Best European Cities for Junior Developers 2026: Where to Start Your Tech Career

Looking for the best European cities for junior developers in 2026 and not just vibes and Instagram shots? You’re in the right place. This is a data-backed guide using real job submissions across 32 cities and 20 countries to answer the question:

“I’m an entry level software engineer in Europe – where should I actually move for my first tech job?”

We’ll go through job availability, savings potential, and learning/mentorship culture for cities like London, Amsterdam, Zurich, Warsaw, Belgrade, and Copenhagen, plus how they compare to “hot” but data-limited cities like Brussels, Bucharest, and Hamburg.

Explore 5,000+ tech jobs across Europe →
See full city & country rankings →

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Key Takeaways / TL;DR

• Best all‑round bets for junior devs in 2026:
  London, Amsterdam, Zurich, Warsaw, Copenhagen, Belgrade – all with 22–40 job submissions and strong savings potential.
• If you want maximum savings early:
  Our data shows London (~€48.6k) and Zurich (~€47.1k) top the list for absolute savings; Belgrade (~€23.9k) and Warsaw (~€34.4k) shine on purchasing power.
• For “junior developer best cities Europe” type questions:
  Avoid picking based on hype alone. Cities like Brussels, Bucharest, Hamburg look good but have limited data (≤12 submissions) – treat as “interesting, but not proven”.
• For career growth + mentorship:
  London, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Zurich have the strongest big‑company ecosystems; Warsaw and Belgrade are underrated but excellent for fast responsibility and less competition.
• Strategy I recommend:
  First 3–5 years: optimize for learning + name brands + mentors, even if it’s London or Amsterdam with less savings.
  After that: pivot to remote + geo-arbitrage or high-savings hubs. I break down these paths in Top 3 Career Paths for Software Developers in Europe.

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How should junior developers choose a city in Europe in 2026?

You should pick your first city by balancing three things:

1. Job volume for juniors, 2) learning/mentorship ecosystem, and 3) realistic savings after living costs. In 2026, that means looking beyond just Berlin hype or “go to Switzerland” memes and instead targeting cities where companies actually hire graduate developers.

If you’re wondering “first tech job Europe where?” or searching for graduate developer jobs Europe, here’s the mental model I recommend:

• Step 1 – Find markets that hire juniors at scale
  Cities with 25+ job submissions in our dataset are much more likely to have a “ladder” for juniors:

  • London (39)
  • Zurich (40)
  • Amsterdam (35)
  • Copenhagen (37)
  • Warsaw (25)
  • Belgrade (22)
  • Berlin (54 – also strong, though not in the savings list given)

• Step 2 – Check savings potential
  From our CodeCapitals-style data (salary – tax – cost of living), these are the annual savings estimates for a reasonably frugal but not miserable lifestyle as a software engineer:

  City	Approx. Annual Savings
  London	€48,598
  Zurich	€47,077
  Amsterdam	€38,238
  Warsaw	€34,417
  Copenhagen	€31,997
  Belgrade	€23,905

  These numbers are more representative for mid-level than pure fresh grads, but they show relative power very clearly. For juniors, assume 20–40% less, but the ordering usually stays similar.

• Step 3 – Optimise for learning, not just numbers
  Your first 3 years are where your trajectory is set. That’s where mentorship, code reviews, CI/CD maturity, and exposure to senior engineers matter more than an extra €300/month. I talk about this trade-off a lot in 3 Essential Tips for Early Career Software Engineers in Europe.

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Which European cities have the strongest junior dev job markets in 2026?

The strongest junior dev job markets in 2026, using job submission counts as a proxy, are Berlin (54), Zurich (40), London (39), Copenhagen (37), Amsterdam (35), Warsaw (25), and Belgrade (22). Among those, Zurich, London, Amsterdam, Warsaw, Copenhagen, and Belgrade combine both good job volume and strong savings potential.

