May 25, 2023 
10 mins to read Travelling abroad is something everyone desire, especially those who are looking for new adventures. A great alternative to travel is working abroad, this would help you build your career but also know better many different countries while doing it. Finding a job abroad will allow you to travel without spending your savings, but What is the best country in Europe to travel abroad?
To determine this, we’re considering 3 key factors, living cost (from 1 to 10, being 10 the highest), friendliness or the attitude towards expats and the job market. The last one is evaluated by the employment level, being 10 the highest rate (equal to 100% of employment in the country) the higher the employment rate, the better, because it means there are many job opportunities in the country.
Since Friendliness is more qualitative information, we’re taking the Expat Insider study of 2021 and contrasting the data with our own experiences in the market, ranking the friendliness between 1 to 10 points.
Top 10 countries for expats in Europe
Here’s a list of the most amazing countries for expats in Europe.
1. Bulgaria
This is a mixed opinion country, it’s true that the cost of living is low in Bulgaria at €475 but it is also the average salary, being around €860, however it will always depend on your field. In Bulgaria, the job market is been having a steady growth over the years and you will easily find a job in the IT or language sectors where you could outrange the minimum salary. The thing you will find as a con in Bulgaria is the need to know the language, although Bulgarians are friendly towards expats, knowing the language will open the doors to better relationships and more job opportunities. Even so, you will always find expats communities that are open to welcome you in their activities, so give it a chance to this beautiful country with friendly people and beautiful scenery
2. Poland
Poland has become a desired destination for expats to work abroad and this is because of how easy it is to settle in Poland, almost everyone knows English as a second language, the living cost is low and the people is friendly towards expats. The cons of working abroad in Poland are related to the climate since it’s a cold country you may find, in the worst scenario, 6 months of cold weather, yet if this is not a problem for you then let me tell you that the Job market in Poland is expanding, especially in IT field you will find plenty of offers. The average wage is about €1100 while the living cost round around €600, leaving a good espace for savings and considering the location of Poland is easy to travel around many European countries from there. So if you are looking to work abroad and keep travelling while doing it, then you should consider Poland to start.
3. Estonia
You may get shocked about Working abroad in Estonia, did you know that 99% of public services in Estonia are online? And the use of the internet is part of the whole culture here, this trend can be explained because many corporations have young people in leading positions, and Estonia is becoming a tech hub in Europe making it a great country for young people to start their journey. This leads us to the community, Estonians are very warm and friendly towards expats, and even when the expat community is small, you may find many groups in the social media to empathize with. All of these is accompanied by an affordable living cost with around €1000 monthly. What makes a difference between Lisbon and Tallin? The renting prices are way lower in the Estonian capital while the difference in other costs remain minimun.
4. Portugal
Portugal is the most known country in Europe to work abroad, and this is why many countries are sightseen after Portugal because of its warm people, great food and affordable cost of living. As a matter of fact, the friendliness of the Portugueses is ranked as the 1st one of the European countries. As experts we must say that Greece, for example, have nothing to envy to Portugal (being the 2nd one about attitude towards expats), but it’s true that Portugal has its own style also very attractive. The living cost depends on the city, while Porto is cheaper than Lisbon (€1000 vs €1300), the vibrant capital has plenty more things to offer, but everything depends on your likes. The job market in Portugal is ruled by the service sector, so you will find plenty of job offers for language specialities and customer service in general.
5. Latvia
Latvia is an affordable option in Europe to start your work abroad journey. The living cost are very low at around €580 monthly and the job market is growing, being the IT and services fields the protagonists of the economy. Culture shock is not a big thing in Latvia since a big part of their population has foreign origins, this leads to a welcoming culture towards expats too.
Landscapes in Latvia will make you believe you are in a fairytale, with all the lakes, waterfalls, rivers and the whole green scenery that will let you completely amazed.
6. Spain
Spain is a fire country for sure, their people are very enthusiastic and open towards expats, it’s hard to get bored living in Spain since each community has a lot of activities all over the year. The Job market here is dynamic, some people including the government could say is scarse but you’ll find every time offers in fields like IT, languages and services. The big difference between Spain and other European countries is their work day, almost everyone usually takes 30min to 1 hour of lunch break but in Spain this is about 3.- 4 hours. It has a mild climate, depending on the exact location you may find colder winters but this land is usually sun kissed throughout the whole year.
Living cost in Spain varies depending on the community, as always the biggest cities like Madrid or Barcelona are way more expensive than others, in Barcelona the living cost is around €1400 while in Malaga it’s around €1.100 monthly. The good thing is that you may find higher wages easily and the expat community in Spain is very diverse and unique so it’s sure that you will improve your social relationships spending a season here.
7. Czechia
Czech Republic is getting some attention recently in this matter, as it says in the Expats Insider report Czechia is between the top countries with better perception towards career prospects and satisfaction and the other category work and leisure. Getting into details about this country we know the work-life balance is well preserved here, something that may attract expats from well balances countries like Denmark, Norway or Sweden. The cost of living in Czechia is not very high, about €950 but the salaries round around €1470 in Prague. Opinions about the attitude towards expats are varied, although Czech Republic is not considered the most friendly country, we must take into account that if you are going to stay for a long period in a country, the least you could do is learn the basics of the language and social customs in that country in order to have a better experience. If they see you’re trying with respect, everything else will be a piece of cake.
Check our country guide about Czechia to find more details about living cost, language, gastronomy and more!
8. Greece
This country is usually sightseeing by foreigners, without thinking in all great experience that comes with living and working in Greece. First of all, Greeks are very welcoming people towards expats, they are the 2nd most friendly European country in this matter, we have several candidates working on Greece that love their stay in the country, also, if you’re a food lover, then Greece would for sure fulfill your expectations. It is true that salaries in Greece tend to be lower than other European countries but so it is the cost of life, being around €1000 including rent, this allows you to enjoy of the nightlife and leisure benefits that are not scarce in Greece, you will find several hubs for all types, no matter if you’re the party type or love hiking or have a coffee chilling at night.
9. Cyprus
Cyprus is the hidden gem of Europe, with welcoming people, a growing expats community, delicious food and a economic expansion is hard to believe that Cyprus is not on the Headlines when it comes to working abroad. Between the many qualities of Cyprus we have the climate being warmer than many european countries but you can still find snow in the cold seasons in some specific areas, the scenery is beautiful with a beautiful coastline and also impressive mountains so you have for all likes. The living cost is quite high being around €1300 or less, the key factor here is the accommodation, while the average salary is around €1400 to €2000, while the living cost is quite high, the taxes in Cyprus makes up for it being 20% on salaries over €1700.
10. Malta
The smallest country of the European Union definitely has great attributes to catch your interest, the climate is the warmest in Europe with over 300 days of sun in the year, so it’s the perfect country to enjoy the beach and the sun. The weather is not the only warm thing in Malta, their people are too! Maltese people are considered welcomed and friendly towards expats, since English is the second official language it’s very easy to get around with everyone. Malta has its cons too regarding increasing prices, this is a common thing around the world and this country is not the exception, the living costs at the moment round around €1500. The internet connection may be limited and kind of expensive in comparison to the general costs of the country, but being such a small land, it’s very well connected regarding services and the government is constantly making changes to improve the quality in general.
The Job market is dynamic in Malta, with many opportunities for young people who want to start their careers is easy to find a job. Also the tax policy is attractive for start-ups so there’s always a new company on the road but There are major international companies too especially the financial sector and iGaming
We conclude that between the 10 best countries in Europe to work abroad, our favourite alternative is Bulgaria with a low living cost and a nice level of friendliness, plus an increasing job market that has plenty of opportunities available. At last, we have Malta, although it’s a great country to work abroad, the living cost is higher than the others but it keeps having stable rates for friendliness and job market, so don’t dismiss this awesome country.
