With the end of summer and the return to routines, many families face an increase in expenses, either by the energy bill or the start of the school year. In this context, a study that evaluated the cost of living in several European cities has shown where salaries allow greater financial margin.
The survey was made by TradingPedia, a site specializing in economics and finance, which crossed the average monthly income in 37 European cities with the basic spending of each. For the calculation, housing, food, transport, personal care and leisure were considered.
Luxembourg and Bern ahead
The results show that Luxembourg and Bern are the capitals where salaries make up for essential expenses.
In Luxembourg, monthly charges are around 2,238 euros, representing only 40.03% of the local average salary, set at 5,590 euros.
In Bern, the percentage is similar, 40.57%, although the costs are higher, reaching 2,541 euros per month. The difference is absorbed by the fact that the Swiss capital records the highest average yield in Europe, of 6,262 euros monthly.
Brussels occupies third place, with basic spending to correspond to 49.68% of the average salary, equivalent to 1,377 euros.
Helsinquia and Copenhagen are followed, where costs represent just over half of the income. Vienna, Oslo, Berlin, Sofia and Stockholm complete the top 10 of the most balanced capitals.
The other side of the table
According to the same source, in the opposite extreme are Warsaw and Tyran. In these cases, monthly costs exceed average income by more than 20%, creating a scenario of strong financial pressure for most residents.
The discrepancy between income and expenses is more pronounced in Eastern European and Balkans, where salaries continue not to accompany the escalation of the cost of living.
And Portugal?
Although the analysis included Lisbon, the Portuguese capital does not arise among the ten cities where the salary yields more.
The study thus puts Portugal off the list of capitals considered more accessible to live in Europe, reinforcing the perception that the national average salary remains far from the costs that families face on a daily basis.
According to, the conclusions aim to give a comparative view of the relationship between wages and expenses in the European space, highlighting how geography still dictates major differences in the quality of life of those who live in the capitals.
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