Buying Property by Country

How the last three columns are calculated — on a reference 80 m² home at the country's average price/m², from rental income only. Capital appreciation is deliberately excluded: it is a forecast, not a fact.

† Maintenance, year 1 — building service charges / condo fees plus an owner repairs reserve, as a share of value. Personal utility consumption (heating, water) is excluded so countries stay comparable. Romania looks high relative to its property values because întreținere is billed monthly and prices are low — an effect the old figure understated by roughly 4×.

‡ Net ROI = (gross rent − property tax − maintenance − rental income tax) ÷ total capital invested, where total invested includes the purchase price plus notary and agent fees. 15-yr amortised = the share of that total capital returned by net rent over 15 years. 100% means the investment has fully paid for itself; below 100% means it has not, on rent alone.

§ Rent tax — tax on rental income for a non-resident individual letting long-term. "On gross" means it is charged on the rent itself with no cost deductions (heavier than the same rate on profit). Full rules for each country: rental income tax by country.

* Notary + agent on a resale home. Amounts are sorted after converting to USD for fair comparison. Property tax is the effective rate on market value — most of Europe taxes cadastral value, which sits well below market. Mortgage rates are indicative, benchmarked to central-bank and national aggregator data (October 2026). Figures are national averages for orientation, not a valuation of any specific property — always model the actual building's service charges before buying.