Top 10 · By situation
Top 10 big cities for digital nomads
Madrid, London, Berlin score best of the 47 cities with three million residents or more. Big cities trade cost and air quality for connections and choice.
City-proper population ≥ 3,000,000; sorted by balanced score. 47 cities qualify; the ten best are shown. Dataset 2026.09.4. How the scores work.
- 1MadridSpain
- Population
- 3.3M
- Score
- 71
- Monthly cost
- $2,579
- 2LondonUnited Kingdom
- Population
- 8.9M
- Score
- 69
- Monthly cost
- $4,559
- 3BerlinGermany
- Population
- 3.8M
- Score
- 69
- Monthly cost
- $2,522
Torn between the top two? Compare Madrid and London side by side →
The full Top 10
| # | City | Population | Score | Monthly cost | Air | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Madrid Spain | 3.3M | 71 | $2,579 | 88 | 73 |
| 2 | London United Kingdom | 8.9M | 69 | $4,559 | 86 | 95 |
| 3 | Berlin Germany | 3.8M | 69 | $2,522 | 87 | 59 |
| 4 | Hong Kong Hong Kong | 7.5M | 68 | $2,448 | 75 | 56 |
| 5 | Buenos Aires Argentina | 3.1M | 66 | $781 | 91 | 39 |
| 6 | Tokyo Japan | 14.1M | 65 | $2,212 | 87 | 63 |
| 7 | Sydney Australia | 5.3M | 64 | $3,599 | 96 | 39 |
| 8 | New York City United States | 8.3M | 64 | $3,377 | 95 | 77 |
| 9 | Seoul South Korea | 9.4M | 62 | $2,022 | 55 | 58 |
| 10 | Busan South Korea | 3.3M | 62 | $1,582 | 64 | 37 |
* country-level cost estimate. Scores are 0–100 under balanced weights; open a city for every number and its source.
Frequently asked
- Which big cities are best for digital nomads?
- Madrid, London, Berlin, Hong Kong, Buenos Aires: each has at least three million residents and a strong balanced score.
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