Determining a good salary in Europe is complex and depends on various factors such as location, experience, industry and lifestyle.

Euronews has analysed the situation in the five largest economies in Europe.

According to Chris Chasteen, Research Director at the ERI Economic Research Institute, a gross salary of between €64,000 and €70,000 is considered good in Germany. This corresponds to around €3,300 to €3,600 net per month. While salaries in Berlin are slightly higher than in other German cities, the cost of living remains lower than in London and Paris.

In the UK, a good monthly net salary is between £2,500 and £3,300, which equates to around €2,962 to €3,915. However, in London, where salaries are around 23% higher than the UK average, a good salary starts at around €3,643.

Citizens from northern and western EU countries are generally happier

In France, the average monthly net salary is €2,587, but for a comfortable lifestyle, a good salary for a single person is closer to €3,200 per month. In Paris, you need at least €3,400 to achieve a similar standard of living.

In Spain, the average net salary is €1,785 per month or €2,250 gross. A good monthly net salary for a single person is estimated to be around €2,700, rising to €3,185 in Madrid, where salaries are around 18% higher than the national average.

In Rome, a good gross salary is usually between €3,750 and €5,690.

In the rest of Europe, satisfaction with personal finances varies widely, ranging from 39% in Athens to 87% in Luxembourg. Satisfaction is generally higher in the northern and western EU countries.

Zagreb falls far behind

The Croatian capital lags behind the aforementioned European capitals in terms of salary levels. In June of this year, the average monthly net salary of employees of legal entities in the city of Zagreb was €1,509.

According to the City Office for Economy, Environmental Sustainability and Strategic Planning, the highest average monthly net salary in legal entities in June was recorded in the oil and gas extraction industry at €2,601.

The lowest salary was paid in the leather and related products manufacturing industry, at €871, according to data released in September.

What should a reasonable salary be in Croatia? According to a survey by the job search website MojPosao, in which more than 3,800 people took part, a reasonable salary in Croatia should be between €1,500 and €1,999. The respondents also believe that a salary below €1,500 is not enough to cover the basic necessities of life, given current prices.