European countries with the most expensive tap water
25 European countries ranked by what households pay for each 1,000 litres of water, including taking away and treating the waste water, the most expensive first. The prices are from EurEau's Europe's Water in Figures, 2026 edition, in euros including VAT.
A household water price in Europe usually covers two services: drinking water delivered to the tap, and the waste water collected from the drain and treated. EurEau, the federation of Europe's national water associations, collects the average residential price per cubic metre (1,000 litres) from its members in each country, weighted by the number of people connected.
The table ranks the countries by that average price, both services together and VAT included; the chart shows the ten most expensive. Prices inside a country can vary widely from town to town, so each figure is a national average.
Key figures
Average household price of water and waste water, by country, Europe's Water in Figures 2026
Rank 1 is the most expensive. Euros per cubic metre (1,000 litres), drinking water and waste water together, VAT included, weighted by the people connected. Not ranked: Austria (wastewater only), Germany (drinking water only), Ireland (no residential water charges); no figure for Croatia, Iceland, Luxembourg. Most data is for 2022 to 2024.
| Rank | Country | Price for 1,000 litres, water and waste water (euros) | Edition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denmark | 10.36 | 2026 |
| 2 | Netherlands | 6.09 | 2026 |
| 3 | Belgium | 5.76 | 2026 |
| 4 | Finland | 5.45 | 2026 |
| 5 | Norway | 4.63 | 2026 |
| 6 | France | 4.52 | 2026 |
| 7= | Czechia | 4.50 | 2026 |
| 7= | Switzerland | 4.50 | 2026 |
| 9= | Estonia | 4.25 | 2026 |
| 9= | Sweden | 4.25 | 2026 |
| 11 | Latvia | 3.76 | 2026 |
| 12 | Poland | 3.41 | 2026 |
| 13 | Cyprus | 3.16 | 2026 |
| 14 | United Kingdom | 3.10 | 2026 |
| 15= | Lithuania | 3.00 | 2026 |
| 15= | Slovakia | 3.00 | 2026 |
| 17 | Malta | 2.90 | 2026 |
| 18 | Bulgaria | 2.66 | 2026 |
| 19 | Slovenia | 2.52 | 2026 |
| 20 | Portugal | 2.31 | 2026 |
| 21 | Italy | 2.10 | 2026 |
| 22 | Hungary | 1.99 | 2026 |
| 23 | Spain | 1.96 | 2026 |
| 24 | Greece | 1.60 | 2026 |
| 25 | Romania | 1.41 | 2026 |
Bills and incomes
- The average household price across the EU's 27 countries is 3.63 euros per 1,000 litres, and 3.59 euros across all the European countries in the report.
- The average household pays 367.33 euros a year for water and waste water across the EU's 27 countries; the highest average bill is in Norway, 1,215.81 euros a year.
- In most countries households spend around 1% of their income on water services, and bills have not kept up with the growth in household incomes.
- There are no residential water charges in Ireland.
| Category | Euros per 1,000 litres |
|---|---|
| Denmark | 10.36 |
| Netherlands | 6.09 |
| Belgium | 5.76 |
| Finland | 5.45 |
| Norway | 4.63 |
| France | 4.52 |
| Czechia | 4.5 |
| Switzerland | 4.5 |
| Estonia | 4.25 |
| Sweden | 4.25 |
What the numbers mean
Denmark is in a class of its own at 10.36 euros per 1,000 litres, well over twice the EU average; 52% of Denmark's price is for the waste water service and 20% is VAT. The Netherlands, Belgium and Finland follow above 5 euros. At the bottom, households in Romania, Greece and Spain pay less than 2 euros.
Price per litre is not the whole bill: the average household bill in Norway is 1,215.81 euros a year, the highest in the report, although its price per 1,000 litres ranks fifth. EurEau also says a direct comparison of prices between countries is not possible, because tariffs depend on tax levels, water sources, the length of network per person, how far waste water must be treated and which services the bill covers.