Cost/Pricing
Affordable Housing by Country 2026
Country | Housing Price to Income Ratio 2025↓ | Mortgage as a % of Income 2025 | Housing Affordability Index 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Syria | 115.1 | 1,747% | 0.1 |
 | Cuba | 48.0 | 530% | 0.2 |
 | Ethiopia | 47.1 | 762% | 0.1 |
 | Cameroon | 46.6 | 908% | 0.1 |
 | Sri Lanka | 34.2 | 604% | 0.2 |
 | Nepal | 32.1 | 447% | 0.2 |
 | Hong Kong | 29.1 | 211% | 0.5 |
 | China | 28.5 | 213% | 0.5 |
 | Vietnam | 25.8 | 296% | 0.3 |
 | Thailand | 25.2 | 213% | 0.5 |
 | Singapore | 23.2 | 158% | 0.6 |
 | Philippines | 22.2 | 212% | 0.5 |
 | South Korea | 22.2 | 171% | 0.6 |
 | Taiwan | 21.3 | 130% | 0.8 |
 | Iran | 19.7 | 455% | 0.2 |
 | Armenia | 19.4 | 308% | 0.3 |
 | Mauritius | 18.5 | 159% | 0.6 |
 | Peru | 18.4 | 218% | 0.5 |
 | Egypt | 18.2 | 285% | 0.4 |
 | Colombia | 18.1 | 262% | 0.4 |
 | Argentina | 17.7 | 1,350% | 0.1 |
 | El Salvador | 17.5 | 196% | 0.5 |
 | Algeria | 16.7 | 148% | 0.7 |
 | Dominican Republic | 16.5 | 235% | 0.4 |
 | Serbia | 16.0 | 147% | 0.7 |
 | Chile | 15.6 | 126% | 0.8 |
 | Azerbaijan | 15.6 | 168% | 0.6 |
 | Albania | 15.3 | 128% | 0.8 |
 | Brazil | 15.2 | 189% | 0.5 |
 | Venezuela | 15.1 | 364% | 0.3 |
 | Lebanon | 15.0 | 186% | 0.5 |
 | Indonesia | 14.9 | 163% | 0.6 |
 | Portugal | 14.7 | 116% | 0.9 |
 | Pakistan | 14.3 | 293% | 0.3 |
 | Russia | 14.3 | 219% | 0.5 |
 | Slovakia | 14.0 | 105% | 1.0 |
 | Kyrgyzstan | 13.9 | 274% | 0.4 |
 | Israel | 13.7 | 107% | 0.9 |
 | Ukraine | 13.6 | 253% | 0.4 |
 | Uzbekistan | 13.5 | 308% | 0.3 |
 | Czechia | 13.5 | 112% | 0.9 |
 | Morocco | 13.4 | 106% | 0.9 |
 | Moldova | 13.3 | 150% | 0.7 |
 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 13.2 | 99.7% | 1.0 |
 | Greece | 13.0 | 99.2% | 1.0 |
 | Hungary | 13.0 | 127% | 0.8 |
 | Uruguay | 13.0 | 114% | 0.9 |
 | Slovenia | 13.0 | 94% | 1.1 |
 | Montenegro | 12.9 | 110% | 0.9 |
 | Bangladesh | 12.8 | 147% | 0.7 |
 | Belarus | 12.8 | 205% | 0.5 |
 | Croatia | 12.8 | 95.8% | 1.0 |
 | Georgia | 12.7 | 165% | 0.6 |
 | Lithuania | 12.4 | 91.9% | 1.1 |
 | North Macedonia | 12.3 | 96.5% | 1.0 |
 | Japan | 12.2 | 72.9% | 1.4 |
 | Tunisia | 12.2 | 153% | 0.7 |
 | Bolivia | 12.0 | 115% | 0.9 |
 | Ecuador | 11.9 | 138% | 0.7 |
 | Mexico | 11.8 | 150% | 0.7 |
 | Austria | 11.5 | 81.2% | 1.2 |
 | Estonia | 11.4 | 91.4% | 1.1 |
 | Panama | 11.2 | 98.8% | 1.0 |
 | Malta | 11.2 | 86.1% | 1.2 |
 | Poland | 11.0 | 102% | 1.0 |
 | Switzerland | 11.0 | 69.6% | 1.4 |
 | India | 10.9 | 118% | 0.8 |
 | Turkey | 10.7 | 424% | 0.2 |
 | France | 10.3 | 72.5% | 1.4 |
 | Romania | 10.3 | 95.2% | 1.1 |
 | Costa Rica | 10.3 | 123% | 0.8 |
 | Canada | 10.2 | 92.1% | 1.1 |
 | Kazakhstan | 9.9 | 177% | 0.6 |
 | Italy | 9.5 | 72.7% | 1.4 |
 | Bulgaria | 9.3 | 69.2% | 1.4 |
 | Germany | 8.9 | 64.6% | 1.5 |
 | United Kingdom | 8.8 | 74.2% | 1.3 |
 | Malaysia | 8.7 | 64.1% | 1.6 |
 | Latvia | 8.6 | 64.1% | 1.6 |
 | Luxembourg | 8.6 | 58.7% | 1.7 |
 | Spain | 8.5 | 59.4% | 1.7 |
 | Iraq | 8.4 | 86.9% | 1.2 |
 | Norway | 8.4 | 62.9% | 1.6 |
 | Cyprus | 8.2 | 61.2% | 1.6 |
 | Australia | 8.1 | 71.9% | 1.4 |
 | Finland | 8.0 | 56.7% | 1.8 |
 | Netherlands | 7.7 | 57.2% | 1.7 |
 | Sweden | 7.7 | 58.6% | 1.7 |
 | New Zealand | 7.3 | 67% | 1.5 |
 | Kuwait | 7.3 | 60.7% | 1.6 |
 | Jordan | 7.0 | 67.3% | 1.5 |
 | United Arab Emirates | 7.0 | 53.9% | 1.9 |
 | Belgium | 6.8 | 48% | 2.1 |
 | Ireland | 6.7 | 51.1% | 2.0 |
 | Iceland | 6.7 | 74.6% | 1.3 |
 | Palestine | 6.6 | 64.7% | 1.5 |
 | Denmark | 6.5 | 48.1% | 2.1 |
 | Qatar | 5.2 | 42.2% | 2.4 |
 | Puerto Rico | 4.2 | 34.3% | 2.9 |
 | United States | 3.3 | 30.1% | 3.3 |
 | South Africa | 3.2 | 41.6% | 2.4 |
