Cheapest rent in Europe and where flats are hardest to find

Last updated: 2026-08-21

Rent is where most relocation budgets break, and the hardest part is often not the price but the hunt. In the tightest markets, you can have the money and still spend weeks competing for a flat. This guide ranks all 27 EU countries by typical rent, cheapest first, and puts the competition for housing next to it, so you can see where finding a home is realistic rather than just cheap on paper.

Cost is not the same as pressure

Housing pressure: how hard it is to actually find a place, driven by demand, supply and competition.
Cost of living: what you pay once you are in.

A country can be cheap on paper yet brutal to move to if every decent flat has a queue, which is why both matter.

All 27 EU countries by rent

Here is MoveMap’s rough estimate of typical monthly rent in each EU country, cheapest first, with how contested the housing market is and the relative cost of living alongside it:

Country	Rent/mo*	Housing pressure*	Relative cost*
Bulgaria	EUR 450	45	40
Romania	EUR 500	48	42
Croatia	EUR 550	55	48
Greece	EUR 550	55	52
Hungary	EUR 600	55	48
Latvia	EUR 600	50	50
Slovakia	EUR 600	52	48
Lithuania	EUR 700	50	50
Poland	EUR 700	55	45
Slovenia	EUR 700	58	58
Czechia	EUR 750	60	52
Estonia	EUR 750	55	54
Italy	EUR 850	60	62
Cyprus	EUR 900	65	58
Malta	EUR 900	70	62
Belgium	EUR 950	62	70
Portugal	EUR 950	80	55
Austria	EUR 1,000	65	74
Finland	EUR 1,000	55	72
France	EUR 1,000	72	70
Spain	EUR 1,000	75	60
Germany	EUR 1,100	75	75
Sweden	EUR 1,100	72	78
Denmark	EUR 1,200	70	82
Netherlands	EUR 1,500	90	80
Ireland	EUR 1,700	92	80
Luxembourg	EUR 1,900	85	88

*MoveMap EU's rough estimates, illustrative only, not listings data. Rent is a national proxy for a modest one-bed; capitals run well above it. Lower housing pressure means it is easier to find a place; lower relative cost is cheaper.

The capital is the hardest part

Pressure is concentrated in the big, popular cities, where even affordable countries can have fierce competition for the best flats. Looking slightly outside the centre, or at a second city, often turns a stressful search into an easy one without giving up much.

Match it to your budget

Whether you want to buy, rent long term or land somewhere flexible first, the MoveMap check weighs housing alongside your budget and lifestyle to rank all 27 EU countries for you.

Frequently asked questions

Which EU country has the cheapest rent?

On our estimates Bulgaria is lowest at around EUR 450 a month for a one-bed, followed by Romania at EUR 500, Croatia and Greece at EUR 550 and Hungary at EUR 600. Those are national averages: capitals run above them and smaller cities below, so the cheapest city in a country is often 20 to 30% under the national figure.

Where is it hardest to find a flat in Europe?

Ireland scores 92/100 on our housing-pressure measure, with the Netherlands at 90, Luxembourg at 85, Portugal at 80 and Germany at 75. In those markets the binding problem is not the rent but the queue: viewings with dozens of applicants, landlords asking for employment contracts you cannot have before you arrive, and deposits due before your first payslip.

How much should I budget for rent when moving to the EU?

Across the 60 EU cities we profile, a one-bed runs from about EUR 340 in Plovdiv to EUR 1,900 in Luxembourg City, and takes anywhere from 27% to 87% of a typical national net salary. Budget the move-in cost separately: a deposit of one to three months is standard, several markets add an agency fee of a month or more, and most landlords want proof of income before they will sign.

How these numbers are made

Updated 2026-08-21

The 0-100 figures in this ranking are MoveMap EU's own comparative estimates, not official statistics or a third-party index. They are built to rank the 27 countries against each other from public cost, wage, language and institutional data, and they are calibrated to be directionally right rather than precise to the point. Where a figure comes from a dated external dataset, such as the tax pages, the source and check date are named on that page.

The full weighting is written up on our methodology page. Published by Dobreon sp. z o.o., Krakow, Poland (VAT PL6772528744). Spotted something out of date? Tell us.

See which EU country fits you

Answer a quick check and get a personalized report ranking all 27 EU countries for your finances, lifestyle, documents and long-term plans.

Start the relocation check Get personal help