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Best European Cities for Expats

English-friendly, well-connected, not bankrupt. The spreadsheet for people who just moved and can't read the electricity bill.

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Cheapest Places to Live in Europe Best Places to Live in Europe Safest Places to Live in Europe Cost of Living Index by City Quality of Life Index by City Safest Countries in the World Cheapest Countries to Live In Best Countries for English Speakers Best Cities for Families Safest Countries for Families Cheapest Places to Live in Asia Safest Places to Live in Asia Cheapest Places to Live in South America Cheapest Places to Live in North America Safest Places to Live in South America Safest Places to Live in North America Best Places to Live in Asia Best Places to Live in South America Best Places to Live in North America Best Cities for Families in Europe Best Cities for Families in Asia Best Asian Cities for Expats Cheapest Cities With Fast Internet Best Cities to Retire In Best Countries to Live In 2026 Best Countries to Move to From the US Easiest Countries to Immigrate to in 2026 Full City Rankings

Leipzig

English: Very High, 214 Mbps, $800/mo rent, full democracy. The bureaucracy might still be hell, but at least it's in English.

$800/mo rent$2569/mo totalEnglish: Very High25°C summers214 Mbps

Stuttgart

English: Very High, 224 Mbps, $1157/mo rent, full democracy. The bureaucracy might still be hell, but at least it's in English.

$1157/mo rent$3142/mo totalEnglish: Very High24°C summers224 Mbps

Cologne

English: Very High, 189 Mbps, $1171/mo rent, full democracy. The bureaucracy might still be hell, but at least it's in English.

$1171/mo rent$3165/mo totalEnglish: Very High24°C summers189 Mbps

Helsinki

English: Very High, 227 Mbps, $1210/mo rent, full democracy. The bureaucracy might still be hell, but at least it's in English.

$1210/mo rent$2888/mo totalEnglish: Very High22°C summers227 MbpsCoastal

Oslo

English: Very High, 258 Mbps, $2004/mo rent, full democracy. The bureaucracy might still be hell, but at least it's in English.

$2004/mo rent$4736/mo totalEnglish: Very High21°C summers258 MbpsCoastal

Porto

English: Very High, 226 Mbps, $1297/mo rent, full democracy. The bureaucracy might still be hell, but at least it's in English.

$1297/mo rent$2862/mo totalEnglish: Very High23°C summers226 MbpsCoastal

Copenhagen

English: Very High, 245 Mbps, $1970/mo rent, full democracy. The bureaucracy might still be hell, but at least it's in English.

$1970/mo rent$4234/mo totalEnglish: Very High20°C summers245 MbpsCoastal

Gothenburg

English: Very High, 163 Mbps, $1080/mo rent, full democracy. The bureaucracy might still be hell, but at least it's in English.

$1080/mo rent$2802/mo totalEnglish: Very High19°C summers163 MbpsCoastal

Lisbon

English: Very High, 238 Mbps, $1616/mo rent, full democracy. The bureaucracy might still be hell, but at least it's in English.

$1616/mo rent$3363/mo totalEnglish: Very High27°C summers238 MbpsCoastal

Stockholm

English: Very High, 190 Mbps, $1816/mo rent, full democracy. The bureaucracy might still be hell, but at least it's in English.

$1816/mo rent$4131/mo totalEnglish: Very High20°C summers190 MbpsCoastal

Lugano

English: High, 306 Mbps, $1813/mo rent, full democracy. The bureaucracy might still be hell, but at least it's in English.

$1813/mo rent$4788/mo totalEnglish: High27°C summers306 Mbps

Bucharest

English: High, 255 Mbps, $668/mo rent. The bureaucracy might still be hell, but at least it's in English.

$668/mo rent$2059/mo totalEnglish: High30°C summers255 Mbps

Lausanne

English: High, 465 Mbps, $2058/mo rent, full democracy. The bureaucracy might still be hell, but at least it's in English.

$2058/mo rent$4846/mo totalEnglish: High25°C summers465 Mbps

Rotterdam

English: Very High, 141 Mbps, $1805/mo rent, full democracy. The bureaucracy might still be hell, but at least it's in English.

