15 Best Cities in Europe for Digital Nomads
Live out your nomadic dreams in one of the best cities in Europe for digital nomads. Ideal for those seeking a new way of life that combines new cultures, traditions, people, and lifestyles.
Breaking free of the constraints of working and living in one place can be the most freeing thing in the world. Each year becoming a digital nomad is becoming more and more popular. But what is a digital nomad?
A digital nomad is someone who lives and works in various places around the world with no fixed location. Digital nomads earn a living working online by either freelancing, having their own business, or working for a rare company that allows work from anywhere.
This lifestyle is a way to see and experience the world in a whole new way. You no longer have to limit yourself to a few days in a city, but can spend a few months fully immersing yourself in the ways of life. It is one of the best ways to grow as a person and something I am very passionate about.
Below are 15 of the best cities in Europe for digital nomads and how they rank on various important factors.
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In This Post
15 Best Cities in Europe for Digital Nomads
Rankings:
- Cost of Living: Low ($) – High ($$$$$)
- Nomad Community: Bad, Not Bad, Good, Great, Exceptional
- Internet: Slow – Fast
- Amenities: Cafes, gyms, restaurants, grocery stores, public transport (☆☆☆☆☆)
- Digital nomad visa: Not available – Available
- Weather: Climate Conditions
Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Cost of Living: High ($$$$$)
- Nomad Community: Excellent
- Internet: Fast ~14Mbps
- Amenities: ★★★★★
- Digital nomad visa: Not available
- Weather: Rainy, cloudy, unpredictable
The first city on this list, with a special place in my heart as the beginning of my digital nomad life, is Amsterdam! This is easily one of the best cities in Europe for digital nomads for a wide range of reasons.
The main reason is that Amsterdam is an incredibly international city full of people from all around the world providing an excelling nomad community.
Even though Amsterdam is in the Netherlands you will often find more people speaking English than Dutch. In addition to this, Amsterdam has super fast wifi and many amenities like gyms, cafes, coworking spaces and more.
This makes Amsterdam super easy to live in and it will feel like home very quickly.
However, with the great comes the not-so-great like the rainy, cloudy Dutch weather and high costs of living. But, like most of the best cities in Europe for digital nomads, there are always pros and cons and if you value amenities and ease of living then Amsterdam is the perfect option.
More Amsterdam:
Tallinn, Estonia
- Cost of Living: Low ($$)
- Nomad Community: Okay
- Internet: Fast ~ 19Mbps
- Amenities: ★★★☆☆
- Digital nomad visa: Available HERE
- Weather: Winters (cold & snowy), summers (warm & sunny)
Tallinn is an up-and-coming city and one of the best cities in Europe for digital nomads. Overall, the quality of life is great in Tallinn, with good public transportation, high safety, affordable prices, and fast internet.
It is a great place to set up a base to see a different side of Europe and save some money at the same time.
Living in Tallinn as a digital nomad is easiest and best in the summer months as during the winter the weather gets quite cold, which is one of the biggest issues many people have with the city. There are also fewer Western amenities like many gyms, salons and such.
Lisbon, Portugal
- Cost of Living: Medium ($$$)
- Nomad Community: Great
- Internet: Fast ~ 29Mbps
- Amenities: ★★★☆☆
- Digital nomad visa: Available: Passive Income Visa and Entrepreneurial Visa
- Weather: Sunny, warm
Lisbon is often considered one of the best cities in Europe for digital nomads for many reasons. It offers fast wifi, good safety, lots of things to do, and a well-established nomad community. It also offers two digital nomad visa’s which make staying here easier than in other cities.
The one downside is that the costs of living are continually increasing year by year. Many people expect low rental prices and prices while in Lisbon but this is not the reality at this time.
London, UK
- Cost of Living: High ($$$$$)
- Nomad Community: Great
- Internet: Fast ~ 16Mbps
- Amenities: ★★★★★
- Digital nomad visa: Not Available
- Weather: Rainy, cloudy, gloomy
If you are coming from an English-speaking city and place a high value on ease of communication while being a digital nomad then London is the ideal city for you! With fast wifi, great amenities, and a good business environment, London is one of the best cities in Europe for digital nomads.
Just beware of the very high costs of living, one of the highest costs of living on this list. Plus, the unfavorable weather, unless you like rain!
Prague, Czechia
- Cost of Living: Low ($$)
- Nomad Community: Great
- Internet: Medium ~ 20 Mbps
- Amenities: ★★★★☆
- Digital nomad visa: Available HERE
- Weather: Sunny, mild
Prague is one of the best cities in Europe for digital nomads seeking an affordable, safe, and cultural nomad experience. Wifi here is high-speed and you can find amenities like coworking cafes, gyms, groceries stores conveniently located all around the city.
The best thing about Prague is you can save a lot of money living in Prague with a high standard of living!
The weather is nice and mild throughout the year but it can get quite cold in the winter months. Nonetheless, Prague is one of the best cities in Europe for digital nomads looking to enjoy one of Europe’s most beautiful cities.
Valencia, Spain
- Cost of Living: Low ($$)
- Nomad Community: Not Bad
- Internet: Medium ~ 36Mbps
- Amenities: ★★★☆☆
- Digital nomad visa: COMING SOON
- Weather: Warm, sunny, clear skies
For digital nomads seeking sunny days, a safe environment, super fast wifi, and a low cost of living, Valencia is a great option.
As one of the best cities in Europe for digital nomads, Valencia is high on the list of places to live in both summer and winter. During the winter months, the temperatures do drop, however, it remain quite mild compared to Northern European cities.
It is best to learn some Spanish before coming to Valencia as not many people speak English here and immersing yourself in the city will be more difficult if you do not speak the language.
