What it takes to rent a 2-bed
Landlord income checks applied to typical local pay, for Irish cities and a set of English, French, Dutch, German and Scandinavian cities. Single applicant, average 2-bed, figures as of mid-2026.
Income check vs typical local pay
How much income each city's rule demands, and how that compares with what a typical local worker earns. The line on each bar marks 1.0×: to its left, a typical single earner qualifies.
| City | Rule | Income needed for a 2-bed | vs. typical local pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dublin | 2.5× net | €6,585 net/mo (~€130k gross) | 2.4× |
| Galway | 2.5× net | €5,840 net/mo (~€110k gross) | 2.0× |
| Limerick | 2.5× net | €5,610 net/mo (~€105k gross) | 1.9× |
| Cork | 2.5× net | €5,420 net/mo (~€100k gross) | 1.8× |
| Paris | 3× net | €6,000 net/mo | 1.7× |
| Munich | 3× net (cold rent) | ~€4,270 net/mo | ~1.5× |
| Amsterdam | 3× gross | ~€5,160 gross/mo | 1.3× 1.7× at 4× |
| Waterford | 2.5× net | €4,090 net/mo (~€68k gross) | 1.25× |
| Frankfurt | 3× net (cold rent) | ~€3,200 net/mo | ~1.2× |
| Bristol | 30× gross/yr | £46,350 | 1.17× |
| Lyon | 3× net | €3,150 net/mo | 1.13× |
| Cologne | 3× net (cold rent) | ~€2,880 net/mo | ~1.13× |
| London | 30× gross/yr | £54,000 | 1.09× |
| Berlin | 3× net (cold rent) | ~€2,750 net/mo | ~1.08× |
| Hamburg | 3× net (cold rent) | ~€2,970 net/mo | ~1.06× |
| Rotterdam | 3× gross | ~€4,100 gross/mo | 1.03× 1.37× at 4× |
| Bordeaux | 3× net | €2,880 net/mo | 1.03× |
| Oslo | No fixed rule (3× gross used) | ~NOK 57,100 gross/mo | ~1.02× |
| The Hague | 3× gross | ~€4,040 gross/mo | 1.01× 1.35× at 4× |
| Stockholm (sublet) | 3× gross | ~SEK 43,500 gross/mo | ~1.01× |
| Manchester | 30× gross/yr | £36,390 | 1.00× |
| Utrecht | 3× gross | ~€3,890 gross/mo | 0.97× 1.30× at 4× |
| Eindhoven | 3× gross | ~€3,650 gross/mo | 0.91× 1.22× at 4× |
| Lille | 3× net | €2,340 net/mo | 0.84× |
| Birmingham | 30× gross/yr | £29,760 | 0.83× |
| Leeds | 30× gross/yr | £28,890 | 0.79× |
| Marseille | 3× net | €2,160 net/mo | 0.77× |
| Liverpool | 30× gross/yr | £24,690 | 0.66× |
Bars are drawn on a scale of 0 to 2.5×. For Dutch cities the main figure uses a 3× gross rule; many landlords ask 4×, shown underneath.
Approximate gross yearly salary needed
The same requirement expressed as a gross annual salary, so you can check it against your own pay. Sorted from highest to lowest.
| City | Rule | Gross salary needed (local) | ≈ in euros |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dublin | 2.5× net | €130,000 | €130,000 |
| Galway | 2.5× net | €110,000 | €110,000 |
| Limerick | 2.5× net | €105,000 | €105,000 |
| Cork | 2.5× net | €100,000 | €100,000 |
| Paris | 3× net | €93,000 | €93,000 |
| Munich | 3× net | €93,000 | €93,000 |
| Frankfurt | 3× net | €70,000 | €70,000 |
| Waterford | 2.5× net | €68,000 | €68,000 |
| Hamburg | 3× net | €64,000 | €64,000 |
| London | 30× gross | £54,000 | €63,000 |
| Amsterdam | 3–4× gross | €62,000–€83,000 | €62,000–€83,000 |
| Cologne | 3× net | €61,000 | €61,000 |
| Oslo | 3× gross | NOK 685,000 | ~€60,000 |
| Berlin | 3× net | €58,000 | €58,000 |
| Bristol | 30× gross | £46,350 | €54,000 |
| Rotterdam | 3–4× gross | €49,000–€66,000 | €49,000–€66,000 |
| Lyon | 3× net | €49,000 | €49,000 |
| The Hague | 3–4× gross | €48,500–€65,000 | €48,500–€65,000 |
| Utrecht | 3–4× gross | €47,000–€62,000 | €47,000–€62,000 |
| Stockholm (sublet) | 3× gross | SEK 522,000 | €46,000 |
| Bordeaux | 3× net | €45,000 | €45,000 |
| Eindhoven | 3–4× gross | €44,000–€58,000 | €44,000–€58,000 |
| Manchester | 30× gross | £36,390 | €42,500 |
| Lille | 3× net | €36,500 | €36,500 |
| Birmingham | 30× gross | £29,760 | €35,000 |
| Leeds | 30× gross | £28,890 | €34,000 |
| Marseille | 3× net | €34,000 | €34,000 |
| Liverpool | 30× gross | £24,690 | €29,000 |
Ireland and Germany: net requirement converted to gross using tax and social contributions for a single person with no children (German figures are rougher). France: net pay is after social contributions but before income tax, so gross is roughly net ÷ 0.77. Netherlands, Sweden and Norway: the rules already use gross pay, so monthly × 12.
Currencies: pounds at about €1.17, Swedish kronor at about 11.25 per euro. The Norwegian krone rate was not checked live, so the Oslo euro figure is approximate.
Just for you, Alex
Each city shows how many times a typical single local salary you'd need for a 2-bed's rent to stay at 25% of your income. Sorted hardest to easiest.
- Dublin3.8×
- Galway3.2×
- Limerick3.0×
- Cork2.9×
- Paris2.3×
- Munich2.0×
- Waterford2.0×
- Bristol1.9×
- Amsterdam1.7×
- London1.7×
- Frankfurt1.6×
- Manchester1.6×
- Lyon1.5×
- Cologne1.5×
- Berlin1.4×
- Hamburg1.4×
- Rotterdam1.4×
- Bordeaux1.4×
- Oslo1.4×
- The Hague1.35×
- Stockholm1.35×
- Utrecht1.3×
- Birmingham1.3×
- Leeds1.3×
- Eindhoven1.2×
- Lille1.1×
- Liverpool1.1×
- Marseille1.0×
Read against net take-home pay. Even the cities that clear a landlord's check tip over 1.0× here — only Marseille sits at a typical single salary. Bills push the picture further: the 25%→30% band leaves just ~5% of income for utilities, so keeping all-in at 30% often means housing under 25%.