The world has long been viewed as progressive and inclusive for LGBTQ+ rights. But when you zero in on each country, their policies and levels of social acceptance vary greatly.
Travelling and working abroad might finally be possible again following the road out of lockdown and so we wanted to find which countries and cities are the most progressive and open-minded when it comes to LGBTQ inclusivity.
We looked at legalities around civil partnership, same-sex marriage, public acceptance and nightlife to work out the most LGBTQ+ friendly cities for workers. And since you also need money to sustain a working life abroad, we also looked at the average weekly wage you can expect to earn and the cost of living.
The top 10 LGBTQ+ friendly cities for workers
Luxembourg takes the top spot as the worlds most friendly working holiday spot for LGBTQ couples thanks to its high support of same-sex marriage with 85% of residents said to support it. The independent state has one of the highest costs of living in the study (£2,265) but also boasts a high average monthly salary of £3,387 to cover costs.
Second on the list is Spain’s capital Madrid. 86% of Spanish residents are supportive of same-sex marriage meaning 40.2 million in the country are pro LGBTQ+ rights.
The cities that offer the most disposable income
Living and working in another country requires a high average monthly salary if you’re to be able to support yourself fully– and advance in your career. While generally high monthly salaries are balanced out by high costs of living, some cities have the potential to offer more disposable income than others.
By looking into the pro LGBTQ+ cities where the average monthly salary outweighs the cost of living, we’ve been able to disclose the cities where you’ll have the most disposable income should you choose to move there.
| Country | Capital | Monthly Cost of Living (€) | Average Monthly Salary (€) | Disposable income (€) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. United States | Washington D.C. | €2,809 | €4,246 | €1,437 |
| 2. Luxembourg | Luxembourg | €2,627 | €3,929 | €1,302 |
| 3. Australia | Canberra | €2,155 | €3,216 | €1,060 |
| 4. New Zealand | Wellington | €2,152 | €3,052 | €899 |
| 5. Canada | Ottawa | €1,959 | €2,612 | €652 |
| 6. Norway | Oslo | €2,714 | €3,263 | €549 |
| 7. Germany | Berlin | €1,907 | €2,386 | €479 |
| 8. Finland | Helsinki | €2,148 | €2,594 | €446 |
| 9. Sweden | Stockholm | €2,302 | €2,734 | €432 |
| 10. United Kingdom | London | €2,985 | €3,390 | €405 |
Tokyo leads the way for LGBTQ nightlife
As we begin to head into a post-covid world again, nightlife is set to boom. But whilst city nightlife is generally of high quality, some cities have more LGBTQ+ pubs and bars than others.
Japan’s capital Tokyo tops the nightlife list with over 60 LGBTQ+ friendly bars and pubs. Despite the city’s large population, this still comes out at 0.44 bars and pubs per capita. This said the city is excluded from the overall top 10 due to its relatively low public support level of just 65%.
London unsurprisingly makes the top three with boroughs like Soho really leading the way when it comes to nightlife. Research shows that London has close to 50 gay bars and clubs in the capital. This also corresponds with 85% of the UK’s residents being supportive of gay rights– that’s equivalent to 57.7 million Brits being LGBTQ+ rights!
| Capital | LGBTQ+ Bars |
|---|---|
| Tokyo | 61 |
| Berlin | 51 |
| London | 49 |
| Madrid | 47 |
| Mexico City | 47 |
| Paris | 42 |
| Amsterdam | 26 |
| Prague | 24 |
| Vienna | 20 |
| Buenos Aires | 19 |
The least progressive cities for LGBTQ+ couples
While much of the world is incredibly pro LGBTQ+ rights, there are still some areas of the world that are far less inclusive.
According to the data, a total of 51 countries in the world still haven’t legalised civil partnership. Similarly, 46 countries still haven’t legalised same-sex marriage either. Based on this, we found the countries least welcoming to LGBTQ+ couples based on the percentage of residents who are pro/ against LGBTQ+ marriage rights.
