normally mortgage would be less or about rent.
the thing in eastern europe is that rents did not increase (as income did not increase and people would not manage to rent) but property prices are up by 60% due to propery bubble (joingin EU) and easily available mortgages, a rent for studio flat is $400 and mortgage $550 plus taxes, insurance, maintenance, etc,
would u still buy a property assuming people say property prices will further increase by 30-40%, in coming years, knowing that rent will cover roughly only 50% of your mortgage and other expenses ?