A lot of us have thought about moving somewhere new recently. Whether it’s the idea of leaving a big capital city to find a slower pace of life somewhere else, or just wanting to GTFO after months trapped in our homes, starting over in a new place has never felt so tempting.
The snag, of course, is money. It’s so expensive to move, and then there’s all the rent you’ll have to pay in your dream new home. But if you’re still at the deciding-which-place-to-move-to stage of relocating, a new study from cost-of-living comparison site Expatistan should help. It has compared the cost of living in every city across the continent, looking at all-important criteria like energy bills, the price of a McDonald’s meal – and rent.
Eastern European countries seem to be the place to head for value for money. The monthly rent for a 900-square-foot furnished apartment in an expensive area of London averages at about £2,296 (or €2,750). In Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia, you can get a similarly sized pad, in a similarly chic area, for €391 per month.
Romania appears to have particularly cheap rent, too. You’re looking to pay around €415 per month in Iasi for a flat in the best part of town. Even the most expensive of the top ten, Cluj-Napoca, comes in way cheaper than London, with prices averaging at around €734 per month.
In at number eight is Minsk, with average rent around €603 per month. Though, it must be said, you probably wouldn’t want to move there, what with the Belarusian government having ruthlessly cracked down on journalists and protesters in the city.
But, anyway, thinking hard about that big move abroad? Here are top ten cheapest cities to rent in Europe right now, according to that study:
- Skopje, North Macedonia – €391 a month
- Pristina, Kosovo – €417 a month
- Iasi, Romania – €415 a month
- Lviv, Ukraine – €452 a month
- Kharkiv, Ukraine – €470 a month
- Brasov, Romania – €490 a month
- Timișoara, Romania – €517 a month
- Minsk, Belarus – €603 a month
- Lodz, Poland – €616 a month
- Cluj-Napoca, Romania – €734 a month
Cheap booze high on your list of priorities? Now find out the cheapest cities in the world for a pint of beer.