Here’s the data-backed short list you should focus on if you care about “junior developer best cities Europe” in a practical sense – i.e., places where there’s enough hiring to actually land something:

Well-sampled, junior-friendly markets (20+ submissions)

City	Job Submissions	Savings (approx)	Verdict for Juniors
Berlin	54	(no figure)	Huge market, mixed comp, strong learning ecosystem
Zurich	40	€47,077	High pay, high bar, best if you’re already strong
London	39	€48,598	Biggest junior ladder in Europe, intense competition
Copenhagen	37	€31,997	Great WLB, good for CS grads, harder visas
Amsterdam	35	€38,238	Excellent mix of growth + lifestyle
Warsaw	25	€34,417	Underrated, strong growth, good for EU juniors
Belgrade	22	€23,905	Low costs, rising hub, great for fast responsibility

Cities like Brussels, Bucharest, Hamburg, Helsinki, Valencia, Krakow, Sofia, Dublin have <20 submissions, so any statement like “top junior city” is still speculative. They might be great individually, but if you want to play the numbers game as a new grad, you start where volume is proven.

For a bigger picture on which countries support software engineers best overall (at all seniorities), check Best Countries for Software Engineers 2026.

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Is London still a good city for entry level software engineers in Europe?

Yes – London is still one of the best cities in Europe for entry level software engineers in 2026, primarily because of job volume, big‑tech presence, and mentorship density. You’re trading higher rent and taxes for brand names, career optionality, and some of the highest savings in absolute euros (~€48.6k/year for more experienced engineers).

Why London works well for junior developers

• Massive hiring ecosystem
  39 job submissions in our data is just the tip of the iceberg. London has:

  • FAANG/MANGA + fintechs (Revolut, Monzo, Wise, etc.)
  • Trading firms (Jane Street, Citadel, etc.)
  • Startups that actually have money
    It’s simply where graduate developer jobs Europe are most concentrated.

• Best for “CV signalling”
  A couple of years in London at a known company makes it trivial to:

  • Move to remote roles later
  • Transfer internally to Zurich, Dublin, or other hubs
  • Negotiate higher salaries back in lower-cost Europe

• Savings vs. costs
  Despite clown-world rent, our data puts annual savings potential at €48,598 for a typical engineer. For juniors, I’d realistically expect:

  • Starting total comp: £45k–£65k (~€52k–€75k)
  • Realistic savings if you house-share and don’t overspend: €10k–€20k/year as a junior, scaling up quickly with promotions.

Who should not start in London?

• Non-EU candidates without a clear sponsorship path – visas are increasingly annoying.
• People who get crushed by noise, commute, and chaos – London can burn you out early if you’re already running on fumes. If that’s you, read Balancing Ambitious Goals and Burnout before jumping in.

If you can handle the intensity, London is still one of the top answers to “first tech job Europe where?” simply because it opens almost every door afterward.

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Is Amsterdam a better balanced option than London for juniors?

For many juniors, yes – Amsterdam is a better balanced option than London: you get strong salaries, a very international environment, saner housing, and high savings (~€38.2k/year for more experienced engineers). You lose a bit on raw job volume vs London but gain on quality of life and bureaucracy sanity.

Amsterdam’s junior dev profile

• Job market strength
  With 35 job submissions, Amsterdam is firmly in the “real market, not hype” category. It has:

  • Global companies (Booking, Adyen, Uber EMEA, Elastic, etc.)
  • A lot of English-first teams
  • Good startup presence but less extreme than London

• Savings and lifestyle
  Compared to London:

  Metric	London	Amsterdam
  Submissions	39	35
  Savings (mid-level)	~€48,598	~€38,238
  Language	English	English widely used
  Housing pain	High	High, but slightly saner
  Work culture	More intense	More chill, Dutch WLB

  As a junior, you might see:

  • Salaries: €45k–€65k for entry roles
  • Savings: €8k–€15k/year if you’re not living right on the canals and eating out constantly

• Who is Amsterdam ideal for?

  • EU juniors who want English-speaking work but less chaos than London
  • People who care about cycling, urban quality of life, and WLB
  • Folks who eventually want to pivot to remote work from a cheaper country (see Geo-Arbitrage for Software Engineers)

If your main question is “junior developer best cities Europe that won’t destroy my mental health?” – Amsterdam is firmly on the short list.

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Is Zurich realistic for entry-level software engineers?

