---
title: "Top 10 cities for first-time digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/top-10/best-for-first-time-nomads
description: "The ten best-scoring cities that are safe, widely English-speaking and easy to enter, for a first stint abroad."
dataset: 2026.09.4 (2026-09-26)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# 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.

| # | City | Country | Score | Monthly cost | Safety | English | US passport |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | [Funchal (Madeira)](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/funchal) | Portugal | 75 | $2,000* | 83 | very-high | 90 days |
| 2 | [Valletta](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/valletta) | Malta | 73 | $2,136 | 86 | native | 90 days |
| 3 | [Malmö](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/malmo) | Sweden | 73 | $1,957 | 82 | very-high | 90 days |
| 4 | [Faro (Algarve)](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/faro) | Portugal | 72 | $1,719 | 83 | very-high | 90 days |
| 5 | [Lisbon](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/lisbon) | Portugal | 72 | $2,499 | 83 | very-high | 90 days |
| 6 | [Budapest](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/budapest) | Hungary | 71 | $1,198 | 77 | high | 90 days |
| 7 | [Stockholm](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/stockholm) | Sweden | 71 | $2,955 | 82 | very-high | 90 days |
| 8 | [Copenhagen](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/copenhagen) | Denmark | 70 | $3,358 | 83 | very-high | 90 days |
| 9 | [Geneva](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/geneva) | Switzerland | 70 | $4,333 | 93 | high | 90 days |
| 10 | [The Hague](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/the-hague) | Netherlands | 70 | $2,843 | 83 | very-high | 90 days |

## FAQ

### 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.

Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population; UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages).

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/top-10/best-for-first-time-nomads