12 Best Cities in Europe If You Hate Scorching Weather and Love a Low Cost of Living

The Expat September 11, 2025
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The Expat

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Helping you to discover the world, move abroad, create wealth, save on taxes, and retire early. https://www.youtube.com/@the_expat?sub_confirmation=1

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Looking for the best cities to live in Europe without dealing with scorching summers or freezing winters? Watch THIS. FREE FOR A LIMITED TIME: Grab your Expat Wealth & Lifestyle Compass ($108 value) today! Includes our 74-page guide of Affordable European Cities, our Zero-Tax countries report, and our essential expat checklist. https://bit.ly/ExpatWealthLifestyleCompass Join us here before this offer ends! Today I reveal 12 exceptional European cities that offer the perfect climate balance – mild summers under 30°C and winters above freezing – combined with affordable living costs and high quality of life. Our data-driven analysis evaluates each city across four crucial factors: climate, affordability, infrastructure, and quality of life. The ranking features diverse options across Europe: Varna, Bulgaria, on the Black Sea coast; Brest and Bordeaux in France; Bratislava, Slovakia; Brno, Czech Republic; Bilbao, in the Basque Country (Spain); Zagreb, Croatia; Ljubljana, Slovenia; and Braga, Portugal. These are some of the best places to live in Europe as an American or international expat, combining moderate climates with an authentic European lifestyle. Unlike typical "cheap countries to live in Europe" lists, this ranking focuses on cities with cool weather that remain comfortable year-round. If you're seeking the best places to live for American expats or the best European cities to retire to, these 12 destinations offer infrastructure, healthcare, and community without extreme temperatures. Video mentioned: https://youtu.be/G7CgHUebEVc?si=MqqteegtpZg_jvbZ 💡Subscribe to @the_expat. I upload new episodes every week! This video is based on this article: https://expatriateconsultancy.com/best-cool-weather-cities-in-europe/ Subscribe to our channel (it is free)! Planning to move abroad? Read one of these 3 📚books BEFORE: 📚 1 - https://amzn.to/3UkgWUn 📚 2 - https://amzn.to/3U6gacp 📚 3 - https://amzn.to/441oWwJ ➡️X: https://x.com/an_expatriate 📚Best-selling books about living and traveling abroad @ Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Levi-Borba/e/B082X6GSZF%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share ➡️Podcast "The Expatriate": https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-expatriate--5406772 🚨 QUESTION - Which country or city would you like us to talk about? 🔴 *** ABOUT THE CHANNEL *** From ten years living as an expatriate in the Middle East, South America, and Eastern Europe, to facts from reliable sources. Straightforward, no-nonsense guides for every expat. Some of the links posted and mentioned may be affiliate links, meaning that the author will have a commission for any transaction. 💡 TOPICS IN THIS VIDEO 💡 best cities to live in europe, best cities to retire in europe, best europe cities to live, best european cities to live, best european cities to live in, best european cities to live in for americans, best european cities to retire to, best place to live in europe, best places to live for american expats, best places to live in europe, best places to live in europe as an american, cheap countries to live in europe, europe cities with cool weather, european countries with best weather, places to live in europe #livingineurope #expatlife #retireabroad 🔎 EXCERPT 🔎 Imagine escaping scorching 40°C summers and bone-chilling -10°C winters, while renting a central apartment for under €450 and enjoying good healthcare all for a fraction of the costs. The problem? These splendid, but underrated cities get overlooked—and yeah, that's partly my fault. In my last ranking about the best cities in Europe, one criticism stood out: most of them get too hot during summer. Fair point. So this time, we’re going cooler—literally. 28°C summers, mild winters, and still very affordable And here is another curious thing. Most people assume you have to choose between good climate, low cost of living, or quality of life—but that’s not true. Today I'm revealing 10 Not-So-Hot European cities that prove you can have it all - and some of these will surprise you because they're places most expats completely ignore. The Criteria to Rank the Best Not-So-Hot Cities in Europe To narrow this list, I used clear and measurable filters. Each city must have fewer than one million residents, so to avoid the high costs and the chaos of very large cities. Summers should stay below 30°C on average, which rules out locations known for extreme heat. Winters must remain above freezing, because several popular destinations become harsh and impractical once temperatures drop too far. Another essential factor is cost: each city needs to be below the European Union’s average index, making sure affordability is real and not just a perception. Infrastructure, healthcare, and safety standards also weigh heavily, since they directly affect long-term livability. That’s what makes the following 12 cities unusual - they did well in most criteria.

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