Geographic Arbitrage

Compare how much of the same income is left in 37 European countries. For remote workers and people who are moving: see where your income goes furthest.

IncomeBusiness

My Monthly Net Income €

Current Country

Total Monthly Living Costs

€

Break down costs by category (optional)

Food & Beverages €

Housing & Utilities €

Transport €

Recreation & Culture €

Restaurants & Hotels €

Best Location

North Macedonia

Disposable Income 2,350.20 €

Savings Rate 78.3%

Compared with current country +550.20 € / mo

Moving from Estonia to North Macedonia could increase your disposable income by 550.20 € per month.
Price levels range from North Macedonia (cheapest) to Iceland - a 119-point spread across all countries.

Top Countries

1. North Macedonia Best

2,350.20 €

Net Income 3,000.00 €, living costs (estimate) 649.80 €

Food & Beverages −31.9%
Housing & Utilities −63.5%
Transport −34.5%
Recreation & Culture −50.6%
Restaurants & Hotels −45.2%

2. Bosnia and Herzegovina

2,298.02 €

Net Income 3,000.00 €, living costs (estimate) 701.98 €

Food & Beverages −21.9%
Housing & Utilities −70.5%
Transport −27.0%
Recreation & Culture −40.5%
Restaurants & Hotels −32.9%

3. Turkey

2,293.28 €

Net Income 3,000.00 €, living costs (estimate) 706.72 €

Food & Beverages −29.9%
Housing & Utilities −61.3%
Transport −18.7%
Recreation & Culture −35.7%
Restaurants & Hotels −11.2%

4. Bulgaria

2,258.89 €

Net Income 3,000.00 €, living costs (estimate) 741.11 €

Food & Beverages −15.7%
Housing & Utilities −59.4%
Transport −31.2%
Recreation & Culture −37.5%
Restaurants & Hotels −36.8%

5. Romania

2,228.06 €

Net Income 3,000.00 €, living costs (estimate) 771.94 €

Food & Beverages −27.3%
Housing & Utilities −46.4%
Transport −21.2%
Recreation & Culture −40.0%
Restaurants & Hotels −32.7%

All countries (37)

#	Country	Costs	Balance	%
1	North Macedonia	649.80 €	2,350.20 €	78.3%
2	Bosnia and Herzegovina	701.98 €	2,298.02 €	76.6%
3	Turkey	706.72 €	2,293.28 €	76.4%
4	Bulgaria	741.11 €	2,258.89 €	75.3%
5	Romania	771.94 €	2,228.06 €	74.3%
6	Montenegro	783.79 €	2,216.21 €	73.9%
7	Serbia	806.32 €	2,193.68 €	73.1%
8	Albania	860.87 €	2,139.13 €	71.3%
9	Poland	869.17 €	2,130.83 €	71.0%
10	Hungary	918.97 €	2,081.03 €	69.4%
11	Croatia	929.64 €	2,070.36 €	69.0%
12	Lithuania	981.82 €	2,018.18 €	67.3%
13	Latvia	986.56 €	2,013.44 €	67.1%
14	Slovakia	1,010.28 €	1,989.72 €	66.3%
15	Portugal	1,026.88 €	1,973.12 €	65.8%
16	Greece	1,036.36 €	1,963.64 €	65.5%
17	Cyprus	1,057.71 €	1,942.29 €	64.7%
18	Slovenia	1,058.89 €	1,941.11 €	64.7%
19	Czech Republic	1,060.08 €	1,939.92 €	64.7%
20	Spain	1,086.17 €	1,913.83 €	63.8%
21	Malta	1,089.72 €	1,910.28 €	63.7%
22	Italy	1,151.38 €	1,848.62 €	61.6%
23	Estonia (current country)	1,200.00 €	1,800.00 €	60.0%
24	Germany	1,284.19 €	1,715.81 €	57.2%
25	France	1,307.91 €	1,692.09 €	56.4%
26	Austria	1,339.92 €	1,660.08 €	55.3%
27	Netherlands	1,370.75 €	1,629.25 €	54.3%
28	Belgium	1,377.87 €	1,622.13 €	54.1%
29	Finland	1,432.41 €	1,567.59 €	52.3%
30	Sweden	1,434.78 €	1,565.22 €	52.2%
31	United Kingdom	1,462.06 €	1,537.94 €	51.3%
32	Norway	1,524.90 €	1,475.10 €	49.2%
33	Luxembourg	1,559.29 €	1,440.71 €	48.0%
34	Ireland	1,615.02 €	1,384.98 €	46.2%
35	Denmark	1,656.52 €	1,343.48 €	44.8%
36	Switzerland	2,031.23 €	968.77 €	32.3%
37	Iceland	2,057.31 €	942.69 €	31.4%

