What share of the minimum wage in a given European country goes to cover of the monthly rent? If we are talking about Bulgaria, then in most cases it is not even enough. However, this is not the case in Europe. There, its share varies from 35% in France to 56% in the Netherlands.
In 14 EU member states, the rent of a 2-bedroom home in 2023 is 35% of the minimum wage, reported by the European Confederation of Trade Unions – ETUC. For the current year, this percentage has grown to 45%. It is important to clarify that the minimum wage in the member states ranges widely from EUR 477 in Bulgaria to EUR 2571 in Luxembourg.
According to ETUC data, the rent for a 2-bedroom apartment starts from 215 EUR in our country and reaches 1340 EUR in Luxembourg. The average monthly rent for 14 of the EU member states is 600 EUR.
In seven countries, the average monthly rent is below EUR 400, according to ETUC data. First of all, this is Bulgaria – 215 EUR, and in second and third position are Romania and Croatia, respectively with a rent of 277 EUR and 311 EUR. Followed by Greece (344 EUR), Slovakia (371 EUR), Estonia (EUR) and Portugal (391 EUR).
More than EUR 1000 per month for housing rent must be allocated by those living in Luxembourg, Ireland and the Netherlands.
B Bulgaria, where the minimum wages and the rent are the lowest, the company pays as much as 45% of the income for the rent. B In Spain, this share is also the highest - 44%.
You can see detailed statistics on average property prices in Bulgaria by cities and neighborhoods HERE