Zurich is not the easiest city to break into as a pure junior – but if you can, it’s financially insane (in a good way). Our data shows annual savings of ~€47,077, and senior/FAANG+ levels can go much higher, as broken down in Switzerland Big Tech Guide: How to Make $500k+ in Zurich.

The honest Zurich reality for juniors

• Job volume & bar
  With 40 submissions, Zurich clearly has a large, healthy market. But:

  • Many roles are mid/senior-targeted
  • Big Tech (Google, Meta, etc.) junior roles are extremely competitive
  • Non‑EU visas are possible but selective, especially for juniors

• Comp vs cost of living

  • Total comp even for junior-ish roles: CHF 100k–130k (~€105k–€135k)
  • Rent and health insurance are brutal but you still end up far ahead of most of Europe
  • Our savings estimate (~€47k) is realistic for someone beyond pure entry level; as a junior you might save €20k–€30k/year if not burning cash.

• When Zurich makes sense

  • You have strong internships / competitive programming / research background
  • You’re targeting Google Zurich, trading firms, or high-end product companies
  • You’re willing to spend 3–12 months grinding LeetCode and system design as a student, then land straight into the Swiss money machine

If you’re curious about the “Zurich trap” — high salary but hard to leave and maintain lifestyle elsewhere — read Ever Heard of the 'Zurich Trap'?.

For regular entry‑level devs, I’d treat Zurich as a stretch goal, not a baseline plan.

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Why are Warsaw and Belgrade so attractive for junior developers?

Warsaw and Belgrade are attractive because they combine growing tech ecosystems, good salaries relative to cost of living, and lower competition than Western Europe. If you’re searching “entry level software engineer Europe” and care more about fast progression + savings than FAANG logos, these two deserve serious attention.

Warsaw: Central Europe’s quiet powerhouse

• Data profile

  • 25 submissions → real, active market
  • Savings: ~€34,417/year (for more experienced devs; juniors maybe €12k–€20k)
  • Strong presence of: Big Tech satellite offices, banks, consultancies, local product companies

• Why it’s great for juniors

  • High purchasing power – you earn in a solid currency, live on much less than Amsterdam/London
  • Fast responsibility – smaller teams, less hierarchy than US/UK blue chips
  • Increasingly English-friendly in tech, though Polish helps outside

I dive deeper into this in Poland Has Become Europe’s Top Place for Software Engineers and Central Europe for Software Engineers.

Belgrade: Low-cost, high-upside “early stage” hub

• Data profile

  • 22 submissions → healthy but not yet saturated
  • Savings: ~€23,905/year (strong given cost levels)
  • A mix of outsourcing shops, product dev, and foreign companies with local entities

• Why juniors should care

  • Low cost of living → you can have a decent life while saving a real chunk of salary, even early
  • Less competition than Berlin/London, particularly for solid CS grads
  • Fast learning curve: many teams are small, you’ll touch backend, frontend, infra, sometimes all at once

• Caveats

  • Serbia isn’t in the EU → visas, mobility, and long-term options look different vs. starting in Poland or the Netherlands
  • Pay is lower than Western Europe in absolute terms, but net savings and quality of life can be excellent

For people optimizing for purchasing power + early-career growth, Warsaw and Belgrade are among the best answers to “graduate developer jobs Europe but not in the usual expensive hubs”.

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Is Copenhagen a good first city if you care about work‑life balance?

Yes, Copenhagen is one of the best entry-level destinations in Europe if you care about work‑life balance. It combines a strong tech scene (37 job submissions), a culture that respects 40-hour weeks, and healthy savings (~€32k/year) despite high taxes.

Copenhagen’s profile for grads

• Job market
  37 submissions suggest a real ecosystem, not just a handful of startups:

  • Danish scaleups, Nordic banks/fintechs, and some international players
  • Many workplaces comfortable with English-first or at least English-friendly engineering teams

• Salaries & savings

  • Typical junior SWE: DKK 450k–600k (~€60k–€80k)
  • With our savings estimate (~€31,997/year for more experienced), a junior might realistically bank €10k–€18k/year if not living like a tourist.

