The Most Stressful Cities in Europe to Work in

Living in a big European city can be a thrilling adventure filled with opportunities, culture, and excitement. But it also comes with its fair share of stress.

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The Most and Least Stressful Cities in Europe to Work in

Recent studies show that the number of deaths from heart disease due to working long hours increased by 42%. This cycle of stress can take a toll on both mental and physical health, making it essential for workers to find ways to manage their well-being

Our team identified the most (and least!) stressful cities across Europe to work in, to better understand this stress. We examined key factors such as average work hours, monthly salaries, commute times, overall cost of living, job availability, and unemployment rates. Each data point was given a weighted score out of 100 and the cities were then ranked by a total score out of 500. If you're thinking of moving to one of these European cities, this will help you understand the kind of lifestyle you can expect.

Most Stressful Cities in Europe to Work in

City	Total Stress Score	Working Hours Index	Commute Time Index	Average Salary Index	Cost of Living Index	Job Availability Index	Unemployment Index
Athens	399.31	60.00	45.35	97.22	20.62	77.21	98.91
Milan	382.45	50.00	66.28	82.18	39.58	90.07	54.35
Rome	370.75	50.00	57.75	85.58	24.25	95.56	57.61
Geneva	365.73	100.00	50.39	1.67	96.69	98.50	18.48
Florence	362.97	50.00	37.21	87.54	32.34	99.36	56.52
Valencia	360.13	50.00	22.09	83.90	8.89	99.59	95.65
Istanbul	358.80	50.00	34.88	100.00	0.00	100.00	73.91
Barcelona	358.70	50.00	29.46	81.58	21.78	84.58	91.30
Naples	358.55	30.00	23.26	94.08	22.43	98.57	90.22
Madrid	357.76	50.00	25.58	78.16	18.80	85.22	100.00
Lausanne	357.21	90.00	33.33	17.53	100.00	98.95	17.39
Dublin	340.58	40.00	69.38	59.07	48.30	93.39	30.43
Liverpool	334.72	50.00	43.02	69.73	41.94	99.60	30.43
Brussels	327.59	30.00	60.47	69.13	42.08	81.35	44.57
Hamburg	327.23	50.00	46.90	63.19	47.27	86.17	33.70
Vienna	326.30	50.00	38.37	72.52	43.64	94.59	27.17
Lisbon	320.19	50.00	22.87	93.71	12.84	96.20	44.57
Helsinki	318.22	25.00	38.37	68.69	38.34	96.72	51.09
Stockholm	317.54	50.00	15.12	63.36	41.95	91.68	55.43
Southampton	316.39	50.00	22.48	66.80	49.79	99.05	28.26
Cologne	314.67	50.00	33.72	66.43	42.00	94.27	28.26
Manchester	313.13	25.00	46.12	64.93	41.97	99.25	35.87
Glasgow	313.03	50.00	18.60	62.36	42.34	95.17	44.57
Bristol	312.58	50.00	42.64	63.87	39.45	99.23	17.39
Berlin	309.96	44.00	41.09	65.97	39.28	79.41	40.22

*Please drag the horizontal scroll bar to the right to further explore the content.

Athens tops the list as the most stressful city in Europe to work in. While its stunning history and Mediterranean climate make it a great holiday spot, workers face significant challenges. With an average of 41 working hours per week and an unemployment rate of 11.5%, many struggle to find well-paying jobs, leading to financial stress. The average monthly salary is only €993.33, while the cost of living is about €809.70. This leaves little room for savings, making it tough to enjoy life.

Milan ranks second on the list of the most stressful cities in Europe to work in. While it's celebrated as one of the world’s four fashion capitals, life in Milan isn’t as glamorous as it seems. Residents typically work around 40 hours a week, and the unemployment rate hovers around 7.4%. Even though the average monthly salary is €1,936.29, the high cost of living makes it challenging to make ends meet. Adding to the stress is the long commute—around 28.5 minutes per 10 kilometers on average. With high expenses, long hours, and long commutes, life here feels like a constant hustle.

Rome is renowned for its stunning architecture and tasty cuisine, but life in this historic city comes with significant stress. Residents typically work 40 hours a week and face an unemployment rate of 7.7%. While the average monthly salary stands at €1,722.96, the cost of living is approximately €846.10. This financial pressure makes it difficult for workers to enjoy their life as they are preoccupied with making ends meet.

Moving on to Geneva, a city celebrated for its high quality of life, the reality is a bit different. The average workweek stretches to 45 hours, and even with a low unemployment rate of just 4.1%, many residents still feel the stretch. Despite an impressive average salary of €6,982.56, the cost of living is also steep at €1,571.90. This means that even people with good salaries often find it hard to enjoy their earnings, as housing and daily expenses take up a big chunk of their income.

