Rent Burden in European Capitals Explained
Last updated: 11 October 2026
Every Placeivo city profile shows four core figures: monthly rent, disposable income per person, a price level index and rent burden. This guide explains what each one means, how to read them together, and where they can mislead you. At the end you will find rent burden for all 27 cities we currently cover.
Monthly rent
Our main rent figure is the Eurostat average monthly rent for a good-quality 1-bedroom flat. Eurostat collects it in each capital to set pay for EU staff, so it describes a well-located, decent flat rather than the cheapest one you could find. The value of this figure is that it is collected the same way in every city, so you can compare cities fairly.
When you read it, ask yourself whether you need a 1-bedroom flat. If you will share, divide it. If you need a family home, expect to pay more.
Disposable income per person
This is the average household income left after taxes and social contributions, divided by everyone living in the region, including children and retired people. It is lower than a typical salary. For example, in the region around Luxembourg it is about €41,200 a year, while around Sofia it is about €11,300.
Use it to understand how much local households have to live on, not as the salary you will be offered.
Price level (Brussels = 100)
Eurostat’s cost-of-living coefficients compare the price of a full basket of goods and services, including housing, with Brussels. A score of 120 means about 20% more expensive than Brussels; 80 means about 20% cheaper. Among the cities we cover, Dublin (130.7) and Copenhagen (130.5) are the most expensive, and Sofia (66.1) is the cheapest.
Rent burden
Rent burden is our own simple calculation: one year of the rent above divided by income per person.
Rent burden = (monthly rent × 12) ÷ annual disposable income per person × 100
It answers a simple question: how heavy is a typical good flat compared with what local people have to spend? Because both inputs are official and measured the same way in each city, it is a fair way to compare housing pressure between cities.
It is not the share of income people actually spend on rent. Many people share flats, live in cheaper areas, own their homes or have two incomes. A rent burden above 100% would simply mean a good 1-bedroom flat costs more than an average resident’s whole income.
Rent burden in 27 European capitals
Sorted from lowest to highest. Figures as published on each city page; income years differ slightly between cities (see each page for the exact year).
| City | 1-bedroom rent / month | Income per person / year | Rent burden |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nicosia | €750 | €20,100 | 44.8% |
| Helsinki | €1,150 | €28,900 | 47.8% |
| Vienna | €1,250 | €28,200 | 53.2% |
| Brussels | €1,150 | €25,400 | 54.3% |
| Luxembourg | €1,900 | €41,200 | 55.3% |
| Vilnius | €830 | €17,900 | 55.6% |
| Tallinn | €720 | €15,400 | 56.1% |
| Bratislava | €910 | €18,700 | 58.4% |
| Budapest | €910 | €18,600 | 58.7% |
| Valletta | €1,050 | €21,200 | 59.4% |
| Berlin | €1,350 | €26,400 | 61.4% |
| Paris | €1,550 | €29,600 | 62.8% |
| Ljubljana | €950 | €17,400 | 65.5% |
| London | £2,000 | £36,487 | 65.8% |
| Warsaw | €840 | €15,300 | 65.9% |
| Rome | €1,300 | €22,800 | 68.4% |
| Sofia | €650 | €11,300 | 69.0% |
| Madrid | €1,300 | €22,600 | 69.0% |
| Copenhagen | €1,800 | €30,400 | 71.1% |
| Prague | €1,250 | €21,000 | 71.4% |
| Oslo | €2,000 | €28,600 | 83.9% |
| Dublin | €2,000 | €28,100 | 85.4% |
| Riga | €870 | €12,000 | 87.0% |
| Lisbon | €1,400 | €18,600 | 90.3% |
| Stockholm | €2,100 | €27,900 | 90.3% |
| Athens | €1,150 | €15,200 | 90.8% |
| Zagreb | €1,050 | €13,100 | 96.2% |
Sources: Eurostat prc_colc_rents (2025) and nama_10r_2hhinc (2020–2024 depending on the region); London income from the ONS. Oslo’s income figure refers to 2020, older than the others, so treat Oslo’s rent burden with extra care.
What the table shows
- Cheap is not the same as affordable. Sofia has the lowest rent (€650) but local incomes are also the lowest, so its rent burden (69%) is higher than in Vienna or Helsinki.
- Expensive cities can be easier for locals. Luxembourg’s rent is high (€1,900), but so are incomes, giving a burden of about 55%.
- Housing pressure is highest where rents have outrun incomes. Zagreb, Athens, Lisbon and Stockholm all have rent burdens around 90% or more.
How to use these figures
If you will earn a local salary, rent burden is a good first filter: a lower number usually means it will be easier to find a flat you can afford. If you bring a foreign or remote income, look at rent and the price level instead. Either way, read the date and source next to each figure, and check our guide on how to compare the cost of living between two cities. To see what an average salary leaves after tax in each country, use our table of average salary after tax in Europe.
General information based on official statistics. Not financial or relocation advice. See our methodology.