Gera EU Value Index — where your salary stretches furthest

All 27 EU countries by Gera EU Value Index

Net annual earnings: Eurostat earn_nt_net, single person at 100% of average wage, 2024; shown in local currency for non-euro members at the 19 June 2026 rate. Cost of living: Gera EU Cost Index (Eurostat price levels + household energy). PPS earnings index: Eurostat purchasing-power-adjusted earnings (EU=100). Open any country below for its full report.

EU value & salary — FAQ

Which EU country gives you the best value for money?

On the Gera EU Value Index, Luxembourg offers the best salary-to-cost value at 177.1 (EU≈100, 2024), followed by Austria (123.2) and Malta (122.1). The index divides net take-home earnings by the local cost of living, both from Eurostat. The EU median is 94.9.

Which EU country has the highest take-home salary?

Luxembourg has the highest net annual earnings in the EU at €52,029 for a single person at 100% of the average wage (2024), per Eurostat (earn_nt_net). Bulgaria has the lowest at €11,881. High pay does not always mean high value once the local cost of living is taken into account.

How is the Gera EU Value Index calculated?

The Gera EU Value Index (EU≈100) divides each country’s net annual take-home earnings by its cost of living: GEVI = (net earnings / EU-mean net earnings) ÷ (Gera EU Cost Index / 100) × 100. Net earnings are Eurostat’s comparable take-home figure (earn_nt_net, single person, 100% of average wage); the cost index is built from Eurostat price levels and household energy prices. Above 100 means a salary buys more than the EU norm relative to local costs. Full method is on the methodology page.

Does a higher salary mean better value in the EU?

Not always. Luxembourg pays the most (€52,029 net) but its high cost of living means it does not top the value ranking. Luxembourg leads the Gera EU Value Index (177.1) because its pay stretches further against local prices. Eurostat’s own purchasing-power-standard (PPS) earnings, shown alongside, confirm the same effect.

Where does this EU salary and cost data come from?

All figures are from Eurostat (the EU statistical office): net annual earnings (earn_nt_net, 2024) in both EUR and Purchasing Power Standard, and the cost-of-living inputs (price level indices prc_ppp_ind and household energy prices nrg_pc_204 / nrg_pc_202). The data is © European Union and free to reuse with attribution. Gera computes only the Gera EU Value Index from these published figures.