City rankings · Global
Most affordable cities for renters globally
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 rent ₩1,000,000/mo · Need ₩40,000,000/yr
23%
Comfortable
🇦🇹Vienna
Median rent €1,200/mo · Need €48,000/yr
24%
Comfortable
Oslo
Median rent kr14,500/mo · Need kr580,000/yr
25%
Manageable
🇸🇬Singapore
Median rent S$3,800/mo · Need S$152,000/yr
26%
Manageable
Bangalore
Median rent ₹32,000/mo · Need ₹1,280,000/yr
26%
Manageable
🇩🇪Berlin
Median rent €1,250/mo · Need €50,000/yr
27%
Manageable
🇨🇭Zurich
Median rent CHF2,700/mo · Need CHF108,000/yr
27%
Manageable
🇦🇪Dubai
Median rent AED7,500/mo · Need AED300,000/yr
27%
Manageable
🇺🇸Seattle
Median rent $2,300/mo · Need $92,000/yr
28%
Manageable
Stockholm
Median rent kr14,000/mo · Need kr560,000/yr
28%
Manageable
Copenhagen
Median rent kr10,000/mo · Need kr400,000/yr
28%
Manageable
🇧🇪Brussels
Median rent €1,100/mo · Need €44,000/yr
28%
Manageable
Tokyo
Median rent ¥130,000/mo · Need ¥5,200,000/yr
28%
Manageable
🇺🇸San Francisco
Median rent $2,900/mo · Need $116,000/yr
30%
Manageable
🇺🇸Chicago
Median rent $1,900/mo · Need $76,000/yr
30%
Manageable
🇺🇸Austin
Median rent $2,000/mo · Need $80,000/yr
30%
Manageable
🇺🇸Denver
Median rent $1,900/mo · Need $76,000/yr
30%
Manageable
🇺🇸Atlanta
Median rent $1,700/mo · Need $68,000/yr
30%
Manageable
🇳🇱Amsterdam
Median rent €1,900/mo · Need €76,000/yr
30%
Manageable
🇦🇺Melbourne
Median rent A$2,300/mo · Need A$92,000/yr
32%
Manageable
Shanghai
Median rent ¥7,000/mo · Need ¥280,000/yr
32%
Manageable
🇪🇸Madrid
Median rent €1,450/mo · Need €58,000/yr
33%
Manageable
🇮🇹Milan
Median rent €1,500/mo · Need €60,000/yr
33%
Manageable
🇺🇸Boston
Median rent $2,900/mo · Need $116,000/yr
34%
Manageable
Warsaw
Median rent zł3,800/mo · Need zł152,000/yr
34%
Manageable
Mexico City
Median rent MX$12,000/mo · Need MX$480,000/yr
34%
Manageable
🇨🇦Toronto
Median rent CA$2,400/mo · Need CA$96,000/yr
35%
Stretch
🇫🇷Paris
Median rent €1,600/mo · Need €64,000/yr
35%
Stretch
🇦🇺Sydney
Median rent A$2,900/mo · Need A$116,000/yr
35%
Stretch
🇮🇹Rome
Median rent €1,100/mo · Need €44,000/yr
36%
Stretch
Prague
Median rent Kč26,000/mo · Need Kč1,040,000/yr
36%
Stretch
São Paulo
Median rent R$3,500/mo · Need R$140,000/yr
37%
Stretch
🇺🇸New York
Median rent $3,200/mo · Need $128,000/yr
38%
Stretch
🇺🇸Los Angeles
Median rent $2,700/mo · Need $108,000/yr
38%
Stretch
🇨🇦Vancouver
Median rent CA$2,700/mo · Need CA$108,000/yr
38%
Stretch
🇪🇸Barcelona
Median rent €1,450/mo · Need €58,000/yr
38%
Stretch
🇮🇪Dublin
Median rent €2,400/mo · Need €96,000/yr
38%
Stretch
Mumbai
Median rent ₹40,000/mo · Need ₹1,600,000/yr
38%
Stretch
Buenos Aires
Median rent $220,000/mo · Need $8,800,000/yr
40%
Stretch
🇬🇧London
Median rent £2,100/mo · Need £84,000/yr
41%
Stretch
🇺🇸Miami
Median rent $2,500/mo · Need $100,000/yr
42%
Stretch
Hong Kong
Median rent HK$18,000/mo · Need HK$720,000/yr
42%
Stretch
🇵🇹Lisbon
Median rent €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.