The price of housing in the big cities of Europe varies a lot depending on the level of economic development, market demand and income of the population, and the differences between the west and the east of the continent are considerable. In Western European cities, such as Paris or London, the price per square meter frequently exceeds 9,000–10,000 euros, even reaching over 10,700 euros/sqm in Paris and around 10,500 euros/sqm in London.
The additional costs of purchasing a home can reach tens of thousands of euros in the EU. Photo Pixabay
According to the latest European statistics, in Munich or Amsterdam, housing is also very expensive, at around 8,000–10,800 euros/sqm, which makes a typical apartment cost several hundred thousand euros.
However, there are also Western European cities with more moderate prices, such as Barcelona, where housing costs around 6,200 euros/sqm, or Milan, where the average price is around 3,800–4,000 euros/sqm. These cities remain expensive, but are more affordable than the major financial centers of Europe.
In Central Europe, prices are more moderate. In Prague, for example, the price of housing reaches approximately 6,100 euros/sqm, while in Budapest the average cost is approximately 3,800 euros/sqm, according to the latest European statistics. These figures reflect economies in development and a growing demand for housing in large urban centres.
In Eastern Europe, housing is still among the most affordable. In Bucharest, the average price was around 1,757 euros/sq m in 2024 and exceeded 2,000 euros/sq m for new homes in 2025, and in Sofia the prices are close, around 1,700 euros/sq m. In general, Romania remains among the European countries with the cheapest housing, with a national average of approximately 1,676 euros/m2.
In conclusion, the European real estate market reflects economic differences between regions: western cities have the highest prices, those in Central Europe have average costs, and those in Eastern Europe are more affordable, although prices are steadily increasing in all major urban centers.
The most expensive cities in Europe (Western)
These are among the most expensive real estate markets in the world.
Paris: ~9,500–13,000 euros/sq.m
London: ~10,000–15,000 euros/sq.m
Munich: ~10,500 euros/sq.m
Luxembourg: ~8,700–11,000 euros/sq.m
Zurich: 10,000+ euro/sqm (generally very high)
Expensive but “more accessible” cities (Western / Northern Europe)
Vienna: ~5,000 euros/sq.m
Barcelona: ~6,200 euros/sq.m
Milan: ~3,800–5,000 euros/sq.m
Amsterdam: ~6,000–8,000 EUR/sqm (generally high)
Central Europe (average prices)
Prague: ~4,000–6,000 euros/sq.m
Varovia: ~3,000–4,500 euros/sq.m
Budapest: ~3,000–4,000 euros/sq.m
Eastern Europe (more accessible)
Bucharest: ~1,700–2,100 euros/sq.m
Sofia: ~1,700 euros/sq.m
Belgrade: ~2,000–4,000 euros/sqm (central areas)
What percentage does the notary charge you when purchasing a home in major European cities?
According to public information, notary costs are not to be neglected either, there are situations in which you can pay thousands of euros just for the completion of sale and purchase documents at the notary.
Thus, if in Bucharest the percentage charged by the notary is 1.5 – 2%, in Madrid the notary collects 0.7% of the value of the property, so that in Rome it is necessary to pay 2,000 – 3,000 euros.
The percentage charged by notaries in Berlin is 1.5 – 2%, the same as in Bucharest, while notaries in Paris charge between 2 and 8%.
Getting the papers done in Amsterdam costs between €1,500 and €3,000, while notaries in Budapest charge at least 0.25% to 1% if the buyer also needs a lawyer.
In Warsaw, notaries charge 0.5 – 0.75%, in Prague 1% – 2%, and in Austria between 4% and 5% because the registration in the Land Registry is also included.
In Athens, notaries charge 1.5-2%, in Sofia 1-2%, and in Chisinau between 0.2% and 0.7%.
What other additional costs can you pay?
The costs associated with buying a home with a mortgage include the property registration fee, notary costs, loan granting commissions, appraisal costs and in some European Union states even reach tens of thousands of euros.
