Maastricht vs Nijmegen
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Nijmegen edges it, 70 to 70, winning 2 of the 9 factors. Maastricht is stronger on nothing outright; Nijmegen on getting there & around. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Hilly, Burgundian Dutch city on the Belgian and German borders
Full Maastricht profile →Where to stay in Maastricht →The Netherlands' oldest city, hilly and green by the Waal river
Full Nijmegen profile →Where to stay in Nijmegen →Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Maastricht | Nijmegen |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 21 | 21 |
| Safety | 81 | 81 |
| Healthcare | 86 | 86 |
| Internet | 87 | 88 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 61 | 61 |
| Getting there & around | 71 | 82 ✓ |
| Climate | 33 ✓ | 25 |
| Air quality | 92 ✓ | 90 |
| Quality of life | 96 | 96 |
Cost
| Metric | Maastricht | Nijmegen |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $2,750 | $2,750 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Maastricht | Nijmegen |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 0.66 | 0.66 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 75 | 75 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 85 | 85 |
| Life expectancy | 81.1 yrs | 81.1 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Maastricht | Nijmegen |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 92.1 Mbps | 92.9 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 39.9 Mbps | 52.8 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Maastricht | Nijmegen |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Entry, US passport | 90 days | 90 days |
| Entry, EU passport | unlimited | unlimited |
| Entry, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Maastricht | Nijmegen |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 62 | 298 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 5 ✓ | 4 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 3 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Maastricht | Nijmegen |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 4 ✓ | 3 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 8.5 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, Maastricht or Nijmegen?
- Nijmegen is cheaper: about $2,750 per month versus $2,750 for one person.
- Is Maastricht or Nijmegen safer?
- Maastricht scores higher on safety (81 vs 81), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Maastricht or Nijmegen?
- Nijmegen: a measured median of 92.9 Mbps versus 92.1 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); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); 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); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); 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); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.10.7. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.