Affordability Analysis: What Percentage of Salary Is Spent on Renting a One-Bedroom Apartment in European Cities?
Jure Taraš
11/23/2025
In light of rising price-per-square-meter rates and increasingly stringent lending conditions, renting an apartment remains the only option for many individuals who have not secured a housing solution. In recent years, rental prices have been steadily increasing, making renting itself progressively less affordable, particularly in major European cities. This study provides an answer to the question of what percentage of one’s salary must be allocated to rent a one-bedroom apartment in large European cities. The research draws on data for 2025 from the Numbeo platform—which, among others, is also used by Deutsche Bank in its publication Mapping the World’s Prices—including average salary levels and average rental prices for one-bedroom apartments.
The research shows that renting a one-bedroom apartment at the average market price in European cities requires allocating between 25% and 95% of the average salary. Apartment rental is least affordable in Portugal, where nearly an entire monthly salary—amounting to 95% of average earnings—is needed to rent a one-bedroom apartment. The most favourable situation is found in Switzerland, in Bern, where such an apartment requires 24% of the average salary.
Regional differences were also observed. In cities across Eastern (Moscow, Kyiv, Chișinău), Southeastern (Tirana, Podgorica, Belgrade), and Southern Europe (Athens, Rome, Madrid), renting a one-bedroom apartment required allocating 50% or more of one’s salary. Such circumstances place single individuals in a particularly disadvantageous position, as they cannot split housing costs with a partner. The most favourable conditions are found in Bern, Vienna, and Helsinki, where rent accounts for slightly less than one-third of the average salary, as well as in Vienna, Brussels, and Riga, where one-third of the salary must be allocated for rent.
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The analysis draws on data from the Numbeo platform, using the arithmetic mean of rental prices for one-bedroom apartments in the city centre and outside the centre in order to obtain an average value. If you are interested in the topic of housing affordability, you may also consult the analysis on the affordability of purchasing an apartment in Europe.
I hold a Master’s degree in Geography, having graduated this autumn from the Faculty of Science at the University of Zagreb. You can learn more about me through my LinkedIn profile. I am open to new ideas and opportunities.
