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
Oslo
Median kr15,500/mo · Need kr620,000/yr
25%
Manageable
🇸🇬Singapore
Median S$3,700/mo · Need S$148,000/yr
26%
Manageable
Bangalore
Median ₹32,000/mo · Need ₹1,280,000/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
Stockholm
Median kr15,000/mo · Need kr600,000/yr
28%
Manageable
Copenhagen
Median kr10,300/mo · Need kr412,000/yr
28%
Manageable
🇧🇪Brussels
Median €1,100/mo · Need €44,000/yr
28%
Manageable
Tokyo
Median ¥120,000/mo · Need ¥4,800,000/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
Shanghai
Median ¥7,000/mo · Need ¥280,000/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
Warsaw
Median zł3,800/mo · Need zł152,000/yr
34%
Manageable
Mexico City
Median MX$12,000/mo · Need MX$480,000/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
Prague
Median Kč26,000/mo · Need Kč1,040,000/yr
36%
Stretch
Bogotá
Median COP2,000,000/mo · Need COP80,000,000/yr
36%
Stretch
São Paulo
Median R$3,500/mo · Need R$140,000/yr
37%
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
Mumbai
Median ₹40,000/mo · Need ₹1,600,000/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
Hong Kong
Median HK$18,000/mo · Need HK$720,000/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.