Salary Needed to Live in European Capitals (2026)
How much do you need to earn to live in a European capital? The biggest single cost is rent, so we start there. The table shows the take-home (net) monthly income you would need so that a good-quality 1-bedroom flat takes no more than 40% of your income (Eurostat’s official “housing cost overburden” line) or a more comfortable 30%. It also shows what residents of each region actually have, on average, after tax.
| City | 1-bed rent / month | Net income needed (rent 40%) | Net income needed (rent 30%) | Local income per person / month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athens | €1,150 | €2,880 | €3,840 | €1,270 |
| Berlin | €1,350 | €3,380 | €4,500 | €2,200 |
| Bratislava | €910 | €2,280 | €3,040 | €1,560 |
| Brussels | €1,150 | €2,880 | €3,840 | €2,120 |
| Budapest | €910 | €2,280 | €3,040 | €1,550 |
| Copenhagen | €1,800 | €4,500 | €6,000 | €2,530 |
| Dublin | €2,000 | €5,000 | €6,670 | €2,340 |
| Helsinki | €1,150 | €2,880 | €3,840 | €2,410 |
| Lisbon | €1,400 | €3,500 | €4,670 | €1,550 |
| Ljubljana | €950 | €2,380 | €3,170 | €1,450 |
| London | £2,000 | £5,000 | £6,670 | £3,040 |
| Luxembourg | €1,900 | €4,750 | €6,340 | €3,430 |
| Madrid | €1,300 | €3,250 | €4,340 | €1,880 |
| Nicosia | €750 | €1,880 | €2,500 | €1,680 |
| Oslo | €2,000 | €5,000 | €6,670 | €2,380 |
| Paris | €1,550 | €3,880 | €5,170 | €2,470 |
| Prague | €1,250 | €3,130 | €4,170 | €1,750 |
| Riga | €870 | €2,180 | €2,900 | €1,000 |
| Rome | €1,300 | €3,250 | €4,340 | €1,900 |
| Sofia | €650 | €1,630 | €2,170 | €940 |
| Stockholm | €2,100 | €5,250 | €7,000 | €2,330 |
| Tallinn | €720 | €1,800 | €2,400 | €1,280 |
| Valletta | €1,050 | €2,630 | €3,500 | €1,770 |
| Vienna | €1,250 | €3,130 | €4,170 | €2,350 |
| Vilnius | €830 | €2,080 | €2,770 | €1,490 |
| Warsaw | €840 | €2,100 | €2,800 | €1,280 |
| Zagreb | €1,050 | €2,630 | €3,500 | €1,090 |
How to read this table
- These are take-home figures. Your gross salary must be higher. How much higher depends on the country’s income tax and social contributions.
- Rent only. Utilities, food, transport, health insurance and everything else come on top. Check each city’s price level on its city profile.
- A good-quality flat. The rent figure is Eurostat’s average for a well-located 1-bedroom flat. Cheaper homes exist in every city, and sharing a flat halves the rent per person.
- Local income is an average per person, including children and retired people, so a full-time worker usually earns more than this.
Click a city for the full breakdown, including what changes if you share or move as a couple. Our guide to comparing the cost of living and methodology explain the data in more detail. Moving on a remote-work visa? See digital nomad visa income requirements.
General information based on official statistics. Not financial or tax advice.