According to a mid-2024 index, *********** was the most expensive country to live in Europe, with an index score of ****.******** followed in the second place with around ** points less.

According to the European Backpacker Price Index for 2025, Zurich in Switzerland was the most expensive destination for budget travelers. The average daily cost in that city – based on prices for a cheap hostel, budget meals, public transport, and a limited budget for entertainment – amounted to almost 164 U.S. dollars as of January 2025. In comparison, the same trip to Budapest, one of the most affordable cities for backpacking in Europe, would have cost less than 50 U.S. dollars per day.

Denmark is the most expensive EU country for drivers fueling their cars with gasoline. As of February 2024, Denmark's gasoline price averaged **** euros per liter. Of this amount, costs related to the product accounted for the greatest price component, at *** euros per liter.

This dataset provides values for GASOLINE PRICES reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

The average transaction price of new housing in Europe was the highest in Norway, whereas existing homes were the most expensive in Austria. Since there is no central body that collects and tracks transaction activity or house prices across the whole continent or the European Union, not all countries are included. To compile the ranking, the source weighed the transaction prices of residential properties in the most important cities in each country based on data from their national offices. For example, in Germany, the cities included were Munich, Hamburg, Frankfurt, and Berlin. House prices have been soaring, with Sweden topping the ranking Considering the RHPI of houses in Europe (the price index in real terms, which measures price changes of single-family properties adjusted for the impact of inflation), however, the picture changes. Sweden, Luxembourg and Norway top this ranking, meaning residential property prices have surged the most in these countries. Real values were calculated using the so-called Personal Consumption Expenditure Deflator (PCE), This PCE uses both consumer prices as well as consumer expenditures, like medical and health care expenses paid by employers. It is meant to show how expensive housing is compared to the way of living in a country. Home ownership highest in Eastern Europe The home ownership rate in Europe varied from country to country. In 2020, roughly half of all homes in Germany were owner-occupied whereas home ownership was at nearly ** percent in Romania or around ** percent in Slovakia and Lithuania. These numbers were considerably higher than in France or Italy, where homeowners made up ** percent and ** percent of their respective populations.For more information on the topic of property in Europe, visit the following pages as a starting point for your research: real estate investments in Europe and residential real estate in Europe.

The average cost of leasing a car in Europe was the highest in Switzerland, with ***** euros, and the lowest in Greece, with *** euros, in 2024. While Northern European countries have relatively higher car costs, such as Norway and Netherlands, the cost of leasing is relatively low in Eastern European countries like Poland, Romania, and Slovakia. In addition, driving a car in France was one of the cheapest among Western European countries at an average of ***** euros.

Boundless, the fully compliant Employer of Record platform, compiled and analysed the employment costs in 32 countries within Europe, including gross salary, social and health insurance contributions, income taxes, net pay and more.

To collect this data, Boundless leveraged their internal salary calculators, a resource developed and used by the Boundless Payroll team in collaboration with local payroll partners in each country. This approach enabled Boundless to capture the true costs associated with employing staff in each of the 32 countries, taking into account all applicable regional nuances, and ensure that the findings reflect the latest legal and economic conditions.

In 2018, alcoholic beverages were most expensive in Iceland. Compared to European Union (EU-28), which was set at 100 points as the baseline for the index, Iceland scored 267.8 points on the price level index. The country in the European Union with the most expensive alcohol was Finland at 181.6 index points. The country also levied the highest excise duty on alcoholic products.

How much more expensive are houses in European capital cities than in the rest of the country? Of all the capital cities in Europe, prices in Paris had the highest disproportion to the national average in 2023. A new house in the French capital cost more than ***** times the price of a house outside the city. This was followed by Barcelona, Munich and Athens.

The average for 2021 based on 165 countries was 108.07 index points. The highest value was in Singapore: 355.77 index points and the lowest value was in Syria: 58.27 index points. The indicator is available from 2017 to 2021. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

The price of cigarettes is substantially different across Europe. As of 2024, the most expensive EU country in which to purchase cigarettes was Ireland, with a pack of 20 cigarettes retailing at 13.25 euros, followed by France at 10.95 euros. Cigarette prices in Europe are driven by the respective taxes imposed within each of the member states and consist of a specific duty per 1,000 cigarettes and an ad valorem rate on the recommended retail. Tobacco taxes Variations in cigarette prices are often a result of the different tobacco taxes across European countries. For instance, in Finland where the price for a pack of cigarettes is relatively high, the tobacco tax makes up more than 70 percent of the price. When comparing cigarette prices to the share of individuals who currently smoke cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos, or a pipe in European countries, a general trend is observable. Many of those countries with relatively high cigarette prices have comparably lower shares of smokers. Nonetheless, many other factors can influence smoking behavior, besides prices. For example, many people in a variety of European countries have stated that they smoked more cigarettes due to the coronavirus outbreak. Cigarette consumption in Germany In Germany, the most popular type of cigarettes in Germany are branded cigarettes, followed by fine-cut tobacco. The average price of cigarettes in Germany has continuously increased during the last half of a century. A particularly large increase was noticed between 2000 and 2005. The development of the average price of cigarettes and the tobacco tax in Germany are correlated. Pushing up the price of cigarettes has led to a decrease in the average consumption of (taxed) cigarettes in Germany. In 2000, an average of 382 million cigarettes were consumed per day. By contrast, an average of 175 million cigarettes were smoked per day in 2023.

