Best City in Europe for New Grad Software Engineers in 2026

I made a point of moving to Zurich early in my career. To:

• Live in a quiet, efficient place to focus on work
• Build my savings early on
• Network
• Build up a life in a place where there's high chances I'd stay long-term

Not the worst choice, actually still pretty good.

But:

• Targeting Zurich limited my options and made entering big tech slower and harder
• Got bored of what Zurich offered for people in their 20s after a couple of years
• Focusing so much on my career stressed me out more than necessary
• FOMO about not having spent my 20s in big cities: I did a bit of that, but mostly as a student or traveller (it's nice being in a big city full-time in your 20s with a good salary)

If I were a young dev graduating today, I'd probably target Warsaw over Zurich.

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Key Takeaways

• Warsaw has 217 big tech openings on EuroTopTechJobs.com vs London's 485 — but competition is roughly 10x lower in Warsaw.
• Poland is the 2nd country in Europe by number of big tech job openings, just behind the UK.
• Warsaw is also a prime hub for remote jobs (low cost of living + low tax).
• You can save money and have high purchasing power in your 20s — rare combination.
• Caveat: if you have a big tech offer in Zurich, take it. Everything else, Warsaw wins.

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Why Warsaw Over Zurich for a New Grad

Here's the short version:

• More fun, vibrant, and fitting a 20-year-old lifestyle
• Way more career opportunities in tech: lots of hiring (also at jr levels), plenty of big techs expanding in Poland
• Maximising your chances of getting good jobs early in your career is gonna boost your CV and growth
• You can still save some good money in the right companies + have high purchasing power to enjoy your 20s
• Later on, you can leverage your early experiences to move to other countries with higher savings potential

You can always "be old" as you get old… But you can only be young once. Optimising for fun early on, while building your career at the same time, tends to be underrated.

20s and early 30s in a big city, 40s+ in Zurich probably makes more sense than the other way around.

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Warsaw vs Zurich: Side by Side for New Grads

Dimension	Warsaw 🇵🇱	Zurich 🇨🇭
Number of big tech openings	Very high (2nd in EU by country)	Small absolute market
Competition for each role	Lower (~10x less than London)	High, especially at big tech
Typical new grad salary	€30k–€50k (PLN-based)	CHF 80k–100k
Typical new grad savings	€8k–€20k/yr	€15k–€30k/yr
Purchasing power for lifestyle	Very high	Low-medium
City "vibe" for 20-somethings	Vibrant, growing, fun	Quiet, efficient, nature-focused
Safety	Very safe	Very safe
Ease of landing first job	Easier	Harder (language barrier + fewer listings)

For a deeper cost breakdown, see Zurich vs Warsaw cost of living breakdown for software engineers.

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Is Warsaw the Best Big City for Devs in Europe?

Up for debate.

If I could go back in time to 2016–2019, the best big city with both opportunities in (big) tech and things to do as a 20-something would be London.

But, is London in 2026 better than Warsaw? Ranking countries on EuroTopTechJobs.com by number of jobs, the UK is first and Poland second.

Filtering by city:

City	Big tech openings on EuroTopTechJobs.com
London	485
Warsaw	217

Respectively the first and second cities in Europe by number of big tech jobs.

But Warsaw is also a prime choice for remote jobs — low cost, low tax. It's consistently near the top for fully-remote jobs on the platform.

London vs Warsaw competition

The competition for big tech jobs is probably ~10x in London than in Warsaw. Landing a big tech offer in Warsaw is, in my experience, way easier than in London.

Moreover, Warsaw is:

• Safer
• Not less fun
• UK and London are in a "low point", while Warsaw is peaking

A senior engineer at Meta I recently spoke with said he'd pick Warsaw over London if he could go back. So, probably Warsaw > London for a new grad in 2026.

For a broader view of Central Europe's tech momentum, see Central Europe software engineers deep dive and the Eastern Europe tech hub guide.

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The Zurich Exception

One caveat: if you happen to get a big tech offer in Zurich, take it.

That's a lot of money (and career growth) to say no to. Try to make up for the "quiet/Swiss" lifestyle with frequent trips to bigger cities.

But other than that, I'd probably take a big tech offer in a vibrant city like Warsaw over a regular tech job in Zurich.

