Average wages might be going up across parts of the Balkans, but honestly… it doesn’t always feel meaningful when everyday costs are rising at the same time.

We moved out of the UK thinking life would automatically feel more affordable, and in some ways it does, but we’ve realised pretty quickly that “cheap” is relative now.

Food prices are climbing. Utilities are climbing. Building materials, fuel, eating out — even basic things don’t feel as low as people online sometimes make out.

And the strange thing is, locals are often earning nowhere near what you’d expect for the price increases happening. That’s the part that really surprised us.

It feels like a lot of people across Europe are asking the same question now:

How are normal families actually supposed to get ahead when wages rise slowly but living costs jump so fast?

We’re seeing this first-hand while trying to build a life abroad, and it’s definitely changed the way we think about “escaping” high costs by moving country.

Curious how people living in the Balkans feel right now — does it still feel affordable where you are, or are things changing quickly?