| Country | Public Support for Same Sex Marriage (%) | Public Against Same Sex Marriage (%) | Global Peace index |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Armenia | 3% | 96% | 5.2 |
| 2. Georgia | 3% | 95% | 5.3 |
| 3. Moldova | 5% | 92% | 6 |
| 4. Kazakhstan | 7% | 89% | 6 |
| 5. Russia | 7% | 85% | 1 |
| 6. Ukraine | 9% | 85% | 1.6 |
| 7. Dominica | 10% | 90% | - |
| 8. Serbia | 12% | 83% | 6.5 |
| 9. Bosnia and Herzegovina | 13% | 84% | 5.6 |
| 10. Bulgaria | 16% | 74% | 7.5 |
| 11. Belarus | 16% | 81% | 5.3 |
| 12. Jamaica | 16% | 84% | 5.6 |
| 13. Honduras | 17% | 75% | 4.5 |
| 14. Slovakia | 20% | 70% | 7.8 |
| 15. Guyana | 21% | 79% | 5.6 |
| 16. Philippines | 22% | 61% | 3.6 |
| 17. Panama | 22% | 78% | 6.4 |
| 18. Guatemala | 23% | 77% | 4.6 |
| 19. India | 24% | 62% | 2.9 |
| 20. Latvia | 24% | 7% | 7.2 |
Full data available below
| Country | Capital | Civil Partnership Legality | Same-Sex Marriage Legality | Public Support for Same Sex Marriage (%) | Public Against Same Sex Marriage (%) | Gay Bars | Monthly Cost of Living | Average Monthly Salary | Global Peace index | Total Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luxembourg | Luxembourg | Yes | Yes | 85% | 9% | - | £2,264.79 | £3,386.78 | 8.4 | |
| Spain | Madrid | Yes | Yes | 86% | 9% | 47 | £1,575.75 | £1,381.82 | 7.1 | 8 |
| New Zealand | Wellington | Yes | Yes | 63% | 31% | - | £1,855.42 | £2,630.52 | 9.5 | 7.9 |
| United Kingdom | London | Yes | Yes | 85% | 12% | 49 | £2,573.22 | £2,922.39 | 6.8 | 7.8 |
| Netherlands | Amsterdam | Yes | Yes | 92% | 8% | 26 | £2,361.20 | £2,529.63 | 7.9 | 7.7 |
| France | Paris | Yes | Yes | 79% | 15% | 42 | £1,993.80 | £2,250.03 | 6.1 | 7.6 |
| Belgium | Brussels | Yes | Yes | 82% | 17% | 14 | £1,733.78 | £2,056.43 | 8.1 | 7.4 |
| Austria | Vienna | Yes | Yes | 66% | 30% | 20 | £1,637.43 | £1,954.65 | 9.1 | 7.3 |
| Portugal | Lisbon | Yes | Yes | 74% | 20% | 15 | £1,523.31 | £889.72 | 9.2 | 7.3 |
| Canada | Ottawa | Yes | Yes | 74% | 26% | 1 | £1,688.97 | £2,251.38 | 9 | 7.2 |
| Malta | Valletta | Yes | Yes | 67% | 25% | - | £1,873.86 | £776.66 | 7.1 | |
| Australia | Canberra | Yes | Yes | 65% | 26% | 1 | £1,858.14 | £2,772.08 | 8.6 | 7.1 |
| Germany | Berlin | No | Yes | 84% | 12% | 51 | £1,643.80 | £2,056.96 | 8.1 | 7 |
| Japan | Tokyo | Yes | No | 65% | 30% | 61 | £1,700.88 | £2,301.64 | 8.7 | 6.9 |
| Uruguay | Montevideo | Yes | Yes | 75% | 25% | 2 | £1,104.14 | £446.81 | 7.1 | 6.8 |
| Argentina | Buenos Aires | Yes | Yes | 65% | 35% | 19 | £980.96 | £369.70 | 5.9 | 6.8 |
| Mexico | Mexico City | Yes | Yes | 51% | 49% | 47 | £924.51 | £453.88 | 3.2 | 6.7 |
| United States | Washington D.C. | Yes | Yes | 70% | 28% | 6 | £2,421.14 | £3,660.24 | 4.4 | 6.6 |
| Ecuador | Quito | Yes | Yes | 23% | 51% | - | £910.40 | £350.41 | 5.4 | 6.3 |
| South Africa | Pretoria | Yes | Yes | 37% | 46% | - | £1,023.66 | £997.12 | 14.9 | 8.1 |
| Denmark | Copenhagen | No | Yes | 89% | 8% | 15 | £2,392.87 | £2,651.90 | 9.1 | 6.3 |
