Best Places to Live in Southern Europe in 2022

The interest in moving to Europe from USA has increased tremendously in recent months. Americans are more and more open to relocate abroad motivated by the pandemic, the convenience of remote work, the skyrocketing cost of housing in the United States, or recent political events. But where are they looking to move?

Southern European countries are hands down the most searched by Americans who want to move abroad, according to Google Trends, with Spain, Portugal and Italy leading the pack. Not coincidentally, some of the best places to live in Europe are in these countries.

Warm weather, a laid-back vacation-like lifestyle and a high living standard at a cost that’s more affordable than back home are among the strongest reasons for moving to Europe from USA.

A recent index published by cost of living data provider Numbeo ranks the best places to live in Europe based on a quality of life score compiled from eight distinct metrics: purchasing power, safety, healthcare, cost of living, property price to income ratio, traffic, pollution and climate. In the Southern Europe region, Valencia, Spain tops the list thanks to its great purchasing power, the best property price to income ratio and the best score in health care in the region.

Slovenia surprises with Ljubljana snatching second place. No less than three Croatian cities are among the top five, Spain claims three spots in the top ten, while Portugal has two of the best ten cities to live in South Europe. Meanwhile, only one city from Italy ranks in the top ten.

Here are the top 10 best places to live in Southern Europe in 2022: