Best Cities to Live in Europe 2026

Based on our Livability Score, Porto (Portugal) ranks #1 in Europe in 2026 with a score of 82/100, and city-centre rent from around $1297/month.

Top 5 in Europe by Livability Score: #1 Porto, Portugal (82/100); #2 Lisbon, Portugal (79/100); #3 Bucharest, Romania (79/100); #4 Copenhagen, Denmark (78/100); #5 Gothenburg, Sweden (78/100).

Bucharest (Romania) has the lowest city-centre rent in our Europe data at around $668/month for a 1-bedroom apartment.

By our Settler Safety Score — which blends homicide rate, democracy, political stability, and perceived safety — Basel (Switzerland) leads Europe with a score of 95/100. Homicide rate: 0.6 per 100,000.

Based on our residency data, cities with easy visa access for Russian, Ukrainian, and Belarusian passport holders include Budapest, Belgrade, Istanbul. Georgia allows visa-free stays of up to 1 year; Serbia offers a simple permit process. Check each city's profile for current residency details and consult an immigration lawyer before acting.

Best value European cities (under $800/mo rent, livability score 50+): Bucharest ($668/mo, 79/100); Graz ($772/mo, 77/100); Athens ($737/mo, 74/100).