| Sweden | Stockholm | No | Yes | 92% | 6% | 8 | £1,984.67 | £2,356.88 | 8.2 | 6.3 |
| Switzerland | Bern | Yes | No | 81% | 18% | 2 | £2,345.41 | £4,141.35 | 8.7 | 6.2 |
| Chile | Santiago | Yes | No | 74% | 24% | - | £1,125.04 | £480.28 | 6.7 | 6.1 |
| Iceland | Reykjavik | No | Yes | 89% | 11% | 3 | £2,330.07 | £2,275.05 | 10 | 6.1 |
| Slovenia | Ljubljana | Yes | No | 62% | 35% | - | £1,361.17 | £1,042.22 | 8.7 | 6.1 |
| Brazil | Brasilia | Yes | Yes | 53% | 47% | 2 | £702.46 | £461.06 | 3.9 | 6.1 |
| Taiwan | Taipei | Yes | Yes | 43% | 57% | 1 | £1,349.08 | £1,189.19 | 7.1 | 6.1 |
| Costa Rica | San Jose | Yes | Yes | 22% | 44% | 2 | £1,131.74 | £670.30 | 7.2 | 6 |
| Finland | Helsinki | No | Yes | 76% | 21% | 6 | £1,851.87 | £2,236.39 | 8.5 | 6 |
| Colombia | Bogota | Yes | Yes | 49% | 47% | 9 | £788.74 | £249.52 | 2.8 | 5.9 |
| Czech Republic | Prague | Yes | No | 67% | – | 24 | £1,358.97 | £1,093.28 | 8.8 | 5.8 |
| Ireland | Dublin | No | Yes | 79% | 13% | 4 | £2,389.61 | £2,307.98 | 8.6 | 5.8 |
| Norway | Oslo | No | Yes | 72% | 19% | 2 | £2,339.45 | £2,812.55 | 8.1 | 5.7 |
| Andorra | Andorra la Vella | Yes | No | 70% | 19% | 8 | £1,369.67 | £1,612.63 | 5.7 | |
| Italy | Rome | Yes | No | 60% | 40% | 18 | £1,686.72 | £1,249.33 | 7.2 | 5.4 |
| Greece | Athens | Yes | No | 56% | 35% | 3 | £1,238.29 | £709.28 | 6.4 | 5.1 |
| Cyprus | Nicosia | Yes | No | 36% | 60% | - | £1,371.38 | £1,080.13 | 6.2 | 5 |
| Estonia | Tallinn | Yes | No | 41% | 51% | 1 | £1,271.89 | £1,039.64 | 7.2 | 4.9 |
| Croatia | Zagreb | Yes | No | 39% | 55% | 2 | £1,233.21 | £778.06 | 7.5 | 4.8 |
| Hungary | Budapest | Yes | No | 33% | 61% | 3 | £1,063.46 | £698.84 | 7.8 | 4.8 |
| Cambodia | Phnom Penh | No | No | 55% | 30% | 8 | £1,198.16 | £205.69 | 5.7 | 3.8 |
| Poland | Warsaw | No | No | 45% | 50% | 8 | £1,192.00 | £818.39 | 7.4 | 3.8 |
| Thailand | Bangkok | No | No | 59% | 35% | 7 | £1,280.98 | £561.22 | 4.7 | 3.7 |
| South Korea | Seoul | No | No | 41% | 52% | 1 | £1,639.48 | £1,852.52 | 6.6 | 3.5 |
| Bolivia | La Paz | No | No | 35% | 65% | - | £822.09 | £351.24 | 5.5 | 3.5 |
| Cuba | Havana | No | No | 63% | 37% | 2 | £1,509.65 | £24.28 | 5.5 | 3.5 |
| Romania | Bucharest | No | No | 29% | 63% | 2 | £990.43 | £610.16 | 7.9 | 3.5 |
| Lithuania | Vilnius | No | No | 30% | 63% | 1 | £1,122.00 | £863.82 | 7.1 | 3.4 |
| Mozambique | Maputo | No | No | 28% | 60% | - | £912.94 | £187.26 | 5.2 | 3.3 |
| Vietnam | Hanoi | No | No | 34% | 53% | 1 | £1,009.66 | £310.71 | 6.2 | 3.3 |
| China | Beijing | No | No | 29% | 51% | 7 | £1,257.88 | £1,025.37 | 5 | 3.3 |
| Paraguay | Asuncion | No | No | 26% | 74% | - | £794.26 | £273.63 | 5.8 | 3.3 |
| Singapore | Singapore | No | No | 27% | 60% | 5 | £2,678.03 | £2,660.07 | 8.9 | 3.3 |
| Slovakia | Bratislava | No | No | 20% | 70% | 1 | £1,257.71 | £950.55 | 7.8 | 3.2 |
| India | New Delhi | No | No | 24% | 62% | - | £625.36 | £339.99 | 2.9 | 3.2 |
| Latvia | Riga | No | No | 24% | 70% | 1 | £1,168.40 | £757.10 | 7.2 | 3.1 |
| Turkey | Ankara | No | No | 27% | 44% | - | £834.82 | £366.49 | 1.4 | 3.1 |
