The Best European Cities for Building International Teams

One of the defining advantages of European expansion for growing SaaS companies is access to a genuinely diverse, multilingual workforce, often concentrated in specific cities that have emerged as international talent hubs. Choosing the right location for your European commercial team can significantly impact your ability to hire quickly, retain talent, and cover multiple markets from a single base.

Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona has become one of Europe's most important hubs for multilingual commercial talent, with significant populations of German, French, Dutch, Italian and Portuguese-speaking professionals in SaaS and technology.

Best for: SDRs, BDRs, AEs, CSMs covering DACH, French, Iberian and Italian markets

Advantages: Lower salary costs than Northern Europe, high quality of life, strong multilingual talent density, good access to talent from across Europe

Tradeoffs: Smaller senior leadership pool; high competition for German-speaking talent specifically

Typical AE salary: €50,000–€75,000 base

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Best for: Regional leadership, enterprise sales, operations, fintech roles

Advantages: Highly educated talent pool, excellent English proficiency, strong employer brand as a destination, robust legal frameworks

Tradeoffs: High salary expectations, very competitive for talent, expensive office space and living costs

Typical AE salary: €65,000–€90,000 base

Dublin, Ireland

Best for: Companies wanting proximity to US headquarters, English-language roles, financial services

Advantages: English-speaking, strong tech culture, established employer brand among US tech companies

Tradeoffs: Limited multilingual talent, very high cost of living, salary expectations have risen sharply

Typical AE salary: €60,000–€85,000 base

Berlin, Germany

Best for: DACH market sales, technical roles, companies building German operations

Advantages: Strong tech community, access to DACH-market talent, lower costs than Munich or Frankfurt

Tradeoffs: Strict German employment law, longer hiring processes

Typical AE salary: €60,000–€90,000 base

Lisbon, Portugal

Best for: Companies looking for cost-effective European presence, Portuguese market coverage

Advantages: Low salary costs, growing international community, improving infrastructure

Tradeoffs: Smaller established pool for enterprise commercial roles, less developed SaaS ecosystem than Barcelona

Typical AE salary: €35,000–€55,000 base

Paris, France

Best for: French market coverage, senior enterprise sales, financial services

Advantages: High-quality senior talent pool, strong for French-market specialisation

Tradeoffs: High salary expectations, complex employment law, French language often required

Typical AE salary: €60,000–€90,000 base

How to Choose the Right City

• DACH-focus → Berlin or Barcelona (lower cost)
• French market → Paris or Barcelona
• Pan-European multilingual coverage → Barcelona (best cost/talent ratio)
• US company, English-first → Dublin or Amsterdam
• Cost-sensitive early-stage → Barcelona or Lisbon