France allows some remote work on long-stay visitor visa

Cheapest Countries to Live in Europe (2026)

Every European country in our catalog ranked by cost-of-living scores for 2026. Higher score means more affordable day-to-day living.

Last updated

"Cheap Europe" is not one country. Bulgaria rent is not Zurich rent. This list ranks every European country in our catalog, using our Cost of Living score where a higher number means more affordable relative to the rest of our database.

Pair this table with Compare when you are down to two finalists, and read each country's residence pathway before you book flights.

RankCountryCost of Living Score
#1Moldova8.9
#2Ukraine8.8
#3Bulgaria8.6
#4Portugal8.5
#5Hungary8.5
#6Serbia8.5
#7Poland8.2
#8Romania8.2
#9Bosnia and Herzegovina8.2
#10Czech Republic8.0
#11Spain7.8
#12Greece7.8
#13Lithuania7.8
#14Estonia7.5
#15Latvia7.5
#16Italy7.2
#17Russia7.0
#18Cyprus7.0
#19Croatia7.0
#20Netherlands6.8
#21Austria6.8
#22France6.8
#23Malta6.8
#24Andorra6.8
#25Germany6.5
#26Finland6.5
#27Belgium6.5
#28San Marino6.5
#29Sweden6.2
#30Denmark6.2
#31Ireland5.8
#32United Kingdom5.5
#33Liechtenstein5.5
#34Norway4.8
#35Iceland4.5
#36Switzerland4.2
#37Luxembourg4.0
#38Monaco3.0

Why the leaders rank here for cost of living

Eastern and southern Europe dominate affordability here because everyday groceries, rent, and services still land far below western EU capitals.

  1. #1
    Moldova8.9

    Chisinau-scale living costs stay among the lowest in Europe while still offering cafes, clinics, and regional travel links.

  2. #2
    Ukraine8.8

    Outside active conflict zones, major cities have historically offered very low rents, though risk and access need a separate safety review.

  3. #3
    Bulgaria8.6

    Sofia and Plovdiv pair EU membership with rent and dining bills that undercut most western neighbors.

  4. #4
    Portugal8.5

    Lisbon is not cheap, but inland towns and the Algarve still score well on national affordability versus northern Europe.

  5. #5
    Hungary8.5

    Budapest delivers central European culture with monthly costs closer to Balkan peers than to Vienna or Munich.

Rankings are based on our scoring model. Always verify visa and cost information with official sources before making relocation decisions.

How we calculate these rankings

We filter to European countries in our geographic model (Western, Southern, Northern, and Eastern Europe buckets), then sort by Cost of Living score descending. New European countries added to the catalog appear here automatically.

Data sources: Country To Live scoring model, Numbeo-style cost indices where maintained, and editorial review. Material changes are logged on Score updates.

What higher affordability does not guarantee: Easy visas, high salaries, or English-friendly admin. A cheap country can still be the wrong fit if your income is tied elsewhere.

Updates: Rankings refresh automatically when underlying country scores change in our database and we redeploy.

Explore these countries

Open any country profile for full cost of living context, visas, and scores. Use compare when you are weighing a shortlist.

Showing top 8 of 38 ranked countries. Scroll the table above for the full list.

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