The Safest Cities in Europe to Live In (2026)

Zurich scores 5 for safety, 5 for transit and 5 for nature, in a country that ranks 3rd in the 2025 Global Peace Index and 5 for healthcare in our country data. It is clean, well run and quiet at night, with a lake, hiking and skiing within about an hour.

The price is the issue. It has the highest costs in our dataset: about €3,950 a month for a single person, about €2,200 for a center one-bed and about €8,000 for a family of four (our estimates). Non-EU citizens need an employer sponsor and a quota-limited permit, so you cannot arrive on savings. Winters are cold and grey, and the culture is reserved; making friends takes effort. Skip Zurich if you do not have a job offer or are budget-led. Compare it with Geneva and read the Zurich guide.

Geneva scores 5 for safety and has a large English-speaking international community, anchored by the UN and other organizations. The lake and Alps are on the doorstep, with skiing about an hour away, and transit is good. Switzerland's GPI rank of 3rd and healthcare score of 5 back the city's reputation.

It is also among the most expensive cities in the set, with a single budget near €4,200 a month, and vacancy rates are tiny, so many workers live across the border in France. Non-EU permits are quota-limited and employer-tied, French is the local language and the cultural scene is smaller than Zurich's. Skip Geneva if you need a flexible visa route or a modest budget. See Geneva vs Zurich and the Geneva guide.

Copenhagen scores 5 for safety and 5 for family, with Denmark ranking 11th in the 2025 Global Peace Index. English is spoken almost everywhere, cycling and the metro mean you do not need a car, and registered residents get tax-funded healthcare. It is one of the easiest big-city moves in Northern Europe if you have a job.

Costs are high: about €2,600 a month for a single person and about €6,000 for a family of four. Rental housing is scarce, winters are short, grey and windy, and work permits generally require a Danish employer, with the pay-limit route starting at about €6,154 a month in our record. Social circles can be closed. Skip Copenhagen if you plan to work remotely for a foreign employer. See Copenhagen vs Munich and the Copenhagen guide.

Zagreb scores 5 for safety in a country that ranks 23rd in the 2025 Global Peace Index, and it has the lowest costs of the five-star safe cities: about €1,900 a month for a single person, with a center one-bed near €750. The city is clean, trams and buses are frequent (a monthly pass is €47.78) and Croatia ranks 2nd in EF's English index in our data.

It has no sea, January highs sit near 5 degrees C and winters are grey. The international scene is small, bureaucracy runs in Croatian, and there are no direct flights to the US. Croatia has no US tax treaty or totalization agreement in our data, and the nomad stay needs about €3,622.50 a month. Skip Zagreb if you want the coast or a big expat network. Compare it with Split and read the Zagreb guide.

Split matches Zagreb on safety (5) and adds a coast: a walkable Roman palace center (walkability 5), beach and mountain access, and English that works nearly everywhere. A single budget is about €1,950 a month and a center one-bed about €900. Croatia is a plausible choice for anyone who wants safety on a Mediterranean budget.

Summers bring cruise ships, crowds and squeezed rents, transit is bus-only, and winters are cooler and wetter than in Cyprus or Malta. The coworking and expat scene is smaller than in Zagreb or Athens, and permanent residence is not part of the nomad stay. Skip Split if you dislike tourist crowds or need a large job market. See Split vs Zagreb and the Split guide.

Munich scores 5 for safety and 5 for family, and is the safest, cleanest and best-paid city in our German set. Transit is excellent, the Alps and lakes are an easy trip, and the EU Blue Card gives a clear route for qualifying workers. Germany ranks 28th in the 2025 Global Peace Index, which is why it sits below the small countries despite the city score.

It is also Germany's priciest rental market: about €2,850 a month for a single person and about €1,550 for a center one-bed. Winters are cold and grey, English is less common than in Berlin, and the atmosphere is conservative. Skip Munich if you are arriving without a qualifying job. Compare Munich vs Vienna and read the Munich guide.

Cork scores 4 for safety in a country that ranks 5th in the 2025 Global Peace Index, the highest national rank among the English-speaking countries with a verified rank in our set. English is the everyday language (5), the center is compact and easy to walk or cycle, and rents are well below Dublin: about €1,400 for a center one-bed against €2,000.

It still costs about €2,600 a month for a single person. Rain falls often (about 1,240 mm a year), transit is mostly buses, direct US flights are few, and housing is tight with competitive bidding. Ireland is outside Schengen. The job market is smaller than Dublin's, though pharma and tech employers are strong, and Americans with an Irish grandparent can look at citizenship by descent. Skip Cork if you need nonstop US flights. See Cork vs Dublin and the Cork guide.

Vienna scores 4 for safety in a country that ranks 6th in the 2025 Global Peace Index and gets 5 for healthcare in our country data. Walkability, transit and culture are all 5, and the annual transit pass is about €467. A single budget is about €1,900 a month, far below Zurich or Copenhagen.

The catch is access. The Red-White-Red Card is tied to an Austrian employer, German is needed for paperwork, dual citizenship is generally not allowed, and winters are grey. The family-oriented districts in our guide are Landstraße and Leopoldstadt. Public healthcare runs through compulsory social insurance with an e-card for GP and hospital care, with waiting times generally shorter than in the Nordics. Skip Vienna if you plan to arrive without a job or want to work in English. See Vienna vs Munich and the Vienna guide.

Porto scores 4 for safety in Portugal, which ranks 7th in the 2025 Global Peace Index. A single budget is about €1,850 a month and a center one-bed about €1,100, and Portugal's D7 visa starts at €920 a month of passive income. Foz do Douro and Boavista suit families and professionals.

Winters are rainy (about 1,237 mm a year), the hills and cobbles are steep, and flights to the US are fewer than from Lisbon. Healthcare scores 3 for Portugal, with long public waits. The city center and Cedofeita are walkable and good for singles and remote workers, and the airport has nonstops to Newark and Toronto as well as many UK cities. Skip Porto if you want sunshine or the largest English-speaking community. Compare it with Lisbon and read the Porto guide.

Lisbon scores 4 for safety, in the same 7th-ranked country, and combines it with winters near 15.6 degrees C, the best flights to the US in Portugal and the biggest English-speaking community. It is the easiest safe, warm capital to land in as an American.

It costs more than Porto: about €2,100 a month for a single person and about €1,400 for a center one-bed. As in any popular capital, expect petty theft in crowded areas, summers are hot, and immigration appointments are slow. Campo de Ourique and Parque das Nacoes are the family-friendly, residential choices in our guide, and the city's metro, trams and commuter trains cover most daily needs. Skip Lisbon if you want low costs or a quiet city (we rate quiet 2). See the Lisbon guide and Lisbon vs Porto.