A newer three-bedroom flat costs about 10 or more average annual gross salaries in every Slovak regional capital surveyed, a comparison of property prices and local wages shows.
Kosice, Slovakia’s second-largest city, is the least affordable. A newer 70-square-metre three-bedroom flat there costs the equivalent of 12.2 average annual salaries, compared with 11.8 in Bratislava.
For an older 50-square-metre two-bedroom flat, buyers would need 8.2 annual salaries in Kosice and 7.6 in Bratislava. Trencin has the lowest ratio, at 5.7.
The calculation is based on July asking prices from the Real Estate Union of Slovakia and average gross salaries in the respective districts in 2025. It shows how many years someone would theoretically have to save their entire gross income – without paying taxes or any living expenses – to buy a flat.
“Only older properties are affordable with a mortgage on an average income,” Pavel Skriniar of the University of Economics in Bratislava said. “A new-build is therefore affordable only to someone earning significantly above average.”
Housing prices remain on the rise, although growth has slowed. According to the National Bank of Slovakia, average prices increased by 1.2% in the second quarter and were 9.5% higher than a year earlier. (The Slovak Spectator)