With more people embracing remote working abroad, Brother UK, the office electronics supplier, has determined the best, worst, happiest and cheapest locations in Europe to work remotely.
They analysed factors such as Wi-Fi speed, cost of an apartment, cost of electricity, safety within the country, and general cost of living. Then, they used a weighted rank to determine an overall remote worker score out of 100.
The best European cities for remote workers
| Rank | City | Country | Score/100 |
| 1 | Luxembourg | Luxembourg | 68.04 |
| 2 | Olomouc | Czechia | 64.27 |
| 3 | Rotterdam | Netherlands | 63.88 |
| 4 | Aalborg | Denmark | 63.84 |
| 5 | Reykjavik | Iceland | 63.72 |
| 6 | Utrecht | Netherlands | 63.61 |
| 7 | Arhus | Denmark | 63.56 |
| 8 | Eindhoven | Netherlands | 63.53 |
| 9 | Plzen | Czechia | 63.53 |
| 10 | Oradea | Romania | 63.44 |
- Luxembourg
Nestled between Belgium, France, and Germany, Luxembourg’s capital city has been ranked the best city in Europe for remote working. When considering the most sought-after elements for remote workers, Luxembourg City scored 68/100 – the highest of all the cities.
Luxembourg City has a 6% higher remote working suitability score than the second-best city, Olomouc. It also ranked highly in other metrics, with an impressive Quality of Life score of 192.9, a Health Care Index score of 75, and a Happiness Index score of 7.23.
- Olomouc, Czechia
Located in the Czech Republic, Olomouc is a close second in the Remote Worker Index – boasting an overall score of 64.27. The cost of a one-bedroom apartment outside the centre would only set you back £350.25, and Wi-Fi costs £15.56. Olomouc scored 163.6 in the Quality of Life Index, 73.4 in the Safety Index and 6.85 in the Happiness Index.
- Rotterdam, Netherlands
Rotterdam, a city in the Netherlands, ranks third in our European Remote Worker Index, scoring 63.88 out of 100. The city scored 196.7 in the Quality of Life Index and 72.7 in the Safety Index. A meal and a beer would only cost £11.52 on average.
The Netherlands has also been named one of the happiest countries, so it may come as no surprise that Rotterdam scored 7.2 out of 10 on the Happiness Index.
The worst European cities for remote working
| Rank | City | Country | Score/100 |
| 1 | Athens | Greece | 50.34 |
| 2 | Thessaloniki | Greece | 50.87 |
| 3 | Belgrade | Serbia | 51.94 |
| 4 | Patras | Greece | 52.33 |
| 5 | Limassol | Cyprus | 53.29 |
| 6 | Novi Sad | Serbia | 53.39 |
| 7 | Larnaca | Cyprus | 53.78 |
| 8 | Sarajevo | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 53.90 |
| 9 | Paris | France | 54.21 |
| 10 | Lyon | France | 54.58 |
- Athens, Greece
Despite being known for its rich history and cultural significance, Athens is the worst European city for remote workers, scoring 50.34 out of 100. Greece’s capital is among the top 15 lowest-ranking European cities in the Safety Index, scoring 53 – 20% lower than Luxembourg, the highest-ranking city.
Athens has a Quality of Life Index score of 128.6, a Health Care Index score of 57.5, and a Happiness Index score of 5.93.
- Thessaloniki, Greece
Thessaloniki, the second-largest city in Greece, is the second-worst city in Europe for remote workers based on our metrics. Local transport links are relatively cheap, coming in at 86p for a one-way ticket. Thessaloniki has a Quality of Life Index score of 128.6 and a Safety Index score of 53.
- Belgrade, Serbia
Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, ranks as the third-worst European city for remote work, with a score of 51.94. A one-bedroom apartment in the city centre would cost £655.84 per month, and basic electricity, heating and water would come to £130.10 altogether.
Belgrade scored 117.4 in the Quality of Life Index, 61.8 in the Safety Index, and 6.14 in the Happiness Index.
Happiest European countries for remote working
Brother also produced a weighted rank of countries based on their happiness. We used three metrics: Quality of Life (40%), Happiness Index (40%), and Safety Index (20%).
| Rank | City | Quality of Life (QoL) Index | Safety Index | Happiness Index 2022 | Score/100 |
| 1 | Finland | 190.5 | 73.2 | 7.8 | 93.4 |
| 2 | Denmark | 194.5 | 73.4 | 7.59 | 91.8 |
| 3 | Netherlands | 196.7 | 72.7 | 7.4 | 89.2 |
| 4 | Iceland | 187.5 | 75.1 | 7.53 | 89.1 |
| 5 | Switzerland | 193.6 | 76.4 | 7.24 | 87.7 |
| 6 | Luxembourg | 192.9 | 64.9 | 7.23 | 80.1 |
| 7 | Austria | 185.8 | 72.7 | 7.1 | 80.1 |
| 8 | Norway | 182.7 | 66.5 | 7.32 | 78.5 |
| 9 | Slovenia | 169.3 | 75.8 | 6.65 | 68.3 |
| 10 | Sweden | 175.8 | 51.5 | 7.4 | 67.7 |
- Finland
Finland consistently ranks highly in global happiness and quality of life indices. While happiness is a complex and multifaceted concept, Finland comes out on top in our weighted rank, scoring 93.4 out of 100.
The country boasts a score of 190.5 in the Quality of Life Index, 73.2 in the Safety Index, and 7.8 in the Happiness Index, making it a fantastic option for those looking to work there.
- Denmark
The second-happiest country for remote work is Denmark, scoring 91.8 out of 100. Its Quality of Life score is 194.7, its Safety Index score is 73.4, and its Happiness Index score is 7.59 out of 10.
- Netherlands
The Netherlands is our third-happiest country, with a weighted score of 89.2 out of 100. It has the highest overall score in the Quality of Life Index at 196.7 but scored lower in the Safety Index at 72.7 and the Happiness Index at 7.4.
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