Where should a first-time digital nomad go?

Funchal (Madeira), Valletta, Malmö, Faro (Algarve), Lisbon are safe, English-friendly and easy to enter, and score well overall. Start with a city that has an established nomad community and reliable internet.

Top 10 · By situation

Top 10 cities for first-time digital nomads

Funchal (Madeira), Valletta, Malmö are the easiest starts: safety score of 60 or more, high English proficiency and visa-free entry (or a nomad visa).

Safety ≥ 60, English band high or better, and either a nomad visa or 90+ visa-free days on a US passport; sorted by balanced score. 80 cities qualify; the ten best are shown. Dataset 2026.09.4. How the scores work.

Torn between the top two? Compare Funchal (Madeira) and Valletta side by side →

The full Top 10

#	City	Score	Monthly cost	Safety	English	US passport
1	Funchal (Madeira) Portugal	75	$2,000*	83	very-high	90 days
2	Valletta Malta	73	$2,136	86	native	90 days
3	Malmö Sweden	73	$1,957	82	very-high	90 days
4	Faro (Algarve) Portugal	72	$1,719	83	very-high	90 days
5	Lisbon Portugal	72	$2,499	83	very-high	90 days
6	Budapest Hungary	71	$1,198	77	high	90 days
7	Stockholm Sweden	71	$2,955	82	very-high	90 days
8	Copenhagen Denmark	70	$3,358	83	very-high	90 days
9	Geneva Switzerland	70	$4,333	93	high	90 days
10	The Hague Netherlands	70	$2,843	83	very-high	90 days

* country-level cost estimate. Scores are 0–100 under balanced weights; open a city for every number and its source.

Frequently asked

Where should a first-time digital nomad go?: Funchal (Madeira), Valletta, Malmö, Faro (Algarve), Lisbon are safe, English-friendly and easy to enter, and score well overall. Start with a city that has an established nomad community and reliable internet.

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