The big picture
Illustrative housing scenarios — not a reliable country ranking
Low rent alone does not make a place affordable. What matters is its relationship to income after tax and employee contributions. Here, each country's local median gross salary is paired with one disclosed rent profile, using the 2026 tax model.
The rents describe different dwellings, locations, market segments and source periods. A Berlin asking rent modelled for 75 m² is not directly comparable with a Swiss two-room stock rent. The table illustrates the consequences of these assumptions; it does not establish which country is generally cheapest.
Under these assumptions, Germany leaves €1,759 a month after rent and Switzerland €4,833. The respective rent shares are 38.5 % and 20.7 %. That is a difference between these income and housing scenarios, not evidence that finding an affordable Swiss home is proportionately easier.
- Countries
- 8
- Comparison basis
- Rent/net
- Approach
- Illustrative scenarios
- No country ranking
Rent-to-income comparison
Switches all eight countries between their stored national and urban rent values. Values without matching source evidence are marked as model assumptions, not verified medians. Sourced values also use different means, medians and rent definitions. Salary basis and taxes stay unchanged.
| Country | Rent definition and source period | Median gross | Tax + employee contributions | Net | Rent | Rent | After rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | Editorial rent assumption, not a verified national rent statistic. Dwelling type, geographic coverage and included utilities are not established on a comparable basis. Model assumption, no statistical reference period National model assumption | €54,066 | €1,647 | €2,859 | €1,100 | 38.5 % | €1,759 |
| Austria | Editorial rent assumption, not a verified national rent statistic. Dwelling type, geographic coverage and included utilities are not established on a comparable basis. Model assumption, no statistical reference period National model assumption | €55,678 | €1,391 | €3,248 | €1,150 | 35.4 % | €2,098 |
| Switzerland | Switzerland: average net rent for a two-room dwelling in occupied rental housing outside the non-profit sector. Ancillary and heating costs excluded; not a new-tenancy asking rent. 2022 | €91,977 | €1,572 | €6,092 | €1,259 | 20.7 % | €4,833 |
| USA | Editorial rent assumption, not a verified national rent statistic. Dwelling type, geographic coverage and included utilities are not established on a comparable basis. Model assumption, no statistical reference period National model assumption | €55,935 | €999 | €3,662 | €1,429 | 39.0 % | €2,233 |
| United Kingdom | Editorial rent assumption, not a verified national rent statistic. Dwelling type, geographic coverage and included utilities are not established on a comparable basis. Model assumption, no statistical reference period National model assumption | €46,793 | €871 | €3,028 | €1,798 | 59.4 % | €1,230 |
| Ireland | Editorial rent assumption, not a verified national rent statistic. Dwelling type, geographic coverage and included utilities are not established on a comparable basis. Model assumption, no statistical reference period National model assumption | €38,006 | €490 | €2,677 | €2,000 | 74.7 % | €677 |
| Canada | Editorial rent assumption, not a verified national rent statistic. Dwelling type, geographic coverage and included utilities are not established on a comparable basis. Model assumption, no statistical reference period National model assumption | €43,484 | €858 | €2,766 | €887 | 32.1 % | €1,879 |
| Australia | Australia: national median advertised rent across a mix of houses and apartments. Size and bedroom count are not standardized; utilities excluded. December 2025 | €55,760 | €1,014 | €3,633 | €1,818 | 50.0 % | €1,815 |
What the numbers actually tell us
Germany and Austria: similar model size, different rent definitions
Match location and included costs
With the selected rent inputs, Germany uses 38.5 % of calculated net pay and Austria 35.4 %. Monthly income after rent is €1,759 and €2,098, respectively.
The Berlin and Vienna source examples in the following paragraph explain the different rent definitions. Their location and dwelling size must not be attributed to unsourced model values in the table; the Vienna source value is not Austria's urban model assumption.
Both cases model 75 m², but Berlin uses a cold-rent measure across dwelling sizes, while Vienna uses an asking-rent observation from Leopoldstadt including operating costs and VAT. The difference is therefore not simply a Germany-versus-Austria effect or a consequence of tax alone. Location, size and included charges need to match first.
Switzerland: stock rent is not an arrival price
Existing contracts do not establish today's asking rent
The Swiss calculation shows a 20.7 % rent share and €4,833 a month left after rent.
This pairs a national salary median with a two-room stock rent from 2022. That is a different housing scenario from a Berlin 75-m² asking rent. Existing contracts say little about the home a newcomer can actually secure today. Health insurance paid outside payroll and other living costs must also come out of the remainder.
Illustrative cases: Ireland, UK, USA and Canada
Rent assumptions shape the ratio
With the chosen rent assumptions, Ireland leaves €677 and the UK €1,230 per month; their rent shares are 74.7 % and 59.4 %.
Rent inputs for these four countries are editorial assumptions. A high ratio means that the assumed home consumes a large share of modelled median net pay. It establishes neither a typical national burden nor a measured international rank. An actual rental offer can materially change the result.
Australia: an advertised median across a dwelling mix
The dwelling mix matters
A national advertised-rent median is closer to listed rents than a stock measure. It still covers a different mix of houses, apartments and sizes from a fixed 75-m² model. Its ratio remains an illustrative calculation rather than a comparison of the same housing standard across eight countries.
