Housing is the largest expense for Europeans, but in many capitals, it has become a mathematical impossibility. This gallery explores the major cities in Europe where the gross minimum wage fails to cover the cost of a two-bedroom apartment. The percentage next to each city represents the share of the national minimum wage required to pay the average local rent; anything over 100% means rent costs more than a worker’s entire monthly paycheck.
These findings are based on the most recent data from Eurostat and the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC). The focus is on just 21 cities because several EU nations, such as Denmark and Sweden, do not have a statutory national minimum wage.
Click on to explore how each capital compares.