13 countries to compare for a lower-cost life abroad

How these 13 candidates should be compared

This shortlist focuses on European Union countries so it can use Eurostat’s comparable household consumption price data. Its 2025 results placed Bulgaria, Romania and Poland at the lowest national price levels in the EU. The other candidates broaden the practical comparison; the numbers below identify profiles, not a ranking.

A national price index is not a newcomer’s rent quotation, a salary comparison or proof that you qualify to live there. Start with the official dataset, then investigate your exact location. Our Europe living-cost guide explains why household circumstances can overturn an apparently simple country comparison.

Bulgaria and Romania: separate the capital from a smaller base

1. Bulgaria

Compare a home in Sofia with a realistic smaller-city or town alternative such as Plovdiv. Price the journey to work and the services you need, not a rural property disconnected from your routine. Ask about heating and maintenance. Use the official living guide to check residence and practical arrangements before relying on a property offer.

2. Romania

Choose whether Bucharest, a regional city or a smaller town is the genuine destination before collecting prices. Compare equivalent housing, the winter energy arrangement and transport to your employer or appointments. Keep flights and family visits in the budget. The Romania living guide is a starting point for the administrative checks.

Poland, Hungary and Czechia: build the budget around a real job and city

3. Poland

Compare the city attached to your job or study plans with other places you could actually choose, rather than using a national average as a Warsaw housing estimate. Check the full commuting route and whether the home is furnished. Use official Poland guidance for the rules relevant to your circumstances.

4. Hungary

Distinguish a Budapest routine from a home elsewhere in the country. Check how work, specialist appointments and travel fit the location. A lower advertised rent can create other commitments if a car becomes necessary. Keep conversion assumptions visible for money received in pounds, and consult the Hungary living guide.

5. Czechia

Price a suitable home in your actual destination, whether Prague, Brno or another location, and inspect what the agreement includes. Add household bills and the journey rather than comparing rent alone. If moving with children, investigate the actual education arrangement. Use the Czechia living guide for official contacts and practical requirements.

Slovakia and Slovenia: do not confuse a compact map with one routine

6. Slovakia

Build a Bratislava budget if that is where work takes you, then compare another town only if the journey and services make it realistic. Ask about building charges, heating and storage. If the plan includes frequent cross-border travel, price it explicitly. Check the official Slovakia guidance before committing.

7. Slovenia

Compare the Ljubljana option with a smaller town using the same home size and working pattern. If the attraction is outdoor life, inspect storage and the route to the places you will use. A picturesque setting still needs a workable ordinary week. Consult the Slovenia living guide for the administrative side.

Latvia and Lithuania: inspect the home through the whole year

8. Latvia

Compare Riga with another destination you could genuinely choose. Ask how the particular building is heated, which bills are shared and what usage information is available. Include appropriate seasonal clothing or equipment in the arrival budget, not every later month. Follow the Latvia living guide for residence and service checks.

9. Lithuania

Set the search in a specific city, such as Vilnius or Kaunas, and price the actual transport you need. Check the lease, furnishings, heating and any building costs before judging an advertised rent. For remote work, verify the exact address’s connection. Use the official Lithuania guide as the practical reference.

Croatia and Greece: distinguish a holiday location from a permanent base

10. Croatia

Compare a year-round home in Zagreb with an actual coastal alternative, rather than using a holiday letting as a national housing price. Ask whether the agreement fits permanent occupation and which services remain convenient through the year. Read the Croatia living guide before making the property and travel arrangements final.

11. Greece

Decide between a mainland routine and a particular island before pricing the move. Transport, appointments and the delivery route may change the comparison. Our Greece moving guide helps connect that decision with your belongings; the official living guidance covers the wider administrative questions.

Portugal and Spain: include housing and visits to the UK

12. Portugal

Compare Lisbon, Porto or another town using suitable year-round homes, then include heating, cooling and travel. A lower everyday spending total does not establish the housing cost you can obtain. Our Portugal moving guide and the official country guidance provide useful next steps.

13. Spain

Choose the actual town and distinguish a mainland address from an island move. Check the proposed occupation period, cooling, heating and ordinary transport. Add the visits to the UK you intend to keep. Our Spain–UK budget comparison develops that calculation, alongside the official living guidance.

Compare the amount left after your actual commitments

Use a separate worksheet for each serious option. Record net income, suitable housing, household bills, healthcare arrangements, transport, food and the activities you want to keep. Date each quotation and distinguish a confirmed amount from an estimate. Obtain advice appropriate to your tax, pension or work circumstances where needed.

Keep local costs in their own currency and show the conversion assumptions for money arriving from elsewhere. Repeat the calculation with less favourable conversion or a delayed start to income. This is a practical resilience check, not a forecast. A country becomes a useful candidate when the whole plan works, rather than when one grocery or property price looks appealing.

Count the move before claiming a saving

Keep an arrival budget for flights, deposits, temporary housing and setup purchases. Compare sending suitable belongings with replacing them, including fit, condition and the work involved in furnishing a home. Use a clear inventory when discussing European removals, and ask how the proposed route and destination access affect the quote.

Check residence and healthcare arrangements before committing to a shipment. Keep important documents and essentials with you. If the permanent home is unresolved, discuss the alternatives before sending a complete household to a short-stay address. A first year and a settled year are different comparisons; make both visible.