So OP is - for eastern European standards (depending on which country specifically) very well off. Talking as if 100k€ was nothing special is actually quite telling imho.
Asset prices inflated so much that income is not completely irrelevant, but it is at best only half of the picture.
So no: Asset prices not necessarily always go up. It depends significantly on where you build/own and how that area develops over your lifetime.
But - this deferred gratification - paying a morgage now to pay less rent in the future is clearly a bet towards a future in retirement where one has less disposable income, so it makes - from my vantage point at least - sense to invest now to have more freedom later.
Others have freedom now - and need to potentially scale down later. Both are valid positions imho.
Edit: Typo