Verified data from Numbeo, Expatistan, and official sources. Updated May 2026.
Everyone talks about "moving abroad to save money." But how much do you actually save? I built ReloMap — a free platform that compares verified cost-of-living data for 208 cities — and the numbers surprised me.
Here's what a comfortable lifestyle (1BR apartment, eating out twice a week, gym, transport) actually costs in Europe's most popular expat cities.
The Full Ranking
| City | Monthly Budget | Rent 1BR | Meal Out | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tbilisi, Georgia | €1,100 | €450 | €5 | 65/100 |
| Sofia, Bulgaria | €1,200 | €468 | €6 | 65/100 |
| Bucharest, Romania | €1,300 | €550 | €7 | 55/100 |
| Budapest, Hungary | €1,400 | €650 | €8 | 60/100 |
| Prague, Czech Republic | €1,600 | €900 | €9 | 76/100 |
| Lisbon, Portugal | €2,100 | €1,345 | €14 | 67/100 |
| Valencia, Spain | €1,800 | €522 | €14 | 80/100 |
| Malaga, Spain | €1,900 | €1,300 | €12 | 68/100 |
| Berlin, Germany | €2,300 | €1,314 | €12 | 55/100 |
| Barcelona, Spain | €2,400 | €1,437 | €15 | 48/100 |
| Madrid, Spain | €2,200 | €1,200 | €14 | 52/100 |
| Porto, Portugal | €1,900 | €1,105 | €12 | 66/100 |
| Amsterdam, Netherlands | €3,100 | €1,850 | €18 | 52/100 |
| Paris, France | €2,800 | €1,339 | €16 | 42/100 |
5 Things That Surprised Me
1. Valencia is criminally underrated. €522/month rent for a 1BR in a city with beaches, 300 sunny days, and a safety score of 80/100. It's cheaper than Lisbon but with better weather and higher safety.
2. Lisbon is no longer "cheap." At €1,345/month rent, Lisbon is approaching Barcelona prices. The NHR tax regime (20% flat rate) is still the main draw, but the cost advantage over Western Europe is shrinking fast.
3. Tbilisi is the best-kept secret. €450/month rent, 1-year visa-free for most nationalities, 1% flat tax for small businesses. The catch? Language barrier is real, winters are cold, and the food scene — while excellent — gets repetitive.
4. Safety scores vary wildly. Barcelona scores 48/100 on safety (pickpocketing is rampant), while Prague scores 76/100 and Valencia 80/100. For families, this matters more than rent.
5. The "frugal nomad" lifestyle is real. You can genuinely live on €800/month in Tbilisi or Sofia. Not luxuriously, but comfortably — cooking at home, public transport, local gym. In Amsterdam, that wouldn't cover rent.
The Tax Factor Nobody Talks About
A freelancer earning €60,000/year pays:
- Italy: €23,400 in taxes (39%)
- Spain (Beckham Law): €14,400 (24%)
- Portugal (NHR): €12,000 (20%)
- Georgia: €600 (1% for small business)
- UAE: €0 (0%)
The tax savings alone can be worth €10,000-20,000/year — more than the difference in rent between most cities.
I built a free tax calculator that compares your tax burden between any two countries, including special regimes.
How I Built This
I scraped cost-of-living data from multiple sources (Numbeo, Expatistan, Livingcost.org), cross-referenced them, and built a platform that updates monthly. All data is verified — 0% AI-generated prices.
The platform is free: relomap.app. You can compare any cities side-by-side, read in-depth guides for each destination, and calculate your tax burden.
If you're considering a move, the full comparison of all 208 cities is the best starting point.
Data sources: ReloMap verified database (208 cities, May 2026), Numbeo, Expatistan. Full dataset available at relomap.app/llms-full.txt.