The Burrow
Jan 13, 2025
After going over the hurdle of buying a home, the next step could involve renovations to upgrade and customise rooms to suit your preferences.
As home loan comparison experts in helping Australians find a more competitive rate to better afford renovations, we looked at the typical cost to renovate a bathroom globally across more than 15 countries, and how much it could take away from someone’s average annual wage.
Here’s what we found.
| Country | Average 5m2 Bathroom Renovation Cost (AUD) | Average Annual Wage (AUD) | Renovation Cost % of Annual Wage | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇵🇱 Poland | $2,831 | $63,250 |
| ||
| 🇧🇪 Belgium | $8,125 | $112,796 |
| ||
| 🇫🇷 France | $8,125 | $91,041 |
| ||
| 🇺🇸 United States | $13,263 | $123,441 |
| ||
| 🇮🇹 Italy | $8,125 | $75,305 |
| ||
| 🇨🇦 Canada | $11,587 | $102,018 |
| ||
| 🇦🇹 Austria | $13,000 | $109,654 |
| ||
| 🇳🇿 New Zealand | $10,660 | $89,516 |
| ||
| 🇿🇦 South Africa | $4,394 | $31,573 |
| ||
| 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | $20,313 | $138,313 |
| ||
| 🇩🇰 Denmark | $20,313 | $107,124 |
| ||
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | $18,111 | $88,776 |
| ||
| 🇲🇾 Malaysia | $3,660 | $16,863 |
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| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | $30,515 | $128,398 |
| ||
| 🇦🇺 Australia | $17,250 | $67,101 |
| ||
| 🇪🇪 Estonia | $16,250 | $57,632 |
|
Poland leads as the country with the cheapest average renovation cost at $2,831 for a small 5m2 bathroom – which takes just 4.5% of the typical annual wage.
It’s also relatively affordable in Poland, Belgium and France to makeover a small bathroom, costing less than 9.0% of one’s average salary.
Meanwhile, Australians will likely spend a quarter of their yearly income on a typical small bathroom renovation and Estonians could spend even more.
It was most expensive to renovate a bathroom in Switzerland, but it is offset by a high average wage.
The exact costs to makeover a bathroom depends on a variety of factors, including the bathroom size, local labour rates, cost of parts and fixtures, and presence of luxury elements such as underfloor heating.1
The tabs below reveal costs across three currencies (direct conversions from each country).
| Country | Average 5m2 Bathroom Renovation Cost (AUD) |
|---|---|
| 🇦🇺 Australia | $17,250 |
| 🇦🇹 Austria | $13,000 |
| 🇧🇪 Belgium | $8,125 |
| 🇨🇦 Canada | $11,587 |
| 🇩🇰 Denmark | $20,313 |
| 🇪🇪 Estonia | $16,250 |
| 🇫🇷 France | $8,125 |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | $8,125 |
| 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | $20,313 |
| 🇲🇾 Malaysia | $3,660 |
| 🇳🇿 New Zealand | $10,660 |
| 🇵🇱 Poland | $2,831 |
| 🇿🇦 South Africa | $4,394 |
| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | $30,515 |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | $18,111 |
| 🇺🇸 United States | $13,263 |
| Country | Average 5m2 Bathroom Renovation Cost (USD) |
|---|---|
| 🇦🇺 Australia | $11,197 |
| 🇦🇹 Austria | $8,442 |
| 🇧🇪 Belgium | $5,276 |
| 🇨🇦 Canada | $7,523 |
| 🇩🇰 Denmark | $13,190 |
| 🇪🇪 Estonia | $10,552 |
| 🇫🇷 France | $5,276 |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | $5,276 |
| 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | $13,190 |
| 🇲🇾 Malaysia | $2,377 |
| 🇳🇿 New Zealand | $6,922 |
| 🇵🇱 Poland | $1,839 |
| 🇿🇦 South Africa | $2,855 |
| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | $19,805 |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | $11,755 |
| 🇺🇸 United States | $8,611 |
| Country | Average 5m2 Bathroom Renovation Cost (EUR) |
|---|---|
| 🇦🇺 Australia | €10,350 |
| 🇦🇹 Austria | €8,000 |
| 🇧🇪 Belgium | €5,000 |
| 🇨🇦 Canada | €7,068 |
| 🇩🇰 Denmark | €12,500 |
| 🇪🇪 Estonia | €10,000 |
| 🇫🇷 France | €5,000 |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | €5,000 |
| 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | €12,500 |
| 🇲🇾 Malaysia | €2,239 |
| 🇳🇿 New Zealand | €6,345 |
| 🇵🇱 Poland | €1,725 |
| 🇿🇦 South Africa | €2,652 |
| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | €18,550 |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | €11,048 |
| 🇺🇸 United States | €8,353 |
Compare the Market’s General Manager of Money, Stephen Zeller, said it’s a good idea to compare home loan lenders to see what they have to offer in order to afford more extensive renovations.
“Many new homeowners may find that they want to renovate rooms to personalise it to their needs – but may be constricted by a tight budget,” Mr Zeller said.
“By comparing your home loan options and taking advantage of promotional cashbacks from some lenders, you could have more leeway to achieve your renovation dreams. Alternatively, you may want a loan with free redraw facilities or offset accounts to get some cash in hand.
“Another option is refinancing an existing mortgage to borrow a bit more and potentially find a better interest rate than what you’re currently on.
“Whether it’s renovating your bathroom or having more savings, it pays to shop around with home loan rates and consider refinancing if you can find a more suitable deal.”
The costs listed in this story serve as an indicative guide only. Exact prices will vary depending on a range of factors including the extensiveness of the renovation, labour costs, and bathroom size.
Using publicly available research for more than 15 countries, we compiled an estimated pricing list to renovate a small 5m2 bathroom. Where sources provided range figures, we used the median cost.
Average wages were sourced from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), other than Malaysia and South Africa.
Monetary currencies were converted on 28 November 2024 and subject to change. The original currency figures and sources are listed below.
| Country | Currency | Average 5m2 Bathroom Renovation Cost |
|---|---|---|
| 🇦🇺 Australia | AUD | $17,250 |
| 🇦🇹 Austria | EUR | €8,000 |
| 🇧🇪 Belgium | EUR | €5,000 |
| 🇨🇦 Canada | CAD | $10,549 |
| 🇩🇰 Denmark | EUR | €12,500 |
| 🇪🇪 Estonia | EUR | €10,000 |
| 🇫🇷 France | EUR | €5,000 |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | EUR | €5,000 |
| 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | EUR | €12,500 |
| 🇲🇾 Malaysia | RMB | ¥17,222 |
| 🇳🇿 New Zealand | NZD | $11,750 |
| 🇵🇱 Poland | PLN | zł7,500 |
| 🇿🇦 South Africa | ZAR | R52,000 |
| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | CHF | ₣17,500 |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | GBP | £9,284 |
| 🇺🇸 United States | USD | $8,611 |