Living in Europe: Countries and Cities for Expats

Reviewed 22 July 2026. Immigration rules, housing pressure, healthcare procedures and transport costs change. Use this page to build a shortlist, then confirm the details in the country and route-specific sources before making a move.

At a glance

• Best for: Strong public infrastructure, healthcare systems, and multiple long-stay options within a compact region
• Hardest parts: Residency rules, rent pressure in major cities, and deciding between lifestyle and paperwork ease
• Good fit for: Expats comparing western Europe for work, family life, remote work, or a slower long-term base

How to compare Europe

Europe is easiest to understand when you compare systems, not scenery. Many readers arrive with a broad idea of “moving to Europe,” but that is usually too vague to help. The useful decision is rarely Europe in general. It is usually a narrower comparison between a few countries that solve different problems well.

For most expats using this site, the first serious comparison is between France, Italy, Portugal, and Spain. France is often strongest if you want institutions, public systems, and major-city depth, even if that means heavier bureaucracy and higher costs. Italy usually appeals most when lifestyle matters more than administrative ease, but it asks more patience around paperwork, salaries, and daily setup. Portugal is often the clearest option for readers who want a smaller country, a softer climate, and easier city-to-city comparison, while Spain tends to suit people who want stronger urban variety and are willing to compare region, climate, and cost more carefully.

What matters is not which one sounds nicest. It is which one keeps working once visas, housing, healthcare, and language expectations become part of ordinary life.

What matters most to expats here

Europe is attractive because so many countries offer some version of public transport, healthcare access, and dense urban life. The mistake is assuming those shared strengths make the experience interchangeable. In practice, the differences are large enough to change whether the move feels easy, expensive, or sustainable.

Residency is one of the first filters. Much of this region sits in Schengen, but living rights are still country-specific, so a route that works in Portugal does not automatically make France or Italy equally workable. Healthcare is another major dividing line. Western Europe is often strong overall, but onboarding, language barriers, and the balance between public and private care can feel very different by country and city.

Housing is often the biggest surprise. Lisbon, Barcelona, Paris, and Milan all create pressure in different ways, and older housing stock can vary sharply in comfort, efficiency, and quality. Work and language also change the picture quickly. English may be enough to visit, but not always enough to build a stable long-term life, especially if your move depends on local work rather than external income.

Europe tends to reward readers who compare city systems, not just country brands. A smaller or secondary city can completely change whether the move feels financially sustainable, socially comfortable, or family-friendly.

Who this region suits best

Europe tends to work well for expats who want structured public services, city-to-city mobility, and clear urban living options. It is strongest for people willing to compare tradeoffs carefully rather than chasing a generic “Europe move.”

This region usually works best for people who already have a defined legal route, such as work, study, family, or retirement-style planning, and who care about healthcare quality, family systems, and urban livability. It is also a strong fit for remote workers or externally funded movers who can optimize for quality of life rather than local salary logic alone.

The right match usually comes down to what you prioritize most: career access, healthcare and family systems, lower-cost coastal or secondary-city life, climate and walkability, or administrative ease versus lifestyle appeal. Europe is often a weaker fit for people who want a very low-admin move, fast housing setup, or a guaranteed high-salary path without language friction.

Best country fits by expat type

Use this as a starting shortlist, not a final answer. Each country still needs a city-level comparison before you commit.

Remote workers and externally funded movers usually compare Portugal and Spain first. Portugal often wins on admin simplicity and a smaller scale; Spain offers more urban variety if you are willing to compare regions carefully.

Families and healthcare-focused movers often start with France. The public systems are deep, but the paperwork and rent pressure in major cities are real tradeoffs.

Lifestyle-led movers who accept more admin friction often land on Italy. The daily-life appeal is strong, but salaries, bureaucracy, and housing quality can vary sharply by city.

Career-led movers targeting major-city depth should compare France and Spain before assuming Portugal or Italy will offer the same professional upside.

Readers optimizing for lower cost inside western Europe should pressure-test Portugal and Spain through secondary cities, not just Lisbon, Barcelona, or Madrid on paper.

How to use Europe well

Europe works best when you compare country + city combinations instead of romanticizing the region as one market.

For most readers, the better question is not “Should I move to Europe?” It is whether Portugal, Spain, France, or Italy gives the best balance of paperwork, healthcare, housing, and daily livability for the life they actually want.

The cleanest way to use this section is to choose the two to four countries that best match your priorities, compare their major city bases, and then pressure-test the move through visa, cost, transport, and housing guides. That approach is much more useful than comparing Europe through food, scenery, or travel image alone.

Countries to compare next

These are the four western European country guides on the site. Each one explains visas, cost of living, healthcare, and which cities to compare inside that country.

• Portugal — Often the clearest first move for remote workers, retirees, and readers who want manageable scale
• Spain — Stronger urban variety; compare Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, and Seville before choosing a base
• France — Best when public systems, career depth, and family infrastructure matter most
• Italy — Best when lifestyle and character matter more than administrative ease

Open the two countries closest to your situation, compare their city guides, and only then drill into visa and housing posts.

Good to know

• The euro makes payments easier across several of these countries, but it does not make rent, bureaucracy, or healthcare feel the same.
• High-demand cities can look easy on paper but become difficult once rent, deposits, and document requirements appear.
• Regional differences are not cosmetic — climate, pace, salaries, and local administration can change the whole move.
• A smaller or secondary city is often the difference between “dream move” and “financial strain.”
• Many readers do best by choosing one realistic country-city pairing and learning it deeply rather than comparing Europe as one emotional category.

A better way to choose your shortlist

Start with the life you are trying to build, then compare two or three country–city combinations:

Portugal and Spain currently have the deepest practical route coverage on Xpat Journeys. France and Italy are the next country clusters to expand, so use their pillar pages as orientation rather than as a substitute for route-specific research.

Before you commit

Do not compare countries only by climate, scenery or a headline monthly budget. Test the exact address, legal route, healthcare path, language expectations, transport network and first-month paperwork. A cheaper city can become more expensive if it requires a car, frequent flights or private schooling. A larger city can be worth the rent if it removes those hidden costs.