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Is Estonia good value? Salary vs cost of living
Real Eurostat take-home pay and cost of living for Estonia, with its Gera EU Value Index of 85.1 (ranked 18 of 27 EU countries).
Is Estonia good value — how far does a salary go there?
As of 2024, Estonia has a Gera EU Value Index of 85.1 (EU≈100), below the EU median of 94.9 and ranked 18 of 27 EU countries. Net annual take-home pay is €19,703 (Eurostat, single person, 100% of average wage), with a Gera EU Cost Index of 93.8. In purchasing-power terms its earnings index is 82.2 (EU=100).
Estonia salary & cost figures
| Metric | Value | vs EU |
|---|---|---|
| Net annual take-home pay | €19,703 | -20.2% |
| PPS earnings index (real buying power) | 82.2 | EU=100 |
| Cost of living (Gera EU Cost Index) | 93.8 | -6.2 pts |
| Gera EU Value Index | 85.1 | median 94.9 |
| EU value rank | 18 of 27 | — |
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How far does your salary go in the EU?
Enter a net (take-home) salary and pick two EU countries. We index it against the EU norm using the same real Eurostat earnings and cost-of-living figures behind the Gera EU Value Index.
| Metric | Estonia | Austria |
|---|---|---|
| Your salary, locally | €35,000 | €35,000 |
| Salary value vs EU norm | 151.2 | 120.4 |
| Local cost of living (EU=100) | 93.8 | 117.8 |
| Typical local net pay | €19,703 | €35,824 |
| Gera EU Value Index | 85.1 (#18) | 123.2 (#2) |
On €35,000 a year, your salary stretches further in Estonia — a value index of 151.2 against the EU norm of 100, because its cost of living is 93.8 (EU=100). The same salary indexes 151.2 in Estonia and 120.4 in Austria. The Gera EU Value Index median is 94.9.
Estonia salary & value — FAQ
- Is Estonia good value to live and work in?
- Estonia has a Gera EU Value Index of 85.1 (EU≈100, 2024), worse than the EU median of 94.9, and ranks 18 of 27 EU countries. It pairs €19,703 net annual earnings with a Gera EU Cost Index of 93.8. The index reflects how far take-home pay stretches against local costs, using Eurostat data.
- What is the average take-home salary in Estonia?
- Net annual earnings in Estonia are €19,703 for a single person at 100% of the average wage, after tax and social contributions, per Eurostat (earn_nt_net, 2024). In Purchasing Power Standard terms its earnings index is 82.2 (EU=100), adjusting for local prices.
- Is the cost of living high in Estonia?
- Estonia has a Gera EU Cost Index of 93.8 (EU average ≈ 100), built from Eurostat price levels and household electricity and gas prices. That is below the EU average, so day-to-day costs are lower than in most member states.
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Contains public sector information published by Eurostat (European Commission) and licensed under the Eurostat reuse policy (© European Union — free reuse with attribution). Source: Eurostat — Net annual earnings (earn_nt_net), single person at 100% of average wage (2024 (earnings) · 2024 price levels / 2025-S2 energy (cost of living), published 2025 (Eurostat earnings release)).