomalies: In December there were huge differences between the most expensive and the cheapest city – Vidin was nearly 270 BGN / 138 euros more expensive than Yambol. A difference of over 90%.
• January equalization: In January insurers adjusted these extremes. The price difference between the most expensive city (Kyustendil) and the cheapest city (Stara Zagora) shrank from 270 BGN / 138 euros to 93 BGN / 47 euros. This is a contraction of around 30%.
• Insurers abandoned extremely high regional coefficients in order to avoid accusations of speculation during the currency conversion.
3. Regional winners and losers
• Zone of price decrease: Cities such as Vidin (-31%), Kardzhali (-26%) and Ruse (-11%) recorded serious declines.
• Zone of price increase: Kyustendil (+29.6%) and Montana (+22.6%) are the shock examples.
• Gradual movement: Sofia city (+4%), Plovdiv (+0.3%), Varna (-0.2%) – the largest cities in the country maintain price stability. Varna even reports a symbolic decrease.

Regional differences remain a key factor in the pricing of Motor Third Party Liability insurance. In some regions the increase between December 2025 and January 2026 is strongly expressed not only in percentage but also in absolute value in BGN / euros, which indicates a real rearrangement of price levels. In other regions, however, the market remains stable with minimal or even negative changes, which shows the absence of a universal price jump related to the euro transition.

Which drivers feel the most noticeable difference?

Comparison by criteria: driver age

All average insurance prices by age group decrease, most noticeably for drivers aged 25–45 and least for drivers under 25, for whom the average prices are usually the highest anyway.

Comparison by criteria: vehicle age

Specificity for new vehicles: The only category that records a decrease in price during the transition to January is the newest vehicles (0-5 years). The reduction is 4.20 BGN / 2.15 euros, making them more favorable to insure compared to the previous month.

Peak for 6-10 year-old vehicles: The most significant increase is observed for vehicles aged between 6 and 10 years – over 4.6%.

Comparison by criteria: engine volume

The larger the engine, the higher the base price, with the most noticeable increase occurring in the mid-range engine capacities (1700–2000 cc).

Summary:
✔️ The average MTPL price for January 2026 increases slightly compared to the end of 2025.
✔️ The transition to the euro during the two analyzed months does not lead to a sharp price increase but rather maintains smooth insurance price levels.
✔️ The biggest differences come from regional factors and vehicle characteristics, not from the change in currency.
✔️ For some customers (grouped by criteria: active age, new vehicles) there is even a price decrease.

However, whether the lack of a clear price change in the first month of 2026 is intentional and whether a drastic increase is yet to come – we will find out in the coming months!

More information about the current statistical data on the movement of the average calculated insurance price can be found here.

Coming soon: a new article – How to pay less for MTPL insurance in 2026?