Many European countries face a housing crisis, with a shortage of homes and rising prices. Rents also continue to increase, and city centres are particularly expensive. A single salary is no longer enough to cover the rent for a family-sized flat in the heart of a major city for many European households.
But what if a couple both work and share the rent? Is that enough? How much money would they have left each month after paying rent? And how do European cities compare globally?
The Mapping the World’s Prices 2026 report, published by Deutsche Bank Research Institute, sheds some light on the topic. It looks at two people earning a local net salary and deducts the rent on a three-bedroom apartment in the given city centre. What remains is the household’s disposable income after rent.
Among 28 European cities, the disposable income after rent ranges from €253 in Lisbon to €9,140 in Zurich.
Swiss cities lead the ranking
Zurich has the most expensive rent (€5,502) among the 28 cities. But it also has the highest net salary (€7,321). As a result, a couple in Zurich has the most money left after rent (€9,140).
In addition to Zurich, Geneva is far ahead of the rest. In Geneva, a couple has €8,783 left each month after rent. This is thanks to the second-highest net salary (€6,516).
Luxembourg is third with €5,890. It has the third-highest net salary (€4,548). Its rent is also high (€3,206), but lower than in cities such as London, Dublin and Amsterdam. This leaves couples with more money at the end of the month.
Birmingham follows with €5,238, just ahead of Copenhagen with €5,233.
Birmingham vs London: Rent makes the difference
A couple in Birmingham has €5,238 left each month after rent. In London, the figure is €3,148. That means couples in Birmingham have €2,090 more each month.
Salaries are lower in Birmingham, but rent is much cheaper. A city-centre flat costs €1,949 in Birmingham, compared with €4,362 in London.
Couples also have more than €4,000 left after rent in Oslo (€4,936), Frankfurt (€4,786), Munich (€4,575) and Amsterdam (€4,431).
Amsterdam’s rent is among the five highest (€3,542), but a high net salary (€3,986) makes up for it.
Vienna (€3,709) and Stockholm (€3,674) are very close to this level.
Berlin beats Paris thanks to lower rent
Salaries in Paris are higher than in Berlin (€3,171 compared with €2,946). Yet couples in Berlin have more left after rent (€3,554 compared with €3,336). The reason is rent. A city-centre flat costs €3,005 in Paris but €2,339 in Berlin.
Dublin has a higher net salary (€3,455) than Paris, Berlin, Vienna and Stockholm. But couples there have less left after rent than in all of these cities (€3,038). Rent in Dublin is the fourth-highest in Europe (€3,873), and it is higher than one net salary.
Southern Europe is at the bottom
Cities in southern Europe have the lowest income after rent. Lisbon and Milan are the hardest cities for couples. In Lisbon, just €253 is left after rent. The net salary there is €1,408, but the rent is €2,561.
In Milan, only €697 is left. In Madrid, a couple has €1,905 left each month. In Barcelona, they have €1,832. The figure falls to €1,265 in Rome and €1,148 in Athens. In Athens, the rent (€1,164) is slightly higher than one net salary (€1,156).
Istanbul follows Lisbon at the bottom of the European list with €353. The net salary there is €1,027, but the rent is €1,701.
Central and Eastern Europe do better than the south
Some cities in Central and Eastern Europe perform better than those in Southern Europe. In Prague, a couple has €2,054 left after rent. In Warsaw, they have €1,985, and in Budapest €1,548. All three are above Rome and Athens.
It is important to note that rent is the only cost included. Couples still need to pay for food, bills and transport.
Is one salary enough to pay the rent?
The answer is no in many cities. In 11 cities, rent is higher than one net salary. These are Athens, Barcelona, Budapest, Dublin, Istanbul, Lisbon, London, Madrid, Milan, Prague and Rome.
Lisbon has the biggest gap. The net salary is €1,408, while rent costs €2,561, which is 82% more than one salary. In Milan, a net salary is €1,940, compared with rent of €3,184.
In Prague and Budapest, rent and one net salary are almost the same.
How does Europe compare with the rest of the world?
Europe performs well in the global ranking. Zurich (€9,140) and Geneva (€8,783) top the list of 69 cities, ahead of San Francisco (€7,992). Seven of the top 10 are in Europe.
No European city is in the bottom 10. All of them are in Latin America, Asia and Africa. In six, rent costs more than two net salaries. Manila (-€882) and Bangkok (-€759) are at the bottom.
In Moscow, a couple has €313 left after rent. The net salary is €1,570, but the rent is €2,827.
Several European cities also do better than New York (€1,921).
Younger generations in Europe have lower homeownership rates than earlier generations. In 2026, house prices and rents continue to rise across Europe, outpacing inflation in many countries.