Information about the cost of living in a destination is a decision factor, for instance, for travelers who are planning to stay overseas for months or longer. Digital nomads, retirees, people who are taking a year off of work, and remote workers may consider their destinations based on general level of costs. Here are the most affordable countries in Europe, and the most expensive as well.
World Population Review has collected price information from multiple sources from each European country, and published an index of the cost of living in 2024.
The European countries with the lowest cost of living (lowest first):
- North Macedonia
- Bulgaria
- Romania
- Serbia
- Albania
- Hungary
- Montenegro
- Poland
- Croatia
- Slovakia
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Slovenia
If you place the listed countries on a map, you’ll notice that many of the lowest cost countries are in East Europe. The countries have their long and rich history, and traditions with plenty of exciting destinations to visit and explore. For instance, Croatia’s coast has become so popular in recent years that some towns can be overcrowded during the high season.
The downside of low living costs can be somewhat underdeveloped infrastructure in some countries, but especially countries that have joined the European Union tend to get development resources from the EU. As any traveler who only speaks English is aware, English may not be widely spoken in some European countries. There are exceptions, though. I had the pleasure of visiting Slovenia in the spring, and discovered that even in a remote village garage personnel mastered English.
The middle category we can find countries that are not expensive, but not cheap either, are: Greece, Estonia, Czech Republic, Portugal, Spain, Malta, Italy, Belgium, Sweden, Finland, and France.
The European countries in 2024 with the highest cost of living (most expensive first):
- Switzerland
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Norway
- Luxembourg
- Denmark
- Netherlands
- United Kingdom
- Austria
- Germany