$1805/mo rent$4105/mo totalEnglish: Very High21°C summers141 MbpsCoastal

Lucerne

English: High, 412 Mbps, $2173/mo rent, full democracy. The bureaucracy might still be hell, but at least it's in English.

$2173/mo rent$5232/mo totalEnglish: High24°C summers412 Mbps

Ljubljana

English: Very High, 130 Mbps, $1118/mo rent. The bureaucracy might still be hell, but at least it's in English.

$1118/mo rent$2916/mo totalEnglish: Very High27°C summers130 Mbps

Berlin

English: Very High, 128 Mbps, $1550/mo rent, full democracy. The bureaucracy might still be hell, but at least it's in English.

$1550/mo rent$3669/mo totalEnglish: Very High25°C summers128 Mbps

The Hague

English: Very High, $1548/mo rent, full democracy. The bureaucracy might still be hell, but at least it's in English.

$1548/mo rent$3506/mo totalEnglish: Very High20°C summers99 MbpsCoastal

Vienna

English: Very High, 101 Mbps, $1303/mo rent, full democracy. The bureaucracy might still be hell, but at least it's in English.

$1303/mo rent$3410/mo totalEnglish: Very High24°C summers101 Mbps

Prague

English: High, 137 Mbps, $1228/mo rent, full democracy. The bureaucracy might still be hell, but at least it's in English.

$1228/mo rent$2981/mo totalEnglish: High23°C summers137 Mbps

Hamburg

English: Very High, $1359/mo rent, full democracy. The bureaucracy might still be hell, but at least it's in English.

$1359/mo rent$3416/mo totalEnglish: Very High21°C summers96 Mbps

Malmo

English: Very High, $1092/mo rent, full democracy. The bureaucracy might still be hell, but at least it's in English.

$1092/mo rent$2884/mo totalEnglish: Very High20°C summers84 MbpsCoastal

Graz

English: Very High, $772/mo rent, full democracy. The bureaucracy might still be hell, but at least it's in English.

$772/mo rent$2706/mo totalEnglish: Very High25°C summers

Marseille

English: Moderate, 169 Mbps, $902/mo rent. The bureaucracy might still be hell, but at least it's in English.

$902/mo rent$2711/mo totalEnglish: Moderate27°C summers169 MbpsCoastal

Edinburgh

English: Very High, $1620/mo rent, full democracy. The bureaucracy might still be hell, but at least it's in English.

$1620/mo rent$3915/mo totalEnglish: Very High17°C summers89 MbpsCoastal

Manchester

English: Very High, 102 Mbps, $1703/mo rent, full democracy. The bureaucracy might still be hell, but at least it's in English.

$1703/mo rent$3822/mo totalEnglish: Very High20°C summers102 Mbps

Zurich

English: High, 213 Mbps, $3006/mo rent, full democracy. The bureaucracy might still be hell, but at least it's in English.

$3006/mo rent$6265/mo totalEnglish: High23°C summers213 Mbps

Munich

English: Very High, $1678/mo rent, full democracy. The bureaucracy might still be hell, but at least it's in English.

$1678/mo rent$3977/mo totalEnglish: Very High22°C summers92 Mbps

Tallinn

English: High, 112 Mbps, $816/mo rent, full democracy. The bureaucracy might still be hell, but at least it's in English.

$816/mo rent$2649/mo totalEnglish: High20°C summers112 MbpsCoastal

Athens

English: High, $737/mo rent, full democracy. The bureaucracy might still be hell, but at least it's in English.

$737/mo rent$2323/mo totalEnglish: High32°C summers98 MbpsCoastal

Lagos

English: Very High, $1233/mo rent, full democracy. The bureaucracy might still be hell, but at least it's in English.

$1233/mo rent$2851/mo totalEnglish: Very High28°C summers84 MbpsCoastal

Amsterdam

English: Very High, 122 Mbps, $2602/mo rent, full democracy. The bureaucracy might still be hell, but at least it's in English.

$2602/mo rent$5185/mo totalEnglish: Very High20°C summers122 MbpsCoastal

Krakow

English: Very High, $976/mo rent. The bureaucracy might still be hell, but at least it's in English.

