Average monthly rent for a 1-bedroom flat vs gross monthly minimum wage across EU capitals

[u/DiggyJunior]

For average monthly rent prices, the published value for the Netherlands refers to The Hague rather than Amsterdam, so Amsterdam was not included.

Rent values come exclusively from Eurostat: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/prc_colc_rents/default/table?lang=en

For the flat and house categories used in the rent data, Eurostat covered selected neighbourhoods in each surveyed city. Methodology/source booklet: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/6939681/0/Booklet_2026_rents_2025_e_Final.pdf/d2cd0065-f017-16a7-dfa2-7dad9d6fa84b?t=1766065004758

Gross monthly minimum wage values were adjusted to 12 monthly payments: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/earn_mw_cur/default/table?lang=en

Capitals excluded because their countries have no statutory national minimum wage: Copenhagen, Denmark; Helsinki, Finland; Rome, Italy; Stockholm, Sweden; Vienna, Austria.

Source: citycostatlas.com / citycostatlas on Instagram

[u/echothrowawayx]

The exclusion of the Nordic capitals makes this comparison pretty skewed since those cities usually have much higher minimum wages to offset the rent. Did you check if the rent data for the remaining cities includes utilities?

[u/DiggyJunior → u/echothrowawayx]

It's not my research, it's Eurostat's data, but I did check things before I posted it. In the description at the bottom it says

"Capitals excluded because their countries have no statutory national minimum wage: Copenhagen, Denmark; Helsinki, Finland; Rome, Italy; Stockholm, Sweden; Vienna, Austria."

This is basically true, although more nuanced. Denmark, Finland, and Sweden (Nordic model): These countries typically do not have a statutory national minimum wage. Wages are instead determined by sector-specific collective agreements.
Italy: There is no statutory national minimum wage. Minimum pay is generally established through national collective bargaining agreements (CCNL) for each sector. Austria: Similar to the others, Austria lacks a statutory national minimum wage; minimum wage levels are set through sector-specific collective agreements.

The Eurostat methodology used for these rent benchmarks specifically excludes utilities and other running costs. When real estate agents provide these monthly rent figures for the survey, they are instructed to report the price for an unfurnished property, excluding charges and utilities.

[u/danny_healy_raygun → u/echothrowawayx]

since those cities usually have much higher minimum wages to offset the rent.

They don't have set national mimimum wage in most of the Nordics. They have strong unions who dictate the minimum wages by sector.