Budapest, Hungary
- Cost of Living: Low ($)
- Nomad Community: Great
- Internet: Fast ~ 30 Mbps
- Amenities: ★★★☆☆
- Digital nomad visa: Available HERE
- Weather: Good
One of the most underrated yet best cities in Europe for digital nomads is Budapest. This city offers a very low cost of living, in fact, it is one of the cheapest cities in Europe.
Budapest also has good weather where you can expect warm sunny days in the summer and cold (possibly snowy) days in the winter. With some of the fastest wifi on the list, plenty of cafes to work in, and a good digital nomad visa, you are set!
One of the biggest downsides to living in Budapest is that the city is difficult to make friends in and it is not welcoming to the LGBTQ+ community.
Lagos, Portugal
- Cost of Living: Medium ($$$)
- Nomad Community: Okay
- Internet: Fast ~ 34Mbps
- Amenities: ★★☆☆☆
- Digital nomad visa: Available: Passive Income Visa and Entrepreneurial Visa
- Weather: Sunny, warm
If you are a digital nomad that wants to enjoy warm weather, plenty of beach days and a laidback local charm then Lagos is ideal for you.
This is one of the best cities in Europe for digital nomads who want to escape the busy city life and enjoy the beach life within Europe. With its medium cost of living, good wifi, and cafes for coworking, you can have a great experience here.
There are not as many amenities like gyms, salons, cafes etc in Lagos. But living in the Algarve is an experience like no other.
Athens, Greece
- Cost of Living: Medium ($$$)
- Nomad Community: Great
- Internet: Medium ~ 9 Mbps
- Amenities: ★★★☆☆
- Digital nomad visa: Available HERE
- Weather: Warm, sunny but also cold in winter
Athens is one of Greece’s most historic and beautiful cities and one of the best cities in Europe for digital nomads. With tons to do, high levels of safety, and warm temperatures in the spring, summer and fall it is a great place to set up a base.
However, Athens does have some of the slowest wifi on the list and can get pretty crowded with tourists.
Edinburgh, Scotland
- Cost of Living: High ($$$$$)
- Nomad Community: Good
- Internet: Fast ~ 17 Mbps
- Amenities: ★★★★★
- Digital nomad visa: Not Available
- Weather: Cold, wet
Edinburgh is a beautiful city full of character. It is one of the best cities in Europe for digital nomads with fast wifi, superb safety, all amenities, and a good digital nomad community.
The digital nomad and international community are thriving in Edinburgh which makes meeting friends and like-minded people relatively easy.
However, it is a very pricy city with no digital nomad visa which can make living here a challenge for some. Plus the weather in the winter seasons can be quite cold and gray.
Zurich, Switzerland
- Cost of Living: High ($$$$$)
- Nomad Community: Not Bad
- Internet: Fast ~ 28Mbps
- Amenities: ★★★★★
- Digital nomad visa: Not Available
- Weather: Good
Zurich is one of the cleanest and safest cities in Europe and one of the best cities in Europe for digital nomads. With plenty of amenities like cafes, gyms, clubs, restaurants and more you will feel right at home setting up a base in Zurich. It also has one of the fastest wifis in Europe and Zurich is one of the most beautiful places in Switzerland.
However, Zurich is one of the most expensive cities in Europe and if you are looking to save money this is not the best option.
But unlike most cities in Europe where winter is dreaded, winter in Zurich is welcomed. With its snow-covered streets and thriving ski resorts, the winter season is amazing in Switzerland.
Madrid, Spain
- Cost of Living: Medium-High ($$$$)
- Nomad Community: Good
- Internet: Fast ~ 36 Mbps
- Amenities: ★★★★☆
- Digital nomad visa: COMING SOON
- Weather: Sunny, warm
Madrid is one of Spain’s most modern cities with an endless supply of restaurants and cafes, and things to do. It is an extremely walkable city making getting around super easy and efficient.
Here you will find plenty of amenities, warm, sunny days and very fast wifi. However, it is one of Spain’s more expensive cities and it does get colder in the winter season.
Rome, Italy
- Cost of Living: Medium-High($$$$)
- Nomad Community: Good
- Internet: Medium ~ 13 Mbps
- Amenities: ★★★★☆
- Digital nomad visa: Available HERE
- Weather: Warm and sunny, but can get chilly
If you want to live in and experience one of Europe’s most vibrant and culture-filled cities then it’s time to head to Rome! A relatively safe city with more to do and see than you could fit in one year.
Living in Rome will give you a real taste of this electric place from top to bottom. However, the wifi isn’t super fast and the cost of living is increasing to pretty high levels.
Stockholm, Sweden
- Cost of Living: High ($$$$)
- Nomad Community: Good
- Internet: Fast ~ 34 Mbps
- Amenities: ★★★★★
- Digital nomad visa: Available HERE
- Weather: Warm summers, chilly winters
Stockholm is clean, safe and full of things to do making it one of the best cities for digital nomads in Europe. The cost of living is high but you get the maximum safety and amenities with this price.
Year by year more and more coworking spaces are opening up to grow your digital community. However, Stockholm is one of the harder places to make friends and the weather can be unfavourable.
Belgrade, Serbia
- Cost of Living: Low ($)
- Nomad Community: Not Bad
- Internet: Medium ~ 24 Mbps
- Amenities: ★★☆☆☆
- Digital nomad visa: Available HERE
- Weather: Warm summers, chilly winters
Belgrade is an interesting city and an option only few should consider as digital nomads. With extremely low costs of living and good wifi speeds, you can live a great few months here without overspending. It is also one of the best cities in Eastern Europe.
However, it is not a super welcoming city to foreigners and there is a smaller nomad community than in other cities in Europe.
Travel Insurance
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Use this list of the best cities in Europe for digital nomads and being your adventure today!
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Love,
SSW