$976/mo rent$2519/mo totalEnglish: Very High23°C summers88 Mbps

Warsaw

English: Very High, 109 Mbps, $1224/mo rent. The bureaucracy might still be hell, but at least it's in English.

$1224/mo rent$2909/mo totalEnglish: Very High23°C summers109 Mbps

Lyon

English: Moderate, 146 Mbps, $972/mo rent. The bureaucracy might still be hell, but at least it's in English.

$972/mo rent$2854/mo totalEnglish: Moderate26°C summers146 Mbps

Paris

English: Moderate, 173 Mbps, $1604/mo rent. The bureaucracy might still be hell, but at least it's in English.

$1604/mo rent$3668/mo totalEnglish: Moderate24°C summers173 Mbps

Dublin

English: Very High, $2522/mo rent, full democracy. The bureaucracy might still be hell, but at least it's in English.

$2522/mo rent$5033/mo totalEnglish: Very High18°C summers91 MbpsCoastal

Frankfurt

English: Very High, $1358/mo rent, full democracy. The bureaucracy might still be hell, but at least it's in English.

$1358/mo rent$3547/mo totalEnglish: Very High26°C summers

Faro

English: Very High, $1077/mo rent, full democracy. The bureaucracy might still be hell, but at least it's in English.

$1077/mo rent$2568/mo totalEnglish: Very High28°C summers49 MbpsCoastal

Bratislava

English: High, $1118/mo rent. The bureaucracy might still be hell, but at least it's in English.

$1118/mo rent$2707/mo totalEnglish: High27°C summers99 Mbps

Salzburg

English: Very High, $1537/mo rent, full democracy. The bureaucracy might still be hell, but at least it's in English.

$1537/mo rent$3773/mo totalEnglish: Very High24°C summers

Kosice

English: High, $965/mo rent. The bureaucracy might still be hell, but at least it's in English.

$965/mo rent$2523/mo totalEnglish: High26°C summers85 Mbps

Budapest

English: High, $918/mo rent. You'll figure it out. Probably.

$918/mo rent$2402/mo totalEnglish: High26°C summers80 Mbps

Funchal

English: Very High, $1568/mo rent, full democracy. You'll figure it out. Probably.

$1568/mo rent$3229/mo totalEnglish: Very High24°C summersCoastalMountains

Split

English: Very High, $1077/mo rent. You'll figure it out. Probably.

$1077/mo rent$2875/mo totalEnglish: Very High30°C summersCoastalMountains

Geneva

English: High, 122 Mbps, $2887/mo rent, full democracy. You'll figure it out. Probably.

$2887/mo rent$6149/mo totalEnglish: High26°C summers122 Mbps

Madrid

English: Moderate, $1498/mo rent, full democracy. You'll figure it out. Probably.

$1498/mo rent$3339/mo totalEnglish: Moderate31°C summers94 Mbps

Valencia

English: Moderate, $1429/mo rent, full democracy. You'll figure it out. Probably.

$1429/mo rent$3154/mo totalEnglish: Moderate29°C summers99 MbpsCoastal

Seville

English: Moderate, $980/mo rent, full democracy. You'll figure it out. Probably.

$980/mo rent$2459/mo totalEnglish: Moderate34°C summers

London

English: Very High, $3000/mo rent, full democracy. You'll figure it out. Probably.

$3000/mo rent$6004/mo totalEnglish: Very High22°C summers87 Mbps

Belgrade

English: High, $904/mo rent. You'll figure it out. Probably.

$904/mo rent$2405/mo totalEnglish: High27°C summers68 Mbps

Basel

English: High, $2060/mo rent, full democracy. You'll figure it out. Probably.

$2060/mo rent$4961/mo totalEnglish: High26°C summers

Bern

English: High, $1960/mo rent, full democracy. You'll figure it out. Probably.

$1960/mo rent$4662/mo totalEnglish: High24°C summers

Barcelona

English: Moderate, $1712/mo rent, full democracy. You'll figure it out. Probably.