| Panama | Panama City | No | No | 22% | 78% | - | £1,233.22 | £583.62 | 6.4 | 3.1 |
| Peru | Lima | No | No | 29% | 67% | 1 | £839.35 | £317.81 | 5.5 | 3.1 |
| Bulgaria | Sofia | No | No | 16% | 74% | 1 | £1,015.41 | £598.40 | 7.5 | 3.1 |
| Guyana | Georgetown | No | No | 21% | 79% | - | £884.76 | £230.09 | 5.6 | 3.1 |
| Israel | Jerusalem | No | No | 55% | 45% | 1 | £1,997.69 | £1,760.38 | 2.3 | 3 |
| Belarus | Minsk | No | No | 16% | 81% | - | £754.10 | £320.80 | 5.3 | 3 |
| Serbia | Belgrade | No | No | 12% | 83% | - | £989.92 | £439.16 | 6.5 | 3 |
| Dominican Republic | Santo Domingo | No | No | 27% | 73% | 1 | £898.28 | £271.39 | 5.8 | 3 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Sarajevo | No | No | 13% | 84% | - | £879.27 | £548.77 | 5.6 | 3 |
| Jamaica | Kingston | No | No | 16% | 84% | - | £1,521.08 | £1,645.52 | 5.6 | 3 |
| Guatemala | Guatemala City | No | No | 23% | 77% | - | £986.16 | £328.61 | 4.6 | 2.9 |
| Kazakhstan | Nur-Sultan | No | No | 7% | 89% | - | £713.44 | £386.73 | 6 | 2.9 |
| Honduras | Tegucigalpa | No | No | 17% | 75% | - | £910.59 | £345.68 | 4.5 | 2.9 |
| Nicaragua | Managua | No | No | 25% | 75% | - | £820.72 | £240.96 | 3.3 | 2.9 |
| Philippines | Manila | No | No | 22% | 61% | 6 | £1,041.97 | £273.82 | 3.6 | 2.8 |
| Moldova | Chisinau | No | No | 5% | 92% | - | £786.87 | £274.99 | 6 | 2.8 |
| Venezuela | Caracas | No | No | 39% | 61% | - | £1,266.21 | £215.02 | 1.5 | 2.8 |
| Armenia | Yerevan | No | No | 3% | 96% | - | £772.32 | £255.51 | 5.2 | 2.6 |
| Georgia | Tbilisi | No | No | 3% | 95% | 1 | £648.63 | £248.76 | 5.3 | 2.5 |
| Dominica | Roseau | No | No | 10% | 90% | - | £1,097.80 | £336.48 | 2.2 | |
| Ukraine | Kiev | No | No | 9% | 85% | 1 | £889.74 | £421.75 | 1.6 | 2.1 |
| Russia | Moscow | No | No | 7% | 85% | 4 | £1,034.30 | £715.24 | 1 | 2.1 |
Alexander says
One of the best candidates – Tel Aviv city of Israel – seems to be missing from list. Tel Aviv is one of the most LBGT-friendly cities around the world, and you seem to simply ignore it.
Andreu says
This study is absolutely useless, misleading and putting at risk people. To start with, only considers capital cities, dismissing many cities with better lgbtq communities like Montreal, Cologne or Tel Aviv. Secondly, recommending as a runner up a city where far right is thriving like Madrid, means there is a short ism and bias putting people at risk.
Thirdly, digital nomads might be interested in knowing self employed laws and tax as well as restrictions to live there.
Marcus says
Civil (and otherwise, if permitted by the chosen officiator) is accepted and legal in Sweden (law 1987:230, ch. 1, , p. 1), Norway, and Denmark, which puts this whole study in a very questionable light
Ilse says
Where is New York City? Hard to believe that this city is completely off the list for being welcoming, having great nightlife.
Separately, a survey on which cities are LGBTQ friendly should exclude all criteria which are not LGBTQ as they are not equally relevant to all people