Rising rental costs across Europe outpace minimum wages

A new analysis by the European Trade Union Institute (ETUC), based on 2026 Eurostat data, reveals that rental costs for two-bedroom apartments significantly exceed national minimum wages across Europe. On average, rent is 218 euros higher than the minimum wage, with the gap reaching over 700 euros in cities like Prague, Lisbon, and Dublin. In Athens, Bratislava, Budapest, and Valletta, this difference exceeds 400 euros. In Nicosia, the average rent is 164 euros above the minimum wage, accounting for approximately 85% of it. Nationwide, the average rent across Europe corresponds to about 42% of the minimum wage. In countries such as Ireland and the Netherlands, low-wage workers spend over half of their income on housing. The data reflects a growing economic burden on households, with the ETUC highlighting the critical disparity between stagnant wages and increasing housing costs.