 | Saudi Arabia | 3.1 | 24% | 4.2 |
 | Oman | 3.1 | 24.6% | 4.1 |
- Definitions:
- Price to Income Ratio - A fundamental measure for apartment purchase affordability. A lower ratio indicates better affordability.
- Price to Rent Ratio - The average cost of ownership divided by the received rent income (if buying to let) or the estimated rent that would be paid if renting (if buying to reside).
- Gross Rental Yield - The total yearly gross rent divided by the house price (expressed in percentages). Higher values are preferable.
- Mortgage as Percentage of Income - A ratio of the actual monthly cost of the mortgage to take-home family income. Lower values are preferable.
- Affordability Index - An inverse of mortgage as percentage of income. The used formula is (100 / mortgage as percentage of income). Higher values are preferable.
Housing Price-to-Income Ratio The ratio between average housing prices and average annual household income.
Housing Affordability Index A measure of how affordable housing is relative to local incomes, where higher values indicate greater affordability.
Price-to-Rent Ratio The ratio between property prices and annual rental income, often used to evaluate housing market valuation.
Countries With the Least Affordable Housing
Countries with the least affordable housing typically combine extremely high home prices relative to income with exceptionally heavy mortgage burdens.
These countries include Syria, Cuba, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Hong Kong, China, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Iran, Armenia, Mauritius, Peru, Egypt, Colombia, Argentina, El Salvador, Algeria, Dominican Republic, Serbia, Chile, Azerbaijan, Albania, Brazil, Venezuela, Lebanon, Indonesia, Portugal, Pakistan, Russia, Slovakia, Kyrgyzstan, Israel, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Czechia, Morocco, Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Hungary, Uruguay, Slovenia, Montenegro, Bangladesh, Belarus, Croatia, Georgia, Lithuania, Japan, Tunisia, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Mexico.
Countries With Moderately Affordable Housing
Some countries fall into a middle range where housing costs remain high but are more balanced relative to local incomes and mortgage levels.
These are Austria, Estonia, Panama, Malta, Poland, Switzerland, India, Turkey, France, Romania, Costa Rica, Canada, Kazakhstan, Italy, Bulgaria, Germany, United Kingdom, Malaysia, Latvia, Luxembourg, Spain, Iraq, Norway, Cyprus, Australia, Finland, Netherlands, Sweden, New Zealand, Kuwait, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Belgium, Ireland, Iceland, Palestine, and Denmark.
Countries With the Most Affordable Housing
Countries with the most affordable housing generally have lower price-to-income ratios, smaller mortgage burdens relative to income, and higher housing affordability index scores.
Such countries include Qatar, Puerto Rico, United States, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, and Oman.
Countries With High Price-to-Rent Ratios
High price-to-rent ratios indicate that buying property is expensive relative to renting, often reflecting elevated home prices or lower rental yields.
These are countries like South Korea, Taiwan, China, Nepal, Hong Kong, Japan, Switzerland, Syria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Israel, Algeria, Singapore, India, France, Thailand, Austria, Bangladesh, Philippines, Vietnam, Mauritius, Finland, Estonia, Lithuania, Czechia, Slovakia, Luxembourg, Germany, Sweden, Croatia, North Macedonia, Hungary, Greece, Slovenia, Serbia, Latvia, Romania, Argentina, Poland, Australia, Uruguay, and New Zealand.
