City rankings · Global
Ranked by the share of gross income the typical renter spends on a 1-bedroom apartment. Lower is better — it means more of your paycheck stays with you.
Why rent-to-income, not absolute rent?
A city with high absolute rents can still rank as affordable if local wages are high enough to compensate. Seattle and Zurich, for example, have expensive apartments in dollar or franc terms — but strong tech and finance salaries mean renters there may dedicate a smaller share of their income than someone in Lisbon paying far less in euros. This ranking strips away currency and cost-of-living noise by measuring what fraction of gross income rent actually consumes.
Seoul
Median ₩1,000,000/mo · Need ₩40,000,000/yr
23%
Comfortable
🇦🇹Vienna
Median €1,200/mo · Need €48,000/yr
24%
Comfortable
🇸🇬Singapore
Median S$3,700/mo · Need S$148,000/yr
26%
Manageable
🇩🇪Berlin
Median €1,250/mo · Need €50,000/yr
27%
Manageable
🇨🇭Zurich
Median CHF2,700/mo · Need CHF108,000/yr
27%
Manageable
🇦🇪Dubai
Median AED8,500/mo · Need AED340,000/yr
27%
Manageable
🇺🇸Seattle
Median $2,300/mo · Need $92,000/yr
28%
Manageable
🇩🇪Hamburg
Median €1,450/mo · Need €58,000/yr
28%
Manageable
🇧🇪Brussels
Median €1,100/mo · Need €44,000/yr
28%
Manageable
🇩🇪Frankfurt
Median €1,600/mo · Need €64,000/yr
29%
Manageable
🇺🇸San Francisco
Median $2,800/mo · Need $112,000/yr
30%
Manageable
🇺🇸Chicago
Median $2,000/mo · Need $80,000/yr
30%
Manageable
🇺🇸Austin
Median $1,750/mo · Need $70,000/yr
30%
Manageable
🇺🇸Denver
Median $1,900/mo · Need $76,000/yr
30%
Manageable
🇺🇸Atlanta
Median $1,700/mo · Need $68,000/yr
30%
Manageable
🇳🇱Amsterdam
Median €2,000/mo · Need €80,000/yr
30%
Manageable
🇩🇪Munich
Median €1,950/mo · Need €78,000/yr
31%
Manageable
🇦🇺Melbourne
Median A$2,300/mo · Need A$92,000/yr
32%
Manageable
🇪🇸Madrid
Median €1,450/mo · Need €58,000/yr
33%
Manageable
🇮🇹Milan
Median €1,500/mo · Need €60,000/yr
33%
Manageable
🇺🇸Boston
Median $2,900/mo · Need $116,000/yr
34%
Manageable
🇨🇦Toronto
Median CA$2,400/mo · Need CA$96,000/yr
35%
Stretch
🇫🇷Paris
Median €1,600/mo · Need €64,000/yr
35%
Stretch
🇦🇺Sydney
Median A$2,900/mo · Need A$116,000/yr
35%
Stretch
🇮🇹Rome
Median €1,100/mo · Need €44,000/yr
36%
Stretch
🇺🇸New York
Median $3,200/mo · Need $128,000/yr
38%
Stretch
🇺🇸Los Angeles
Median $2,700/mo · Need $108,000/yr
38%
Stretch
🇨🇦Vancouver
Median CA$2,700/mo · Need CA$108,000/yr
38%
Stretch
🇪🇸Barcelona
Median €1,450/mo · Need €58,000/yr
38%
Stretch
🇮🇪Dublin
Median €1,800/mo · Need €72,000/yr
38%
Stretch
🇬🇧London
Median £2,300/mo · Need £92,000/yr
41%
Stretch
🇺🇸Miami
Median $2,700/mo · Need $108,000/yr
42%
Stretch
🇵🇹Lisbon
Median €1,650/mo · Need €66,000/yr
46%
Risky
How to read this
The % shows the median rent-to-income ratio for renters in each city — based on gross income and typical 1-bedroom rent. Under 25% is comfortable, 25–35% is manageable, 35–45% is a stretch, 45%+ is risky. Click any city for the full breakdown and to check your own salary against local benchmarks.