Price level breakdown by category

Category	Estonia	North Macedonia	Difference
Overall Consumption	1,200.00 €	649.80 €	−550.20 €
Food & Beverages	264.00 €	179.85 €	−84.15 €
Housing & Utilities	480.00 €	175.38 €	−304.62 €
Transport	180.00 €	117.99 €	−62.01 €
Recreation & Culture	120.00 €	59.32 €	−60.68 €
Restaurants & Hotels	156.00 €	85.43 €	−70.57 €

Price levels: Eurostat price level indices (PLI) for 2025, EU27 = 100. Living costs are estimates derived from them, not measured costs.

Results are informational. Calculation is based on your input and public rules, official accounting may differ. For accuracy, confirm the final result if needed from the appropriate official source or specialist. See the terms of use.

What payroll tax would you pay on that income? Salary and Tax Calculator

How it works?

This calculator compares your purchasing power across 37 European countries using official Eurostat data.

How it works:

Enter your monthly net income (take-home pay after taxes)
Select your current country and enter your monthly living costs (or use the country default)
Your net income stays fixed - it does not change between countries
Living costs are scaled using Eurostat PLI data relative to your home country's price level
Countries are ranked by monthly balance = your fixed net income minus local living costs

Optionally, break down your costs by category to see exactly what gets cheaper or more expensive in each country.

Data sources: Price Level Indices from Eurostat PPP dataset (updated annually).

Important: This tool assumes you keep your current income. Actual living costs vary based on lifestyle and personal choices.

Frequently asked questions

How does the geographic arbitrage calculator work?

The calculator uses Eurostat Price Level Indices (PLI) to compare living costs across 37 European countries. Enter your monthly net income - it stays fixed for all countries. The calculator scales your home country's living costs using PLI data and shows how much of your income remains as a disposable balance in each country.

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Where does the data come from?

Price levels come from Eurostat's purchasing power parities dataset (prc_ppp_ind_1, price level indices for household consumption, EU27 = 100), updated once a year; the year used is shown under the results. Default living costs are rough country-specific estimates scaled by these indices.

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What is geographic arbitrage?

Geographic arbitrage means earning income in a higher-cost economy while living in a lower-cost one. Remote workers who keep their salary but relocate to a cheaper country can significantly increase their purchasing power and monthly disposable income.

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Why does some country show a negative balance?

A negative balance means the estimated living costs in that country exceed your entered net income. This does not necessarily mean living there is impossible - actual costs depend on lifestyle, city location, and personal choices. The calculator's cost estimates are based on average Eurostat data.

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What does the Price Level Index mean?

The Price Level Index (PLI) measures how expensive a country is compared to the EU average (EU27 = 100). A PLI of 80 means prices are 20% below the EU average; 120 means 20% above. The calculator uses these indices to scale your living costs proportionally.

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Which EU countries are cheapest to live in?

In Eurostat's 2025 price level indices, household consumption in the EU was cheapest in Bulgaria (about 63% of the EU average), Romania (65%), Poland (73%) and Hungary (78%), followed by Croatia, Lithuania and Latvia. Outside the EU, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Turkey are lower still. A fixed income goes furthest there.

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What does entering costs by category add?

When you enter your current spending by category (housing, food, transport, etc.), each of the top-5 country cards shows how much you would save or spend more in each specific category compared to your current country. This helps identify exactly what makes one country cheaper than another.

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What living costs are included in the comparison?

The calculator uses Eurostat Price Level Indices for 6 categories: overall household consumption, food and beverages, housing and utilities, transport, recreation and culture, and restaurants and hotels. You can see the category breakdown in both the best-vs-current comparison table and the top-5 country cards.

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