Data Centers in Sofia

Sofia – Strategic Hub for Southeastern Europe

Executive Summary

Sofia is a strategic data center market for enterprises targeting Southeastern Europe and the Balkans. The city offers a compelling combination of low power costs, dense fiber networks, and a low-risk natural disaster profile. This makes it an ideal location for deploying infrastructure that requires both regional reach and high uptime without the premium cost of larger European hubs.

Sofia: At A Glance

Network & Connectivity Ecosystem

Sofia's network ecosystem provides reliable, low-latency connectivity, making it a solid choice for reaching customers across the Balkan Peninsula.

Carrier Density & Carrier Neutrality: With over 10 network providers present as of September 2025, Sofia offers healthy competition and diverse routing options. The market features multiple carrier-neutral facilities, ensuring customers can connect to the providers that best suit their needs.

Direct Cloud On-Ramps: There are no public cloud on-ramps located directly within Sofia as of September 2025. Businesses connect to major cloud providers like AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure through dedicated private network connections to nearby hubs such as Vienna.

Internet Exchange Points (IXPs): The Bulgarian Internet eXchange (BIX.BG) is the primary IXP in the market. Peering at BIX.BG allows for efficient traffic exchange, reducing latency and transit costs for users within Bulgaria and neighboring countries.

Bare Metal: Bare metal server options are available from multiple providers. Global suppliers like Hivelocity and phoenixNAP can serve the region, offering dedicated compute resources for performance-sensitive applications.

Power Analysis

Average Cost Of Power: Industrial electricity pricing is approximately €0.09/kWh as of August 2025. This highly competitive rate significantly lowers operational expenditures for compute-heavy deployments. The grid mix is primarily Nuclear (43%) and Fossil Fuels (36%), supplemented by Renewables (21%).

Power Grid Reliability: The power grid serving Sofia's primary data center zones is well-engineered and stable. Major facilities are supported by redundant power feeds from multiple substations, ensuring reliable uptime for mission-critical operations.

Market Access, Business & Tax Climate

Proximity To Key Business Districts: Data centers in Sofia are located close to major commercial areas, including Business Park Sofia. This proximity provides local and multinational corporations with low-latency access to their digital infrastructure.

Regional Market Reach: Sofia is strategically positioned to serve as a digital hub for Southeastern Europe. It offers effective, low-latency connectivity to Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, Serbia, and North Macedonia.

Tax Advantage For Data Centers: While Bulgaria does not provide specific tax credits for data center development, the country's overall business climate is favorable. A straightforward tax system and competitive operational costs contribute to a lower total cost of ownership compared to many Western European markets.

Natural Disaster Risk

Bulgaria has a low overall natural disaster risk profile, with an INFORM Risk score of 2.6 out of 10 as of September 2025. This minimizes the environmental threat to data center uptime and operational stability.

The primary natural hazards to consider are:

• Earthquake Risk: Rated 6.2 out of 10, representing the most significant environmental risk for the region.
• River Flood Risk: Rated 5.1 out of 10.

Other risks such as coastal flooding, tsunamis, and tropical cyclones are not material threats to infrastructure located in Sofia.