Sofia's Vitosha Blvd ranked 32nd in MAPIC's list of the most expensive commercial streets in the world in terms of rent prices. The average rent for shops on Vitosha Blvd in Sofia stands at 1,200 euros per square meter a year, or 100 euros per month.

Sofia's boutique strip actually dropped four spots compared with last year, when it was number 28.

Number one is once again New York's Fifth Avenue with an average of 11,983 euros per square meter a year (1,000 per month). A shop, occupying an area of 100 sqm there, would cost its owners around 1 mln euros just for the rent of the premise.

Number two and three in the chart are the same as last year – Hong Kong's Causeway Bay with an annual rent of 9,688 euros/sqm, and the French Avenue Des Champs Elysees with annual rent of 7,364 euros/sqm.

Avenues in Great Britain, Japan, Ireland, Switzerland, Australia and Greece also occupy top spots.

Among countries in Central and Eastern Europe, the highest ranking is that of Russian Tverskaya – 2,226 euros a year, followed by the main shopping street in Prague with an average of 2,040 euros per year.

The study includes shopping areas in 44 countries. The bottom place is held by Makati in Manila (the Philippines).