Ireland had the most expensive retail wine, on average, in 2023. In that year, a 750ml bottle of wine cost an average of ***** U.S. dollars.

Natural gas prices for households in the European Union are more expensive for those with a consumption of less than 200 gigajoules. In 2023, for households with such a level of annual consumption, the natural gas price amounted to an average 11.56 euro cents per kilowatt-hour, while for consumption levels higher than 200 gigajoules, figures stood at 10.6 euro cents per kilowatt-hour. At that time, Sweden was the country with the most expensive household gas prices in the EU, at more than ten euro cents per kilowatt-hour.

As of July 2023, the main SVOD platform in the United Kingdom, NOW, stood out as the most expensive one across Europe's local players, priced at 9.99 euros per month. In contrast, Spain's main local streaming provider, Mitele, cost five euros per month. Meanwhile, Netflix's ad-supported tier was one of the more budget-friendly choices compared to the local competitors.

This dataset provides values for MILITARY EXPENDITURE reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

Switzerland had the highest price tags on new passenger cars sold in 2020, overtaking Norway for the first time in five years. Swiss people had to dig deeper into their pockets than any of their European neighbors, with prices roughly 15,000 euros higher than the EU-28 average. Reasons for automobiles being so costly in Switzerland are partly due to tax rates, which are set by each canton based on a set of varying criteria including but not limited to vehicle weight, powertrain, and CO2 emissions. These incentives contribute to making larger, heavier vehicles using petrol and diesel engines more expensive. The only vehicles exempt from taxes in selected cantons were electric cars. Electric vehicles are extremely popular in Norway, second in the ranking in terms of average vehicle price, in parts due to the VAT and tolls exemptions for electric vehicles in the country. Norwegian buyers are able to spend more on high-tech models.

Car tax rates in Nordic countries higher on average
Other European countries with a 25 percent tax rate on acquisition are Croatia, Denmark and Sweden, while those in Hungary even exceeded Norwegian rates by two percent. As seen in this statistic higher tax rates on passenger cars translates to higher prices overall. Sweden and Denmark both appeared in the top seven most expensive car buying countries. Hence, in terms of volume of new car registrations, Northern European countries trailed behind not only their more populous neighbors, but also other smaller countries where tax rates were lower.

Prices for passenger cars to stay stable
Prices for passenger cars were forecast to stay relatively stable in the next three years, with only slight increases expected. Luxury cars were the only group where price change was estimated to be more prominent.

Geneva stands out as Europe's most expensive city for apartment purchases in early 2025, with prices reaching a staggering 15,720 euros per square meter. This Swiss city's real estate market dwarfs even high-cost locations like Zurich and London, highlighting the extreme disparities in housing affordability across the continent. The stark contrast between Geneva and more affordable cities like Nantes, France, where the price was 3,700 euros per square meter, underscores the complex factors influencing urban property markets in Europe. Rental market dynamics and affordability challenges While purchase prices vary widely, rental markets across Europe also show significant differences. London maintained its position as the continent's priciest city for apartment rentals in 2023, with the average monthly costs for a rental apartment amounting to 36.1 euros per square meter. This figure is double the rent in Lisbon, Portugal or Madrid, Spain, and substantially higher than in other major capitals like Paris and Berlin. The disparity in rental costs reflects broader economic trends, housing policies, and the intricate balance of supply and demand in urban centers. Economic factors influencing housing costs The European housing market is influenced by various economic factors, including inflation and energy costs. As of April 2025, the European Union's inflation rate stood at 2.4 percent, with significant variations among member states. Romania experienced the highest inflation at 4.9 percent, while France and Cyprus maintained lower rates. These economic pressures, coupled with rising energy costs, contribute to the overall cost of living and housing affordability across Europe. The volatility in electricity prices, particularly in countries like Italy where rates are projected to reach 153.83 euros per megawatt hour by February 2025, further impacts housing-related expenses for both homeowners and renters.

The average for 2021 based on 156 countries was 116.77 index points. The highest value was in Bahrain: 249.82 index points and the lowest value was in Ukraine: 56.68 index points. The indicator is available from 2017 to 2021. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

The average for 2021 based on 165 countries was 107.92 index points. The highest value was in Switzerland: 263.59 index points and the lowest value was in the Maldives: 46.64 index points. The indicator is available from 2017 to 2021. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.