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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Denmark is the most expensive EU country for drivers fueling their cars with gasoline. As of January 2025, Denmark's gasoline price averaged **** euros per liter. It was the only country to have average prices above *** euros per liter that month. Product related costs accounted for the greatest price component, at **** euros per liter.

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.

Revenue in Europe’s Secondary Education industry is expected to rise slightly at a compound annual rate of 0.7% to €361 billion over the five years through 2025. Secondary education is compulsory for those aged between 11 and 16, although some leaving ages vary in different European countries. Many secondary schools are public schools funded by local and national governments, ensuring that funding remains fairly stable and revenue isn’t volatile. Private or independent schools generate more revenue due to steep tuition fees per pupil. Europe is home to some of the most expensive private schools. Over 2020-21, the COVID-19 outbreak severely hampered the day-to-day running of schools. Temporary closures forced pupils to stay at home and learn online. Schools were forced to spend more on cleaning purchases and education technology when they were allowed to re-open under strict guidelines, which squeezed profit in 2020-21. Schools have since found their footing, retaining their status as essential institutions and a government funding priority, with revenue anticipated to creep upwards by 0.2% in 2025. Revenue is expected to climb at a compound annual rate of 0.9% to €376.8 billion over the five years through 2030. Free schools, popularised in Sweden, have become a growing trend in secondary education, with the UK planning to make all of its secondary schools academies in 2030. Recently, doubt has been cast on their effectiveness, with the Swedish government set to investigate reports surrounding their poor quality and parent and teacher dissatisfaction. Technology will continue to improve teaching in secondary education, and courses will teach more digital skills that complement face-to-face teaching.

The average for 2021 based on 165 countries was 91.84 index points. The highest value was in Bermuda: 207.78 index points and the lowest value was in the Gambia: 35.21 index points. The indicator is available from 2017 to 2021. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

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.

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.

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.

BackgroundDiabetes imposes a substantial burden globally in terms of premature mortality, morbidity, and health care costs. Estimates of economic outcomes associated with diabetes are essential inputs to policy analyses aimed at prevention and treatment of diabetes. Our objective was to estimate and compare event rates, hospital utilization, and costs associated with major diabetes-related complications in high-, middle-, and low-income countries.Methods and FindingsIncidence and history of diabetes-related complications, hospital admissions, and length of stay were recorded in 11,140 patients with type 2 diabetes participating in the Action in Diabetes and Vascular Disease (ADVANCE) study (mean age at entry 66 y). The probability of hospital utilization and number of days in hospital for major events associated with coronary disease, cerebrovascular disease, congestive heart failure, peripheral vascular disease, and nephropathy were estimated for three regions (Asia, Eastern Europe, and Established Market Economies) using multiple regression analysis. The resulting estimates of days spent in hospital were multiplied by regional estimates of the costs per hospital bed-day from the World Health Organization to compute annual acute and long-term costs associated with the different types of complications. To assist, comparability, costs are reported in international dollars (Int$), which represent a hypothetical currency that allows for the same quantities of goods or services to be purchased regardless of country, standardized on purchasing power in the United States. A cost calculator accompanying this paper enables the estimation of costs for individual countries and translation of these costs into local currency units. The probability of attending a hospital following an event was highest for heart failure (93%–96% across regions) and lowest for nephropathy (15%–26%). The average numbers of days in hospital given at least one admission were greatest for stroke (17–32 d across region) and heart failure (16–31 d) and lowest for nephropathy (12–23 d). Considering regional differences, probabilities of hospitalization were lowest in Asia and highest in Established Market Economies; on the other hand, lengths of stay were highest in Asia and lowest in Established Market Economies. Overall estimated annual hospital costs for patients with none of the specified events or event histories ranged from Int$76 in Asia to Int$296 in Established Market Economies. All complications included in this analysis led to significant increases in hospital costs; coronary events, cerebrovascular events, and heart failure were the most costly, at more than Int$1,800, Int$3,000, and Int$4,000 in Asia, Eastern Europe, and Established Market Economies, respectively.ConclusionsMajor complications of diabetes significantly increase hospital use and costs across various settings and are likely to impose a high economic burden on health care systems. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary

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.

In the presented European countries, the homeownership rate extended from 42.6 percent in Switzerland to as much as 95.9 percent in Albania. Countries with more mature rental markets, such as France, Germany, the UK, and Switzerland, tended to have a lower homeownership rate compared to the frontier countries, such as Lithuania or Slovakia. The share of house owners among the population of all 20 euro area countries stood at 64.5 percent in 2024. Average cost of housing Countries with lower homeownership rates tend to have higher house prices. In 2024, the average transaction price for a house was notably higher in Western and Northern Europe than in Eastern and Southern Europe. In Austria, one of the most expensive European countries to buy a new dwelling in, the average price was three times higher than in Greece. Looking at house price growth, however, the most expensive markets recorded slower house price growth compared to the mid-priced markets. Housing supply With population numbers rising across Europe, the need for affordable housing continues. In 2024, European countries completed between one and six housing units per 1,000 citizens, with Ireland, Poland, and Denmark responsible for heading the ranking. One of the major challenges for supplying the market with more affordable homes is the rising construction costs. In 2021 and 2022, housing construction costs escalated dramatically due to soaring inflation, which has had a significant effect on new supply.

The most expensive tobacco in Europe was sold in Ireland and Norway in 2021. In Ireland, cigarettes and other forms of tobacco sold for nearly *** times the price of the average EU country. Other nations in which the price of tobacco is high include France, Iceland, and the Nordic countries. In contrast, Balkan states sold tobacco for a much lower price. For instance, in Albania, the average price of tobacco was roughly ** percent of the EU average.