Data Centers in Sofia

Sofia – Strategic Hub for Southeast Europe

Executive Summary

Sofia is a strategic data center market for businesses targeting Southeast Europe and the Balkans. The city provides a compelling combination of low power costs, a resilient network fabric, and a low-risk environment for disaster recovery. This makes it an excellent choice for deploying infrastructure that requires low latency to serve growing digital economies in the region.

Sofia: At A Glance

Network & Connectivity Ecosystem

Sofia's connectivity ecosystem is well-developed, serving as a critical junction for data traffic in the Balkan region.

Carrier Density & Carrier Neutrality: The market features 10 unique network providers across 19 data centers, as of September 2025. This density provides sufficient options for redundancy and competitive pricing in carrier-neutral facilities.

Direct Cloud On-Ramps: There are no direct public cloud on-ramps located within Sofia, as of September 2025. Businesses connect to cloud providers via network extensions to major European hubs like Frankfurt or Vienna. Private line and wave services offer dedicated, secure access to all major cloud platforms.

Internet Exchange Points (IXPs): The primary exchange is the Bulgarian Internet Exchange (BIX.bg). It plays a crucial role in keeping local traffic within the country, which reduces latency for Bulgarian end-users and lowers transit costs for providers.

Bare Metal: Bare metal server options are available from multiple providers in Sofia. Companies like Leaseweb and phoenixNAP offer dedicated server solutions for workloads that demand high performance and direct hardware access.

Power Analysis

Bulgaria offers a stable and cost-effective power environment well-suited for data center operations.

Average Cost Of Power: Industrial power costs in Sofia are approximately €0.09/kWh, as of August 2025. This highly competitive rate can significantly lower the total cost of ownership for large-scale deployments compared to more expensive European markets.

Power Grid Reliability: The national power grid is reliable, with a balanced energy mix that includes 43% nuclear, ensuring stable baseload power. Data centers in Sofia are typically served by modern, redundant power infrastructure to support uptime requirements.

Market Access, Business & Tax Climate

Sofia provides excellent access to regional markets from a business-friendly environment.

Proximity To Key Business Districts: Data centers are located to serve Sofia's main business and technology parks. This ensures low-latency connectivity for the city's growing IT outsourcing, software development, and financial services industries.

Regional Market Reach: Sofia is an ideal location for serving content and applications to Bulgaria and neighboring countries, including Romania, Serbia, Greece, and North Macedonia. Deploying here reduces latency across the entire Balkan peninsula.

Tax Advantage For Data Centers: While Bulgaria offers no specific tax incentives for data centers, the country has one of the most favorable corporate tax environments in the European Union. The overall low operational cost base, including taxes and power, makes it a financially attractive location.

Natural Disaster Risk

Bulgaria has a low overall risk profile for natural disasters, with an INFORM Risk score of 2.6 out of 10, as of September 2025. While the overall threat is minimal, operators should account for specific regional hazards.

The most significant natural risks for infrastructure in the Sofia region include:

• Earthquake: The area has a moderate seismic risk, making adherence to earthquake-resistant building codes essential for data centers.
• River Flood: Some areas are susceptible to river flooding, requiring careful site selection and facility elevation.
• Drought: While less of a direct threat to data centers, drought can impact water resources and power generation in the wider region.