• Lifestyle upside

  • 5–6 weeks of vacation is normal
  • Cycling infrastructure, social democracy, and all the Nordic clichés that are actually true
  • As I break down in Nordic Tech Jobs 2026, you pay more tax but get time and stability in return.

If your filter is “entry level software engineer Europe where I don’t burn out?” — Copenhagen is near the top of the list, assuming you can handle the visa and cost of living constraints.

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How do these junior-friendly cities compare overall?

Let’s put the main junior developer best cities Europe candidates side-by-side with the key factors: job volume, savings potential, and career upside.

Comparison table: Best cities for junior developers (2026)

City	Job Submissions	Savings (mid-level)	Junior Difficulty	Learning & Mentorship	Who it’s best for
Berlin	54	(n/a)	Easy–Medium	Strong	EU juniors wanting big scene, German optional
London	39	€48,598	Medium	Very strong	Ambitious grads chasing brand names + options
Zurich	40	€47,077	Hard	Strong (if you get in)	Top-tier candidates targeting max pay
Amsterdam	35	€38,238	Medium	Strong	Balanced lifestyle + growth in English
Copenhagen	37	€31,997	Medium–Hard	Strong	WLB-focused juniors with good fundamentals
Warsaw	25	€34,417	Medium	Good–Strong	EU devs chasing savings + fast progression
Belgrade	22	€23,905	Medium	Good	Early responsibility & low cost-of-living fans

Remember: Berlin actually has the highest submission count (54), but we didn’t get a specific savings number in this dataset. However, Berlin is still one of the strongest choices for juniors given:

• Huge startup and scaleup scene
• Tons of English-speaking tech teams
• More affordable than London/Zurich/Amsterdam (though not as cheap as 2015)

For a broader comparison of city scores including lifestyle, taxes, and more, check Top-Ranked Cities for Software Engineers in Europe 2026.

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What should a junior dev optimise for in their first European tech job?

In your first 3–5 years, you should optimise for skill-building, compounding career capital, and optionality rather than just chasing the maximum salary. The right city is the one where you get lots of job options + strong mentors + a track record you can leverage later.

My recommended priority order

1. Learning environment

   • Frequent code reviews and experienced engineers
   • Real DevOps / CI/CD, not just FTP-ing PHP to prod
   • Exposure to design, architecture, and product, not just ticket factory work

2. Mentorship and team quality

   • Are there senior ICs you’d actually want to become?
   • Does the team have a culture of sharing, pairing, brown-bags?
   • Cities like London, Amsterdam, Zurich, Copenhagen tend to have higher “mentor density”.

3. Future optionality

   • Can you pivot from this city/role to remote, Big Tech, or another country?
   • London, Berlin, Amsterdam, Warsaw score very high on transferability.

4. Savings

   • You don’t need to max out savings at 23, but you do want some buffer:
   • Aim for at least €5k–€10k/year of savings as a junior in any of these cities – that’s enough to give you “walk-away power” and optionality.
   • For the full FIRE nerd version of this, see How to Reach FIRE as a Software Engineer in Europe.

5. Lifestyle fit

   • Don’t underestimate climate, language, dating/social life, or your own mental health.
   • A city that’s “perfect on paper” but miserable for you will stall your growth just as much as a bad job.

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Action plan: How should you pick and target a city as a junior in 2026?

Let’s turn this into a concrete strategy instead of just vibes.

Step 1 – Pick your “city archetype”

Based on your priorities, choose one of these:

• Brand + optionality first:
  → Target London, Amsterdam, Berlin, Zurich
• Work‑life balance + solid growth:
  → Target Copenhagen, Amsterdam, maybe Berlin
• Savings + fast responsibility + emerging hubs:
  → Target Warsaw, Belgrade, Central/Eastern Europe (see Eastern Europe Tech Hub Guide 2026)

Step 2 – Shortlist 2–3 primary cities

Pick 2–3 primary and 1–2 secondary cities so your applications are focused but not tunnel-visioned.