$1712/mo rent$3576/mo totalEnglish: Moderate27°C summers84 MbpsCoastal

Bilbao

English: Moderate, $1259/mo rent, full democracy. You'll figure it out. Probably.

$1259/mo rent$3036/mo totalEnglish: Moderate25°C summersCoastal

Tenerife

English: Moderate, $1217/mo rent, full democracy. You'll figure it out. Probably.

$1217/mo rent$2964/mo totalEnglish: Moderate27°C summersCoastalMountains

Montpellier

English: Moderate, $930/mo rent. You'll figure it out. Probably.

$930/mo rent$2601/mo totalEnglish: Moderate30°C summersCoastal

Malaga

English: Moderate, $1392/mo rent, full democracy. You'll figure it out. Probably.

$1392/mo rent$3101/mo totalEnglish: Moderate29°C summersCoastal

Nice

English: Moderate, $1142/mo rent. You'll figure it out. Probably.

$1142/mo rent$3050/mo totalEnglish: Moderate28°C summersCoastal

Bologna

English: Moderate, $1130/mo rent. You'll figure it out. Probably.

$1130/mo rent$3115/mo totalEnglish: Moderate31°C summers

Rome

English: Moderate, $1355/mo rent. You'll figure it out. Probably.

$1355/mo rent$3185/mo totalEnglish: Moderate30°C summers75 MbpsCoastal

Milan

English: Moderate, $1737/mo rent. You'll figure it out. Probably.

$1737/mo rent$3976/mo totalEnglish: Moderate28°C summers90 MbpsMountains

Florence

English: Moderate, $1316/mo rent. You'll figure it out. Probably.

$1316/mo rent$3360/mo totalEnglish: Moderate30°C summers46 MbpsMountains

Cork

$2005/mo rent, full democracy. You'll figure it out. Probably.

$2005/mo rent$4277/mo total19°C summersCoastal

Brighton

$1894/mo rent, full democracy. You'll figure it out. Probably.

$1894/mo rent$4174/mo total20°C summersCoastal

Istanbul

English: Low, $1070/mo rent. You'll figure it out. Probably.

$1070/mo rent$2444/mo totalEnglish: Low28°C summers51 MbpsCoastal

Saint Petersburg

English: Moderate, $908/mo rent. You'll figure it out. Probably.

$908/mo rent$2229/mo totalEnglish: Moderate21°C summersCoastal

Moscow

English: Moderate, $1499/mo rent. You'll figure it out. Probably.

$1499/mo rent$3173/mo totalEnglish: Moderate22°C summers

Cheapest Places to Live in Europe Best Places to Live in Europe Safest Places to Live in Europe Cost of Living Index by City Quality of Life Index by City Safest Countries in the World Cheapest Countries to Live In Best Countries for English Speakers Best Cities for Families Safest Countries for Families Cheapest Places to Live in Asia Safest Places to Live in Asia Cheapest Places to Live in South America Cheapest Places to Live in North America Safest Places to Live in South America Safest Places to Live in North America Best Places to Live in Asia Best Places to Live in South America Best Places to Live in North America Best Cities for Families in Europe Best Cities for Families in Asia Best Asian Cities for Expats Cheapest Cities With Fast Internet Best Cities to Retire In Best Countries to Live In 2026 Best Countries to Move to From the US Easiest Countries to Immigrate to in 2026 Full City Rankings

Data: Numbeo · UNODC · EIU · World Bank · EF EPI · Ookla Speedtest

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best city in Europe for expats in 2026?▾

Leipzig (Germany) leads our Expat Rankings with a score of 90/100. That covers English proficiency, internet speed, safety, democracy, and affordability — the five things that determine whether you'll survive your first week.

Top 5 cities for expats in Europe?▾

#1 Leipzig (90/100), #2 Stuttgart (89/100), #3 Cologne (87/100), #4 Helsinki (87/100), #5 Oslo (87/100). Weighted toward English and connectivity, because dealing with bureaucracy in a foreign language over dial-up is nobody's idea of a fresh start.

Where in Europe can expats get by in English?▾

Leipzig (Germany) — English proficiency: Very High. You'll still embarrass yourself ordering coffee, but at least the doctor will understand "it hurts here."

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