COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF DIGITAL QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA AND THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA
Keywords:
DQL, well-being of society, digital services, internet infrastructure, e- government, AI, affordable cost of living.Abstract
The article compares Digital Quality of Life (DQL) in two european countries.
Digital Quality of Life is the indicator for evaluation the well-being of society by the accessibility,
quality and security of digital services, including internet infrastructure, e-government, and AI. It
covers opportunities for remote learning, telemedicine, banking, and affects the speed of routine
tasks. According to Surfshark data, in 2025, the Republic of Bulgaria demonstrated rapid growth in
Digital Quality of Life, rising to 11th place in the world. The country attracts remote professionals
with its high internet speeds, affordable cost of living, developed coworking infrastructure, and the
introduction of a special Digital Nomad Visa, which came into effect at the end of 2025. The
Republic of Moldova demonstrated a high level of internet accessibility, ranking 13th in the world,
as citizens need less than a minute of working time to pay for the cheapest mobile tariff. However,
its overall position in the Digital Quality of Life Index has declined slightly due to a decrease in
connection stability and speed, placing the country in the middle of the global rankings (54th out of
117).
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