Example combos:

• London + Amsterdam, backup Berlin
• Warsaw + Berlin, backup Amsterdam
• Copenhagen + Amsterdam, backup Warsaw
• Belgrade + Warsaw, backup Berlin

Step 3 – Align your profile to what those cities want

• For London/Zurich/Amsterdam:

  • Strong CS fundamentals, algorithms, side projects
  • Internship or part-time experience is huge
  • Leverage Leveraging a Big Tech Internship to Bootstrap a Top Tech Career

• For Warsaw/Belgrade/Berlin:

  • Solid practical projects (open source, freelance, internships)
  • Show you can ship, not just talk theory
  • Be flexible on stack (Java/Kotlin/.NET/JS often more common than “trendy” stuff)

Step 4 – Use geography as a deliberate career lever

Once you’ve got 2–3 years of experience:

• Move from London/Zurich → remote role + live cheaper (Portugal, Poland, Balkans).
• Or from Warsaw/Belgrade → step up to Amsterdam/London/Zurich with a much stronger CV.
• Combine this with strategies from Location Planning for Corporate Careers and Financial Independence.

Explore junior-friendly roles across Europe →

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Europe a good place for junior software engineers in 2026?

Yes, Europe is still a very good place for junior software engineers in 2026, but it’s more polarised than before. Some cities (Berlin, London, Amsterdam, Zurich, Warsaw, Copenhagen, Belgrade) show 20–50+ job submissions, while others have very limited early-career hiring. If you target the right hubs, you can realistically land €40k–€70k entry-level roles with decent work‑life balance. The catch is you need to be more intentional and data-driven than juniors were pre‑2020.

Which European city is best for a first tech job if I want to maximise savings?

If you care about absolute euros saved, London and Zurich are top: our data shows ~€48.6k and ~€47.1k annual savings potential respectively for more experienced devs. As a junior you might realistically save €10k–€30k/year depending on lifestyle. If you care about purchasing power and lower day‑to‑day costs, Warsaw (~€34.4k) and Belgrade (~€23.9k) are excellent, especially once you move beyond pure entry-level comp. In practice, I’d pick based on where you can actually get hired + your tolerance for cost of living and culture, not just the raw number.

Is Berlin still worth it for junior developers if it’s not in the savings list?

Yes. Even though we don’t have a specific savings number for Berlin in this dataset, it has the highest job submission count (54) among all cities listed. That means a large and diverse market: startups, scaleups, some Big Tech, agencies, and consultancies. Entry-level salaries in Berlin are typically €45k–€60k, with mid-level roles around €60k–€80k, and cost of living still lower than London/Zurich/Amsterdam. For many juniors, Berlin is one of the easiest big hubs to break into, especially if you’re okay with learning some German over time.

How hard is it to get a junior developer job in Zurich or London compared to Warsaw or Belgrade?

Zurich and London have higher bars and stronger competition – you’re often going up against grads from top universities, bootcamp alumni, and people with serious internship histories. London has more junior slots but also far more applicants, while Zurich has fewer slots but massive compensation. Warsaw and Belgrade, by contrast, have less saturated markets and more companies still willing to train juniors, particularly local CS grads. If you’re a solid but not “Olympiad-level” candidate, your offer probability per application is often higher in Warsaw/Belgrade than in Zurich/London.

Can I start in a cheaper Eastern European city and later move to a top Western hub?

Yes, and this is actually one of the smartest strategies in the current market. Start in Warsaw, Belgrade, Bucharest, or Sofia (even with limited data for some, the pattern holds): you get 1–3 years of experience, fast responsibility, and lower living costs. After that, jump to Amsterdam, Berlin, Copenhagen, London, or Zurich with a much stronger CV and better negotiation power. We’ve seen this path work repeatedly, and I unpack the logic behind it in Breaking Into Big Tech Europe: Target Lower Competition Markets and Central Europe for Software Engineers.

Should junior developers in Europe prioritise remote jobs instead of relocating?

For pure juniors, relocation to a strong hub is usually better than going fully remote from day one. Onsite or hybrid roles give you mentorship, osmosis learning, and professional network that remote‑only juniors often miss. Once you have 2–3 years experience, remote jobs (often in the €80k–€140k range for strong devs in Europe) become much more viable – see How to Land $100k+ Fully-Remote Dev Jobs in Europe. The optimal path for most people: start onsite/hybrid in a good city → build skills and CV → then pivot remote with better leverage.

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