How Much Erasmus+ Really Covers: Budgeting the Grant Against Living Costs by City
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Aug 03, 2026 • Student Life, Study in Europe, Erasmus & Exchange, Scholarships & Funding, Money & Budgeting
Erasmus+ pays 600 euros a month in expensive host countries and 540 euros in cheaper ones, but rent alone outruns the grant in cities like Amsterdam.
💶 Group 1 countries (Germany, France, the Netherlands, the Nordics, Ireland, Austria, Italy, Belgium) pay 600 euros a month.
💶 Group 2 and 3 countries (Spain, Greece, Portugal, Poland, Hungary, and most of Eastern Europe) pay 540 euros a month.
🏠 A room in Amsterdam averages 1,013 euros a month, over 400 euros above the grant.
🏠 A room in Budapest averages 360 euros a month, leaving 180 euros of the grant for other costs.
⏱️ Line up extra savings or part-time work before you pick a Group 1 city.
What the Erasmus+ grant pays
The Erasmus+ study grant is not one flat number. Your home university and national agency set the exact rate, but they follow a shared three-group system based on the cost of living in your host country. Wuppertal University's Erasmus office lists the current rates for the 2025-26 mobility year.
Group 1 covers the highest cost-of-living destinations: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden. Students heading there receive 600 euros a month. Group 2 and Group 3 both pay 540 euros a month. Group 2 covers Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Greece, Latvia, Malta, Portugal, Slovakia, and Slovenia. Group 3 covers Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, and Turkey.
These figures cover a semester or full year of study mobility. Traineeship mobility pays an extra 150 euros a month on top of the study rate. Your own university sets the exact figure inside these EU bands and sometimes tops up the minimum from its own budget, so check your Erasmus+ learning agreement paperwork before you plan a budget.
Payment usually arrives in two parts. Most universities pay the first installment, the larger share of the grant, before you leave, then release the remaining balance after you submit proof of arrival or confirm the mobility is complete. Build a buffer for your first weeks abroad in case the payment lands after your rent is due.
Rent alone outruns the grant
The gap between the grant and real costs shows up fastest in rent. HousingAnywhere's Q3 2025 rent index tracked average monthly rent for a private room across European student cities. The table below sets those figures against the matching Erasmus+ grant.
| City | Grant group | Monthly grant | Average room rent | Left after rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amsterdam | Group 1 | 600 euros | 1,013 euros | -413 euros |
| Rotterdam | Group 1 | 600 euros | 878 euros | -278 euros |
| Athens | Group 2 | 540 euros | 412 euros | 128 euros |
| Budapest | Group 3 | 540 euros | 360 euros | 180 euros |
In the Dutch cities, the grant does not cover a single room, before you add food, transport, books, or insurance. In Athens and Budapest, the grant leaves a buffer for everyday costs after rent, though that buffer still has to stretch across a full month.
Where the numbers work in your favor
Eastern and Southern European host cities tend to pair a lower grant with much lower rent, so the ratio between the two often favors the student more than in Western Europe. A semester in Budapest, Krakow, or Zagreb leaves more of the grant for food, local transport passes, and a social budget than a semester in Amsterdam or Paris.
This does not mean a Western European exchange is unaffordable. It means you need a second funding source ready before you commit. Options include part-time work where your visa or exchange status allows it, savings built up the semester before you leave, or support from your family.
Extra support if your budget is tight
Erasmus+ national agencies and home universities often run their own supplementary grants for students who show financial need, on top of the standard EU rate. These sit separately from the fixed inclusion top-up for students with disabilities or fewer opportunities, which pays an additional amount regardless of destination. Ask your international office about local top-ups before you finalize your host city.
Carry a European Health Insurance Card, or a UK Global Health Insurance Card if you study from the UK, for state-provided healthcare while you study in the EU, EEA, or Switzerland. Budget separately for private travel insurance if your destination or home country sits outside that network.
Why grant group does not always match real cost
The three-group system is a rough proxy for cost of living, not a precise match. Some Group 1 destinations, such as parts of France or Austria outside the capital, cost noticeably less than Amsterdam or Dublin despite paying the same 600 euros. Some Group 3 cities, especially capital-city centers in Poland or Romania, run higher than smaller towns in the same country. Compare your specific host city, not only its grant group, before you finalize a budget.
A shared flat almost always costs less than a private room booked through a platform like HousingAnywhere, and a room outside the city center costs less than one near campus. Search local student housing Facebook groups and your host university's own accommodation office alongside international platforms, since local listings often run cheaper than sites aimed at incoming international students.
Budgeting checklist before you commit to a city
Check your grant group and monthly amount in your learning agreement, not only the EU minimum.
Look up current room and shared-flat prices for your specific host city, not the national average.
Add a line for local transport, phone plan, and health insurance, all separate from rent.
Ask your home university whether it tops up the EU minimum grant.
Set aside savings to cover at least one month of rent before your first grant payment arrives.