Cost of living · Eurostat PLI 2024 · EU-27 = 100
What does it really cost to live in Europe?
Compare the cost of living across 31 countries on one purchasing-power-comparable scale, rent, groceries, transport, healthcare, utilities and dining, then weigh prices against local income to see where you get the most for your money.
- Cheapest country
- 🇧🇬 Bulgaria
- Most expensive
- 🇨🇭 Switzerland
- Countries compared
- 31
- Cost categories
- 6
Eurostat price levels · 2024
Bulgaria posts the lowest overall cost index at 57 (EU-27 = 100), while Switzerland sits at 184, about 224% higher everyday prices across the same basket.
- 31
- countries compared
- 57
- Bulgaria cost index
- 184
- Switzerland cost index
- = 100
- EU-27 baseline
Same Eurostat comparative price levels as the cheapest-overall ranking; cost rank is not affordability rank.
Europe by cost-index band
Exclusive partition of all 31 published countries on the EU-27 = 100 scale: under 85, 85-99, 100-119, and 120+. Not a restatement of the cheapest-10 bar chart below.
Cheapest countries overall
Full ranking →Top-10 cost-index bars plus how far the #1 index sits below the EU-27 = 100 benchmark. Both panels use the same Eurostat sort; cost rank is not affordability rank.
Lowest overall cost of living (top 10)
🇧🇬 Bulgaria vs EU-27 = 100
Gauge reads the same #1 cost_index (57); the tick marks the EU average of 100.
The cost-vs-income map of Europe
Every country plotted by its overall price level (horizontal) against median net income (vertical). The top-left quadrant, lower prices, higher incomes, is where a typical income stretches furthest.
Source: Eurostat comparative price levels and median equivalised net income, 2024. Points to the left are cheaper than the EU norm; points higher up have larger typical incomes.
Best value for money
Full ranking →Where median net income goes furthest against local prices, income divided by the cost-of-living index. How we calculate this →
Browse the rankings
Popular comparisons
Compare any two →Come back to your comparison
Save any country pair in the income calculator. It stays on this device with your income, and every saved pair is recomputed against the Eurostat 2024 price-level vintage each time you return. Eurostat publishes comparative price levels once a year; the vintage shown here is 2024.
No saved comparisons on this device yet. Open the calculator →
All countries
View all →Guides
Plain-language explainers on reading cost-of-living data correctly.
Research & analysis
All analysis →Original, data-driven looks at how the cost of living varies across Europe.
What to do with this
Bulgaria is the cheapest of the 31 tracked countries (index 57), Switzerland the priciest (184). Cheapest is not the same as best value once local income is factored in.
- Run the cost-of-living calculator
- See why Luxembourg tops the best-value ranking
- Compare two countries side by side
- Read the guides on what the numbers mean
These are Eurostat comparative price-level averages, not a personal budget. Your own cost of living depends on lifestyle, city, and housing choices within any country.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a cost-of-living price index?
A comparative price-level index measures what a standardised basket of goods and services costs in each country, with the EU-27 average set to 100. An index of 120 means prices are about 20% above the EU norm; 80 means roughly 20% below. Because the basket is the same everywhere, the figures are directly comparable across borders, unlike raw local prices, which are distorted by exchange rates.
Which European country is cheapest to live in?
By overall price level, Bulgaria is the cheapest of the 31 countries tracked, with a Eurostat comparative price index of 57 (EU-27 = 100). The most expensive is Switzerland at 184. See the full cheapest-countries ranking for the complete list.
Does a low cost of living mean a high standard of living?
Not on its own. The cheapest countries often also have lower incomes, so affordability depends on both prices and pay. Our best-value ranking divides median net income by the local price level to show where a typical income actually stretches furthest, a more honest measure than either cost or income alone.
Where does this data come from?
Price-level indices are derived from Eurostat's comparative price levels (prc_ppp_ind) and comparative price-level data (2024), with the EU-27 average normalised to 100. Income figures are Eurostat median equivalised net income. Every figure on a country page links back to the source.
About this data
How PlainCostOfLiving works, and why you can trust these numbers
What this site is
PlainCostOfLiving compares the cost of living across 31 European countries using Eurostat's comparative price-level indices (EU-27 = 100), covering rent, groceries, transport, healthcare, utilities and dining, alongside Eurostat median equivalised net income to show where a typical income actually stretches furthest.
Editorial process
- Source. Pull comparative price-level indices directly from Eurostat's comparative price levels (prc_ppp_ind) and comparative price-level dataset, plus median equivalised net income.
- Verify. Every country figure keeps its Eurostat index value and vintage attached, so any comparison traces back to the official EU statistical release.
- Publish. Compile per-country pages, cheapest/best-value rankings, and research comparing price levels and income across Europe, all derived from the same Eurostat dataset.
Editorial independence & corrections
PlainCostOfLiving is independent and accepts no payment, sponsorship, or promoted placement. Found an error or an outdated figure? File a correction via the contact page; we review corrections and publish updates with a visible revision note. See our methodology for full source attribution and refresh cadence.
Frequently asked
What is a cost-of-living price index?
A comparative price-level index measures what a standardised basket of goods and services costs in each country, with the EU-27 average set to 100. An index of 120 means prices are about 20% above the EU norm; 80 means roughly 20% below. Because the basket is the same everywhere, the figures are directly comparable across borders, unlike raw local prices, which are distorted by exchange rates.
Which European country is cheapest to live in?
By overall price level, Bulgaria is the cheapest of the 31 countries tracked, with a Eurostat comparative price index of 57 (EU-27 = 100). The most expensive is Switzerland at 184. See the full cheapest-countries ranking for the complete list.
Does a low cost of living mean a high standard of living?
Not on its own. The cheapest countries often also have lower incomes, so affordability depends on both prices and pay. Our best-value ranking divides median net income by the local price level to show where a typical income actually stretches furthest, a more honest measure than either cost or income alone.
Where does this data come from?
Price-level indices are derived from Eurostat's comparative price levels (prc_ppp_ind) and comparative price-level data (2024), with the EU-27 average normalised to 100. Income figures are Eurostat median equivalised net income. Every figure on a country page links back to the source.