Rounding out the top five is Florence, a city famous for its art, history, and beauty. While it may seem like an ideal place to live, life for many Florentines isn’t easy. People here work an average of 40 hours a week and face a 7.6% unemployment rate. The average monthly salary is €1,600 and the cost of living around €927. Balancing the high cost of living with long work hours can make it challenging to fully appreciate the city’s charm, even for those who call it home.

While these cities are known for their beautiful weather and popular tourist spots, life for the people who work there can be quite different. Many face challenges like long work hours, job insecurity, and financial stress, which makes it hard to enjoy everything these cities have to offer.

Least Stressful Cities in Europe to Work in

City	Total Stress Score	Working Hours Index	Commute Time Index	Average Salary Index	Cost of Living Index	Job Availability Index	Unemployment Index
Amsterdam	216.04	10.00	22.09	51.61	48.56	76.16	7.61
Paris	224.60	0.00	57.75	64.55	49.03	0.00	53.26
Munich	246.76	10.00	34.50	62.65	48.40	83.61	7.61
Copenhagen	256.05	20.00	21.71	53.20	54.32	95.96	10.87
Prague	262.97	40.00	19.77	85.92	20.11	97.17	0.00
Frankfurt	263.64	10.00	34.88	57.98	47.35	79.73	33.70
The Ruhr	264.13	50.00	0.00	75.10	22.51	75.21	41.30
Oslo	266.63	25.00	14.34	59.11	59.24	95.89	13.04
Bern	272.63	40.00	18.22	17.05	92.91	95.75	8.70
Luxembourg	280.14	50.00	38.76	30.37	38.51	97.50	25.00
Warsaw	281.68	50.00	34.11	85.33	12.99	94.90	4.35
Birmingham	283.95	50.00	18.60	64.41	33.78	87.81	29.35
Edinburgh	288.15	20.00	38.37	61.68	47.65	96.53	23.91
Krakow	290.02	50.00	38.37	85.82	11.41	98.99	5.43
Gothenburg	293.24	50.00	7.75	66.64	31.77	97.95	39.13
Dusseldorf	293.91	50.00	27.13	66.19	44.41	76.83	29.35
Nice	293.92	0.00	25.97	69.99	42.95	99.56	55.43
London	295.21	21.00	100.00	46.09	68.60	34.52	25.00
Stuttgart	298.45	50.00	30.23	66.18	43.09	86.12	22.83
Budapest	298.82	50.00	37.60	95.54	4.67	93.62	17.39
Oxford	302.16	25.00	53.88	61.22	46.67	94.74	20.65
Bratislava	304.60	50.00	10.47	91.16	19.38	99.89	33.70
Zurich	304.95	60.00	46.12	0.00	98.28	94.02	6.52
Leeds	306.91	50.00	26.74	64.09	35.00	99.56	31.52
Basel	307.43	75.00	22.87	4.66	99.53	96.67	8.70

*Please drag the horizontal scroll bar to the right to further explore the content.

Amsterdam ranks as Europe’s least stressful city to work in, balancing a moderate 36-hour workweek with an average monthly salary of €3,852.45. With living expenses around €1,089.70 and a low 3.1% unemployment rate, workers can comfortably enjoy the city's art and culture without constant financial strain. Paris comes next, with a 35-hour workweek and an average monthly income of €3,041.11. With living costs at about €1,094.40, this allows Parisians to enjoy life more and focus on living rather than just working

Munich, Copenhagen, and Prague are also considered some of the least stressful cities. In Munich, workers can enjoy a reasonable 36-hour workweek and an average income of €3,160.58, which helps them cover living costs of €1,088.10. Copenhagen has a slightly longer workweek of 37 hours, but its higher monthly salary of €3,752.78 allows people to live comfortably despite living costs of €1,147.40. In Prague, the cost of living is lower at €804.60, and the average salary is €1,701.73. Plus, Prague’s average commute time is only 16.5 minutes per 10 kilometers. This means you can spend less time commuting and more time relaxing.

Understanding the stresses of city living is crucial for improving the quality of life. It’s not just about the city you choose; it’s about finding ways to thrive in that environment. Prioritise your well-being and create a work-life balance that allows you to enjoy the fruits of your labour.

To view the full dataset, click here.

Methodology & Sources

To build our list of the most stressful cities, we analysed Europe’s top cities.

Average Work Hours per City: Data was gathered from sources such as Statista and the European Commission.

Average Commute Time per 10km: We used data from the TomTom Traffic Index 2023.

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax): Information was sourced from Numbeo.

Average Cost of Living: We analysed estimated monthly expenses for a single person, also sourced from Numbeo. This figure excludes rent or mortgage fees as a living expense.

Number of Jobs Available: Job listings per city were analyzed using data from Glassdoor.

Unemployment Rate: We consulted data from the International Labour Organization and Eurostat.

Each data point was given a weighted score out of 100 and the cities were then ranked by a total score out of 500.

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