Top Nearshore Software Hubs in Europe, LATAM

A growing number of nearshore tech hubs are fueling pockets of elite software talent in Poland, Bulgaria, Serbia, and Brazil. A record number of cities from Eastern or Southeastern Europe made this year’s list of the 2025 Top Cities to Hire Software Engineers.

Let’s take a look at why nearshoring is increasing and how it’s contributing to a rise in engineering talent in Eastern Europe and Latin America. 

Nearshore software hubs offer more than just cost savings

Although nearshoring has been primarily seen as a way to lower costs while maintaining real-time communication and collaboration, it’s evolved to offer other strategic advantages that are important to tech companies. 

Major tech and finance hubs in North America and Western Europe, including the Bay Area, London, and New York are facing talent shortages. There aren’t enough skilled engineers to meet demand. What’s more, the homegrown talent is being actively pursued for remote and relocation opportunities. As a result, companies across industries are looking to nearshoring to access larger talent pools and specialized talent. 

Eastern Europe boasts talented, cost-effective engineers

Eastern Europe has become the nearshoring destination for Western European companies. In particular, Belgrade, Gdansk, Sofia, and Warsaw are the best cities in Eastern Europe to hire software engineers from. Belgrade leads the way, ranking 9th globally and 2nd in Europe for elite software engineering talent. Gdansk follows closely behind in 12th globally, and Sofia and Warsaw come in at 18th and 20th respectively.

All four cities are constantly developing a pipeline of young engineering talent through their excellent universities. Although these cities have some of the smallest talent pools among the top cities to hire software engineers, they’re seeing an influx of talent from Ukraine and Belarus due to the Russia-Ukraine war. These talent hubs are also some of the most cost-effective markets in Europe. In fact, Sofia’s median salary of $55,352 makes it the most affordable place to hire in Europe. 

Brazil leads the way in Latin America

For North American companies, Latin America offers over two million software developers, rapidly improving tech infrastructure, 40% to 50% lower costs, English proficiency, and a shared timezone. While there are several tech hubs emerging across Latin America, São Paulo is the only one that made it into the 40 best cities to hire software engineers in 2025. São Paulo tied for 38th globally. The city has the 11th largest talent pool while also being one of the least expensive markets. 

Several factors contribute to Brazil’s strong engineering talent. The University of São Paulo ranks first among computer science programs in Latin America, while the country’s talent pool offers a diverse set of skills ranging from software development to machine learning. The city is also poised to become an AI hub, as there are several initiatives focused on fostering AI programs and research. 

Learn more about why these cities, as well as other cities across the globe, stand out as the best places to hire software engineering talent this year. Download the full 2025 Top Cities to Hire Software Engineers report now.