Buyers of a home in Bucharest pay among the lowest taxes and associated costs in Europe when purchasing a home through mortgage credit, of around 2,500 euros for an average two-room apartment, while buyers of a similar apartment in other European capitals pay a total of associated costs that rise to several tens of thousands of euros, a specialist analysis shows.
According to her, the costs associated with the purchase of a home, which the buyer pays, include the property registration fee, notary costs, mortgage loan granting commissions charged by financing institutions, property appraisal costs and the possible cost of the loan broker.
Additional costs for the purchase of 2,530 euros in Bucharest
The lowest associated costs, reported as a percentage of the price of a two-room apartment, are paid by buyers in Chisinau, 0.85% of the average property value, the costs amounting to around 1,120 euros, and by those in Prague, 1.08% of the average property value, i.e. around 7,450 euros.
The next position is occupied by Bucharest, where the minimum costs associated with buying a home with a mortgage amount to 1.59% of the property's value or approximately 2,530 euros.
The largest weight in the associated costs in the case of Bucharest is held by the notary costs, which amount to an average of 1.5% – 2% of the property price, while the loan granting commission has a value between zero and 190 euros, the property evaluation cost has an average value between 100 and 200 euros, and the services of the credit broker are free.
In Sofia, over 5,000 euros are paid, and in Budapest almost 10,000 euros
On the other hand, the associated costs paid by the home buyer are much higher in other European capitals and can reach several tens of thousands of euros for an average two-room apartment. For example, in the region, the buyer of a house in Sofia pays an average of 3.78% of the property value, or 5,125 euros, while the buyer of a two-room apartment in Budapest pays an additional cost of 5.48% of the property price, or almost 10,000 euros.
“When comparing different cities in Europe, the initial costs associated with buying a home must also be taken into account, which include all taxes and transaction costs – and these weigh much more for a buyer compared to the costs of the loan itself, which end up being spread over a period of decades. The impact of the associated costs is much higher and, taking into account that they can reach several tens of thousands of euros in other analyzed capitals, they can represent a decisive factor in closing or not the transaction. Thus, the affordability of buying a home in Romania, given the price/salary ratio, is also doubled by the lower level associated costs in our country”commented Laurentiu Bogdan, managing partner of Ipotecare.ro.
A maximum of 35,780 euros is spent in Rome
Buyers of a home in Rome pay, on average, a minimum additional cost of 5.66% of the property price, or about 35,780 euros, the highest associated cost being represented by the property registration fee, which amounts to 2% of the value – or 9% in the case of the second property. In addition, the tabulation of the mortgage is charged with a value of 0.25%, the minimum notary costs amount to 2,000 euros, the minimum commissions for granting credit to 1.25% of the value of the property and the commission of the credit broker varies between 1% and 3% of the value of the home – in the calculation, an average value of 202,000 euros for a two-room apartment was taken into account.
Similarly, buyers of a home in Madrid end up paying minimum associated costs of 7.99% of the property value, which can rise to a minimum of around €20,500, and those in Amsterdam pay minimum costs of around 3% of the property value, or around €15,000.
The highest additional costs are in Austria
Percentage-wise, the highest costs relative to the house price are paid by buyers in Vienna, at 11.64%, with total costs rising to almost €56,000 when buying a two-bedroom apartment, while the highest net amount is recorded in Paris, where the lowest associated total costs amount to just over €58,000.
In general, the highest costs are those of property registration, which if in Bucharest are equal to zero, in Madrid they rise to 6% of the house price, in London they vary between 2% and 5%, in Berlin they are 6% and in Budapest they are 4%, and notary costs, which vary in percentage between 0.2% in Chisinau and 8% for properties older than three years in Paris.
The commissions for granting the mortgage vary between zero in Bucharest, Chisinau and Warsaw and 1.2% of the property value in Paris, respectively 2% of the property value in Rome. Property valuation costs vary in the cities analyzed from zero in London to over €1,000 in Vienna and London, depending on the property and the bank.
Loan broker services are free in Romania, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Poland and Hungary and can reach 1% – 2% of the value of the home in Spain, 1% – 3% of the value of the property in Italy, 3% – 4% of the value of the property in Vienna or between 1,300 and 2,000 euros in Amsterdam.
