Amsterdam vs Utrecht
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Utrecht edges it, 69 to 67, winning 2 of the 9 factors. Amsterdam is stronger on nothing outright; Utrecht on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Canal city that is all of Amsterdam's charm with fewer tourists
Full Utrecht profile →Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Amsterdam | Utrecht |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 11 | 21 ✓ |
| Safety | 83 | 83 |
| Healthcare | 85 | 85 |
| Internet | 75 | 82 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 90 | 90 |
| Getting there & around | 40 | 40 |
| Climate | 33 | 33 |
| Air quality | 91 ✓ | 90 |
| Quality of life | 96 | 96 |
Cost
| Metric | Amsterdam | Utrecht |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one person | $3,591 | $2,865 ✓ |
| Central one-bedroom rent | $2,327 | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Amsterdam | Utrecht |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 0.6 | 0.6 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 73.2 | 73.2 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 85 | 85 |
| Life expectancy | 81.1 yrs | 81.1 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Amsterdam | Utrecht |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 63.4 Mbps | 84.1 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 19.3 Mbps | 29.9 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Amsterdam | Utrecht |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Visa-free days, US passport | 90 days | 90 days |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | unlimited | unlimited |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Amsterdam | Utrecht |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 0 | 0 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 5 | 5 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 5 | 5 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Amsterdam | Utrecht |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 4 | 4 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 8.9 µg/m³ ✓ | 9.3 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Amsterdam or Utrecht?
- Utrecht is cheaper: about $2,865 per month versus $3,591 for one person.
- Is Amsterdam or Utrecht safer?
- Amsterdam scores higher on safety (83 vs 83), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Amsterdam or Utrecht?
- Utrecht: a measured median of 84.1 Mbps versus 63.4 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population; UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages). Dataset 2026.09.4. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.