Europe's Most Expensive Housing in 2026: In Which City Will You Have to Save for an Apartment for Nearly 16 Years?

A new analytical study of the real estate market has identified the least affordable cities in Europe for homebuyers. Find out where middle-income residents wait the longest for their own apartment and why prices are rising faster than wages

An insurance policy is a guarantee of your safety and peaceful stay outside Ukraine

BUY

The Czech capital has taken first place in the ranking of Europe’s least affordable cities for homebuyers. A Prague resident with an average income must save the equivalent of 15.9 years’ worth of salary to purchase a new 70-square-meter apartment. This is according to data from an international real estate market analysis cited by Czechia-online.

Over the past year, the situation has worsened: the figure has risen by another 0.4 annual salaries. Analysts cite the rapid rise in real estate prices, which far outpaces the growth in household incomes, as the main reason. Over the past decade, the cost of new apartments in Prague has risen by nearly 180%, while the average salary has increased by only 80%.

“This critical situation is forcing young families to either spend years stuck in burdensome mortgages or give up on the idea of owning a home altogether, exacerbating the crisis in the long-term rental market,” the publication writes.

Read also: How much will it cost to live in the top 5 best EU countries in 2026 — monthly budget and expenses.

Ranking of Europe’s most expensive cities by housing affordability

The top 6 European cities where you have to work the longest to afford a 70-square-meter apartment include:

● Prague (Czech Republic) — 15.9 times annual salary

● Bratislava (Slovakia) — 13.9

● Munich (Germany) — 10.9

● Warsaw (Poland) — 9.2

● Berlin (Germany) — 8.4

● Vienna (Austria) — 8.1

It is telling that two Czech cities made it into the top six—after all, although Brno did not make the top 6 in the overall ranking, it requires about 13 years’ worth of salary to purchase a comparable apartment, placing it between Bratislava and Munich. A similar problem of housing affordability has effectively spread across all of Central Europe.

Don't want to miss important updates and useful articles? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter!

Why is housing becoming more expensive faster than incomes?

The study’s data demonstrate a systemic gap between price growth and wage growth. In Prague, this gap is the most dramatic: prices have more than doubled over 10 years, while the population’s purchasing power has increased significantly less.

Among the factors analysts identify as key are: a shortage of new construction in cities, pressure from investment demand, rising costs of building materials, and pan-European inflationary trends. The rental market is reacting to this even more painfully—demand for long-term rentals is growing, while supply cannot keep up.

For Ukrainians considering a move or a long-term stay in one of these cities, it is also worth taking care of health insurance—you can quickly apply for a policy for travel abroad online via Visit Ukraine.

We remind you! Despite the active development of renewable energy in many EU countries, electricity prices for households continue to vary significantly. Read where electricity is most expensive and why even leaders in green energy cannot always offer low rates.

Photo: xb100 / Freepik

Want to know more? Read the latest news and useful materials about Ukraine and the world in the News section.

Our recommendation for a safe and comfortable trip: 

Visit Ukraine Insurance - insurance for a safe stay abroad without unnecessary expenses;

Green Card - compulsory car insurance for traveling abroad;

Visit Ukraine Tickets - book tickets for buses, trains, and airplanes to/from Ukraine and between cities around the world;

Private Lawyer service - professional legal support on visa and migration issues;

Visit Ukraine Merch - buy patriotic clothing and accessories with worldwide delivery.

© 2018-2026, Visit Ukraine. Use, copying or reprinting of materials on this site is permitted only with a link (hyperlink for online publications) to Visit Ukraine.

All rights reserved.