• Savings are going to be similar (maybe 10–20% less in Warsaw)
• You're going to have more fun and purchasing power in Warsaw
• Unless you're very nature-oriented — then a normal tech job in Zurich can be good

More on this trade-off: 300k Switzerland vs 150k remote job comparison and Switzerland big tech guide for engineers.

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The "Long-Term" Argument (And Why I Wouldn't Over-Index on It)

If you're already 100% sure you want to eventually end up in Switzerland (or elsewhere) and build a life there, then moving there early — building a network, community, learning the language and the system — can have some advantages.

But I also wouldn't over-index on this.

I once met an entrepreneur in Zurich who:

• Spent his 20s in Paris
• 30s in NYC
• In his 40s, came to Zurich to grow his family

He said this is a path he'd recommend. You can change the exact cities (Paris with Warsaw, NYC with London, etc.)… but you get the point: some cities are better in your 20s/30s, and others are better in later stages of your life.

Also, life is very unpredictable. Making very long-term plans as a 20-something can be a bit pointless.

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Decision Framework for New Grads in 2026

Your situation	Best pick
Big tech offer in Zurich	Take Zurich. Career + savings win.
Big tech offer in Warsaw/Kraków	Take Warsaw. Great savings + lifestyle.
Big tech offer in London	Take it, but know competition = harder to grow.
No big tech offer, normal Swiss role	Decent savings, but quiet 20s.
No big tech offer, remote role	Base in Warsaw/Tallinn/Lisbon. Best of both worlds.
Entry-level anywhere in Western Europe	Compare to Warsaw carefully — you're likely worse off financially.

For more on this, see our junior developer best cities in Europe and early career software engineer tips.

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FAQ

Which European city has the most entry-level software engineering jobs in 2026?

London leads with 485 big tech openings on EuroTopTechJobs.com, with Warsaw close behind at 217. However, Warsaw has roughly 10x less competition per role, making it significantly easier to land a big tech job as a new grad. Across all job tiers, Poland is the 2nd-largest tech market in Europe by openings, behind only the UK.

Is Warsaw really better than Zurich for a new grad developer?

For most new grads in 2026, yes — unless you have a big tech offer in Zurich. Warsaw offers more listings, lower competition, a vibrant 20s lifestyle, and strong purchasing power. Zurich still wins on absolute savings if you land big tech, but the bar for entry is much higher and the city is quieter. A big tech offer in Zurich is worth taking; a regular tech role in Zurich is probably worse than a big tech role in Warsaw.

What salary can new grad software engineers expect in Warsaw in 2026?

New grad SWE salaries in Warsaw typically range from €30k to €50k gross annually, with big tech (Google, Meta, Microsoft, Spotify, Revolut) paying €50k–€80k at entry level. After Poland's relatively favorable tax treatment for tech workers (including the B2B model with ~19% flat tax), new grads in big tech can save €15k–€25k/year while still enjoying a high standard of living.

How hard is it to land a big tech job in Warsaw vs London?

Warsaw is significantly easier. Competition per role is roughly 10x lower in Warsaw than in London for big tech. Warsaw has 217 big tech openings on EuroTopTechJobs.com with a smaller applicant pool, while London's 485 openings attract global candidates from across Europe, India, and beyond. Interview bars are similar — the volume of applicants is the main differentiator.

Should I move to Warsaw first and Zurich later?

Yes — this is a very defensible career path. Many senior engineers (including at FAANG) spend their 20s in a vibrant CEE city like Warsaw, then transition to Switzerland in their late 20s/early 30s once they have 3–5 years of big tech experience. Prior big tech exposure makes landing a role at Google Zurich or similar significantly easier. See our geo-arbitrage guide for Poland for more on this strategy.

Is London still worth considering in 2026 for new grad devs?

Yes, but the math is harder than it was in 2016–2019. London still has the most openings (485 on EuroTopTechJobs.com), but high cost of living, stagnant post-Brexit wages for non-FAANG roles, and intense competition make it a tougher entry point than before. If you can land a London big tech role, it's still excellent. If you can only land a mid-tier London role, Warsaw is likely better on both savings and lifestyle. See our London software engineer guide for the detailed breakdown.