Top european cities for digital careers – salaries vs. living costs analyzed

Luxembourg City headlines the list of the best European cities for digital professionals seeking job opportunities, according to the latest data from Velents AI.
Velents AI recently compiled a list of the best cities in Europe for digital professionals to find a job by analyzing data from Glassdoor and Numbeo, which included job postings and average salaries, up until October 2023.
The rankings were formed through data analysis using Glassdoor for job insights and Numbeo for living cost details. For each city, experts at Velents calculated how many digital jobs were available compared to the number of job seekers and also the average salaries of digital professions in relation to living costs was evaluated. Using this evaluation, a total score was created for each city.
Luxembourg City ranks first as the best destination for digital professionals. With nearly 198 digital jobs available for every 1,000 people, it’s a prime spot for job seekers. The monthly average wage of digital professions is higher compared to the average cost of living, making the city more favorable for job seekers. Roles such as Marketing Manager, Communication Manager, Product Manager, and Digital Banking Consultant are highly trending among digital professions.
Amsterdam, coming in a close second, offers 186 digital jobs for every 1,000 job seekers. The city is lucrative for digital professionals, with an average monthly salary of such professions being nearly two times higher than the average cost of living. With roles like Digital Strategists and Innovation Managers in demand, it remains a top choice for digital professionals.
Bucharest takes the third position, with job availability of nearly 101 digital jobs per 1000 job seekers. The average salary for more trending professions like digital marketers, copywriters or project managers is nearly €2.5K which compared to the average cost of living prices makes the city a favorable destination for digital professionals.
Dublin ranks fourth as a top destination for digital professionals, offering close to 89 job opportunities for every 1,000 individuals. In roles such as technology specialists, graphic designers, and marketing managers, professionals can expect an average monthly salary of nearly €4K, which is higher than the city’s average living expenses.
Lisbon takes the fifth place on the list with 80.8 digital jobs for every 1,000 job seekers. With positions ranging from Logistics Specialist to Marketing Manager, a monthly average salary of nearly €4K is double the average cost of living making the city a favorable destination for digital professionals.
Athens ranks sixth for professionals in the digital job sector. The city offers nearly 54.9 job opportunities per 1,000 people. With trending roles like Advertising or Marketing Manager, a monthly pay of €1,9K slightly exceeds the living expenses in the city.
Copenhagen, known for its quality of life, takes the seventh position in the list. There is a digital job rate of 35.6 per 1,000. The city offers lucrative positions for digital professionals who can expect an average of nearly €9K monthly salary against €1,9K living costs. While the city offers a favorable salary-to-cost-of-living ratio, its lower position on the list is because of the higher competition for jobs which gave it a lower index.
Stockholm ranks eighth in the list with 36.4 job chances for every 1,000 job seekers. Digital Artists and Marketing Managers can look forward to a monthly earning of nearly €8K. With living costs being relatively lower and salaries higher Stockholm is still a favorable destination for digital professionals.
London takes the ninth position, offering a competitive digital scene for professionals with opportunities around 35.9 per 1,000 people. Digital Marketing Managers and Graphic Designers can expect a relatively higher monthly income of €5,8K, compared to the living costs. However, the competition in the digital job market is really tough.
Brussels wraps up the list with 31.8 job opportunities per 1,000 digital professionals. Digital Analysts and Content Managers in this city can expect an average monthly salary of €8K, which pairs well with the cost of living in the city if compared to the salary.
The full research:
City | Job Seekers | Job Openings I Glassdoor | Jobs Per 1000 | Monthly Salary | Cost of living | Salary Index | Cost of living Index | Total Index |
Luxembourg City | 6,625.00 | 1,315 | 198.4906 | €2,850.00 | €1,975.00 | 1.443037975 | 0.0005063 | 66.64 |
Amsterdam | 41,904.00 | 7,589 | 181.1044 | €5,541.67 | €2,449.00 | 2.262828365 | 0.0004083 | 61.12 |
Bucharest | 16,200.00 | 1,647 | 101.6667 | €2,454.17 | €1,031.00 | 2.38037504 | 0.0009699 | 34.68 |
Dublin | 23,268.00 | 2,086 | 89.6510 | €3,958.33 | €2,066.00 | 1.915940626 | 0.0004840 | 30.52 |
Lisbon | 29,246.80 | 2,362 | 80.7610 | €3,800.00 | €1,697.00 | 2.239245728 | 0.0005893 | 27.67 |
Athens | 25,232.00 | 1,385 | 54.8906 | €1,900.00 | €1,529.00 | 1.24264225 | 0.0006540 | 18.71 |
Copenhagen | 32,916.00 | 1,172 | 35.6058 | €9,025.00 | €1,956.00 | 4.61400818 | 0.0005112 | 13.41 |
Stockholm | 65,325.00 | 2,375 | 36.3567 | €7,790.00 | €2,260.00 | 3.446902655 | 0.0004425 | 13.27 |
London | 474,300.00 | 17,027 | 35.8992 | €5,858.33 | €2,975.00 | 1.969187675 | 0.0003361 | 12.62 |
Brussels | 180,000.00 | 5,725 | 31.8056 | €8,075.00 | €1,957.00 | 4.126213592 | 0.0005110 | 11.98 |
Warsaw | 68,400.00 | 2,109 | 30.8333 | €5,858.33 | €1,566.00 | 3.740953597 | 0.0006386 | 11.52 |
Paris | 157,500.00 | 4,311 | 27.3714 | €4,591.67 | €2,242.00 | 2.048022599 | 0.0004460 | 9.81 |
Prague | 40,300.00 | 985 | 24.4417 | €1,504.17 | €1,947.00 | 0.7725560692 | 0.0005136 | 8.40 |
Budapest | 68,000.00 | 1,271 | 18.6912 | €839.17 | €1,201.00 | 0.6987232862 | 0.0008326 | 6.46 |
Vienna | 77,900.00 | 1,237 | 15.8793 | €767.92 | €1,813.00 | 0.4235613164 | 0.0005516 | 5.43 |
Berlin | 336,700.00 | 4,925 | 14.6273 | €5,462.50 | €2,573.00 | 2.123008162 | 0.0003887 | 5.58 |
Madrid | 379,830.00 | 4,411 | 11.6131 | €2,929.17 | €1,886.00 | 1.55311064 | 0.0005302 | 4.39 |
Helsinki | 68,224.00 | 354 | 5.1888 | €3,008.33 | €2,105.00 | 1.429136975 | 0.0004751 | 2.21 |
Rome | 207,200.00 | 1,028 | 4.9614 | €2,691.67 | €2,092.00 | 1.286647546 | 0.0004780 | 2.08 |
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