The Liveability Index gives Europeans an overview and ranking of the cost of living in 12 popular European countries — whether for exploring or moving within Europe's borders, or comparing the cost of living between one country and another.This index makes it possible to prioritize key metrics and search for the country with the best ranking, then compare with other countries to see how they rank.The Liveability Index shows how sectors affected by the cost-of-living crisis differ from country to country. This index works with rankings of between 1 and 10 (worst to best) for specific sectors. A total score out of 50 was calculated at the end, which determined the final rankings.We chose 12 key countries in Europe for comparison, targeting places where people might consider moving to. When curating the index, we picked countries based on their attractiveness for relocation, population size, and current political and social stability.We looked at how much people spend on rent and electricity, ranked from the lowest to the highest. We compared salary increases with other countries and considered the current population density. We also factored in each country's general sense of residents' happiness.With a final score of 38.5 out of 50, Denmark claimed the top spot in our Liveability Index, making it the best country to live in when you compare the cost of rent, electricity, salary increases, population density, and the happiness score. In second place is Switzerland with 35.2, and Belgium came in third with a score of 34.8.The three countries that ranked the lowest were the U.K., with 19.7, and Italy and the Netherlands, each scoring 20.4.When looking at an average one-bedroom apartment, Belgium stands out for its affordable rental costs, while Italy has the highest percentage of salary spent on rent.We looked at the average electricity consumption in each country and how much it costs per kWh. Austria shines with lower electricity costs, while Greece tops the list as the most expensive.When comparing salaries and how much they have been increasing, Belgium and Spain have better salary increase ratios compared to other countries.In terms of how populated each country is, Sweden has the best population density, and the Netherlands ranked the lowest on this metric.Using the Happiness Index from the World Happiness Report, Denmark claims the title of the happiest country, followed by the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland.Explore more data belowFor comparing total scores or individual rankings, the table below displays rankings for all countries in each sector highlighted in this index.
