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Best Countries for Housing Affordability in Europe (2026)

Every European country in our catalog ranked for housing affordability in 2026. Higher scores mean rent and home costs weigh less on a typical mover budget.

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Western European capitals are not the whole rent map. This list ranks every European country in our catalog by how affordable housing tends to be for someone relocating, not for a weekend city break.

Pair this table with our cost of living calculator for city numbers, and use Compare when two countries look close on paper.

Housing Affordability Score on the map

Higher score = stronger housing affordability

Tap a country to see its score.

Housing Affordability Score world map
8.5+
7.0–8.4
5.5–6.9
Below 5.5
RankCountryHousing Affordability Score
#1Hungary9.0
#2Moldova8.9
#3Ukraine8.8
#4Poland8.7
#5Czech Republic8.5
#6Portugal8.3
#7Spain8.3
#8Lithuania8.3
#9Romania8.2
#10Serbia8.2
#11Bulgaria8.1
#12Estonia8.0
#13Latvia8.0
#14Greece7.8
#15Turkiye7.8
#16Bosnia and Herzegovina7.8
#17Italy7.7
#18Croatia7.5
#19Netherlands7.3
#20Austria7.3
#21France7.3
#22Malta7.3
#23Andorra7.3
#24Germany7.0
#25Finland7.0
#26Belgium7.0
#27Russia7.0
#28Cyprus7.0
#29San Marino7.0
#30Sweden6.2
#31Denmark6.2
#32Ireland5.8
#33United Kingdom5.5
#34Liechtenstein5.5
#35Norway4.8
#36Iceland4.5
#37Switzerland4.2
#38Luxembourg4.0
#39Monaco3.0

Why the leaders rank here for housing affordability

Central and Eastern European markets lead European housing affordability for movers who can trade lower rent for different job depth, language needs, and city services.

  1. #1
    Hungary9.0

    Budapest and regional towns still price rent below many Western capitals, though popular districts can tighten quickly for newcomers.

  2. #2
    Moldova8.9

    Lower housing pressure relative to Western Europe helps stretch a relocation budget, provided work access and services match your plan.

  3. #3
    Ukraine8.8

    National housing scores sit high on affordability, but wartime risk, displacement, and city-level safety are separate checks this ranking does not replace.

  4. #4
    Poland8.7

    Major cities cost more than smaller towns, yet overall housing pressure still tends to sit below the most expensive Western European markets.

  5. #5
    Czech Republic8.5

    Prague pulls rents up, while secondary cities and overall national pressure keep housing more manageable than many EU peers for careful movers.

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, plus cross-listed peers such as Turkey), then sort by housing affordability score, highest first. The order below is generated at build time from our latest editorial model.

What this does not measure: One neighbourhood's bidding war, deposit law quirks, or whether your salary matches local rents. Always price the exact city and lease type you will sign.

Updates: Rankings refresh when we redeploy after underlying country data changes.

Explore these countries

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

Showing top 8 of 39 ranked countries. Scroll the table above for the full list.

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