Why rent-to-income ratios can mislead
- Net pay versus gross pay
- The ratio uses calculated salary net. Salary medians have different statistical coverage and 2024–2025 source periods. Ireland's series covers employments active in October without an hours-worked split; the eight inputs are not a uniform full-time median series.
- City, country and dwelling size
- A national salary median is not a city salary. Different geographies and property sizes can create an apparent affordability gap without comparing equivalent homes.
- Existing versus new tenancies
- Stock rents can reflect older contracts. Asking rents are listed prices, not guaranteed availability or necessarily the final agreed rent.
- After rent is not disposable spending money
- Food, transport, external health insurance, childcare and other costs remain unpaid. Operating charges or heating may be additional, depending on the rent definition. Exchange rates also affect the EUR display; it is not purchasing-power adjusted.
Compare your own situation
For a move, start with your actual salary offer, personal tax profile and the cost of a home you can secure. Check which charges are included and add health insurance and the rest of your monthly spending. Those inputs provide the common basis for a personal budget decision.
Compare your own salary and housing costs →Sources and methodology
Model: single person, age 35, no children, country-default tax region, tax year 2026. Local median gross salaries use the disclosed source periods. Annual figures are divided by twelve for the monthly display. Rent is subtracted from calculated net pay; rents are not inflated to a new year and other living costs are not deducted here. The source definition beside each row remains essential.
Sources and result scope
- Net pay: Obolus TaxCompare API · 2026
- DE · Median gross: German Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) (2025) · Rent: editorial assumption; not a verified statistic
- AT · Median gross: Statistics Austria (2024) · Rent: editorial assumption; not a verified statistic
- CH · Median gross: Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO) (2024) · Rent: Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO) (2022)
Switzerland: Average monthly net rent for a two-room dwelling in the occupied rental stock. CHF 1,154 net rent per month. Excludes ancillary and heating costs; existing tenancies, not asking rents for a new arrival.
· Health insurance: BAG / Priminfo (2026) · Currency conversion: ECB 2026-11-09 - US · Median gross: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) (2025) · Rent: editorial assumption; not a verified statistic · Currency conversion: ECB 2026-11-09
- UK · Median gross: UK Office for National Statistics (ONS) (April 2025) · Rent: editorial assumption; not a verified statistic · Currency conversion: ECB 2026-11-09
- IE · Median gross: Central Statistics Office Ireland (CSO) (2024) · Rent: editorial assumption; not a verified statistic
- CA · Median gross: Statistics Canada (2025) · Rent: editorial assumption; not a verified statistic · Currency conversion: ECB 2026-11-09
- AU · Median gross: Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (August 2025) · Rent: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), citing Cotality (December 2025)
Australia: National median advertised rent across the rental-market dwelling mix. AUD 681 per week; dwelling type, bedroom count and floor area are not standardized. Utilities are not included.
· Health insurance: Services Australia (2026 rules) · Currency conversion: ECB 2026-11-09
Berlin and Vienna source examples — separate inputs
- Kiel Institut für Weltwirtschaft auf Basis der VALUE Marktdatenbank (2026-Q1)
Berlin: Mean asking cold rent per m² across apartment sizes; 75 m² is a modelled scenario, not an observed mean for 75 m² apartments. Berlin city value, not a national average. Operating costs and heating excluded.
- DER STANDARD / immopreise.at (2026-08)
Vienna, district 2 Leopoldstadt: Mean asking rent for 51–80 m² apartments, modelled at 75 m². Leopoldstadt district example, not a citywide or national average. Operating costs and VAT included. Heating, electricity and internet are not confirmed as included.
Why is this not a reliable country ranking?
Dwelling size, geography, stock or asking rents, included costs and reference periods differ. The calculated ratios illustrate these housing scenarios rather than a uniformly measured national housing burden.
Are urban and national rent benchmarks directly comparable?
Only when geography, dwelling size, reference period and coverage match. This page uses the disclosed default profile for each country. City examples and model assumptions are not national averages.
What does housing burden mean on this page?
The ratio is assumed annual rent divided by calculated annual net pay. It applies to the housing scenario shown, not an officially measured national housing burden. Other living costs are not included.
How much of net income goes to rent?
HousingAnnual net pay, selected rent and income after rent for the illustrated housing scenarios. Uses the same rent basis as the table.
Single household · Annual values · Local median gross salaries · National rent inputs
Germany
Median gross: €54,066
Housing burden: 38.5%
Austria
Median gross: €55,678
Housing burden: 35.4%
Switzerland
Median gross: €91,977
Housing burden: 20.7%
USA
Median gross: €55,935
Housing burden: 39.0%
United Kingdom
Median gross: €46,793
Housing burden: 59.4%
Ireland
Median gross: €38,006
Housing burden: 74.7%
Canada
Median gross: €43,484
Housing burden: 32.1%
Australia
Median gross: €55,760
Housing burden: 50.0%
Illustrative scenarios, not a country ranking. Rent definitions and model assumptions differ; other living costs remain unpaid.