best of, language
English-friendly cities for digital nomads
Living without learning the local language is friction even in tourist cities. These ten rank highest in our normalized EF EPI 2024 score, cities where you can comfortably handle work, doctors, and daily errands in English.
the ranking
- 01
Amsterdam, netherlands94 /100·~$1,606~$1,606200mb16°C8.1 nomad94/100 - 02
Rotterdam, netherlands94 /100·$1,437$1,437200mb21°C8.2 nomad94/100 - 03
Utrecht, netherlands94 /100·$1,660$1,660200mb20°C8.0 nomad94/100 - 04
Haarlem, netherlands94 /100·~$1,466~$1,466130mb21°C7.5 nomad94/100 - 05
Eindhoven, netherlands94 /100·$1,565$1,565130mb20°C7.4 nomad94/100 - 06
Leiden, netherlands94 /100·$1,525$1,525130mb20°C7.7 nomad94/100 - 07
Stockholm, sweden91 /100·$3,435$3,435250mb16°C7.3 nomad91/100 - 08
Gothenburg, sweden91 /100·~$2,335~$2,335250mb17°C7.7 nomad91/100 - 09
Singapore, singapore90 /100·$3,086$3,086250mb32°C7.4 nomad90/100 - 10
Copenhagen, denmark90 /100·$3,143$3,143200mb19°C7.3 nomad90/100
frequently asked
Quick answers.
- Is English widely spoken in Singapore and Dubai?
- In Singapore it's an official language and the daily lingua franca. In Dubai, English is spoken by the vast majority of professional and service workers though Arabic remains the official language.
- How is English proficiency measured?
- We use the EF EPI 2024 country-level score, normalized to 0–100. EF EPI tests adult learners' English skill across reading, listening and grammar.
- Can a digital nomad get by in English in Bangkok?
- In tourist zones and CBD, yes. Outside of those, basic Thai phrases help dramatically, English proficiency drops sharply away from international districts.
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