Housing is the largest expense for households. Including utilities, it accounts for almost a quarter (23.6%) of household expenditure in the EU, according to Eurostat.<\/p>\n
The burden is particularly heavy for tenants in European capital cities, and rents vary widely across Europe.<\/p>\n
But how much does it cost to rent a flat in a European city? And which countries are the most expensive and cheapest?<\/p>\n
Among 40 European cities across 38 countries \u2014 including EU member states, candidate and potential candidate countries, EFTA members and the UK \u2014 the average monthly rent for a two-bedroom flat ranged from \u20ac470 in Skopje to \u20ac3,350 in Geneva, according to Eurostat.<\/p>\n
Most expensive capital city for rent <\/p>\n
London is the only capital city exceeding \u20ac3,000, ranking second among all 40 cities. Tenants pay \u20ac3,050 (\u00a32,650) on average for a two-bedroom flat.<\/p>\n
Average rents are also above \u20ac2,500 in Dublin (\u20ac2,650), Stockholm (\u20ac2,650) and Oslo (\u20ac2,550). Dublin and Stockholm share the title of the most expensive EU capitals for rent.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe biggest reason rents differ so much across Europe is that housing markets are local. In places like Geneva, London, Dublin, or Stockholm, strong demand from well-paid workers, international companies, students, and newcomers exists, while housing supply has not grown fast enough,\u201d Mikk Kalmet, real estate expert at Global Property, told Euronews Business.<\/p>\n
That means when more people want to live in a city than there are homes available, rents tend to rise.<\/p>\n
Highest rent among the EU’s \u2018Big Four\u2019 <\/p>\n
The average rent in Paris is \u20ac2,500. This puts the French capital at the top among the EU’s four largest economies. A two-bedroom flat costs \u20ac1,750 in Berlin, \u20ac1,700 in Madrid and \u20ac1,650 in Rome.<\/p>\n
Average rents are also above \u20ac2,000 in Copenhagen (\u20ac2,350), Luxembourg (\u20ac2,350), Reykjavik (\u20ac2,350), The Hague (\u20ac2,150), Bern (\u20ac2,150) and Munich (\u20ac2,050).<\/p>\n
Lisbon (\u20ac1,750), Prague (\u20ac1,650), Vienna (\u20ac1,600), Zagreb (\u20ac1,550), Helsinki (\u20ac1,550) and Athens (\u20ac1,500) cluster in the \u20ac1,500\u2013\u20ac1,750 range.<\/p>\n
At the bottom of the list, Pristina follows Skopje (\u20ac470) closely at \u20ac520. Ankara, the Turkish capital, is the third cheapest city at \u20ac770 for a two-bedroom flat.<\/p>\n
The cheapest EU capitals for rent <\/p>\n
Tenants pay an average of \u20ac900 in Sofia, closely followed by Nicosia at \u20ac910. Bulgaria and Cyprus have the cheapest capitals within the EU for rent.<\/p>\n
Average rent is also below \u20ac1,000 in Tirana (\u20ac920) and Bucharest (\u20ac930).<\/p>\n
Several cities cluster around \u20ac1,200: Belgrade (\u20ac1,100), Sarajevo (\u20ac1,150), Riga (\u20ac1,150), Tallinn (\u20ac1,150), Vilnius (\u20ac1,200), Warsaw (\u20ac1,300) and Budapest (\u20ac1,300).<\/p>\n