NL flag
Alkmaar

The Netherlands

vs
NL flag
Amsterdam

The Netherlands

Climate

Alkmaar logs 0 hot days a year to Amsterdam's 2 — Alkmaar wins by 2. Alkmaar also leads on frost days by 19.

AlkmaarAmsterdam
Sunny days
144138
Hot days
02
Frost days
221
Rainy days
179162
Snow days
01
Outdoor dinner months
2/124/12
Avg wind
6.0 m/s4.2 m/s
Sunshine hours
1,8631,736
Darkest month sun
36 hrs/mo33 hrs/mo
UV peak month
5.55.4

Alkmaar

Feels-like °C

-8
-6
-2
3
11
17
17
20
13
7
-1
-6

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Amsterdam

Feels-like °C

-6
-3
-1
5
14
19
19
21
15
8
1
-5

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Cost of Living

Amsterdam averages $3,405/mo for balanced living; Alkmaar has no cost baseline yet.

Alkmaar

monthly · balanced

Amsterdam

$3,405

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $2,690Comfort $5,008
Top 93%in Among 217 Europe cities

Mobility

Amsterdam scores 5.0 on mobility (0–5 scale); Alkmaar has no mobility baseline.

/5
vs
5.0/5
AlkmaarAmsterdam
WalkabilityTransitCyclingMotorbikeFlightsAirport

Culture

Amsterdam's culture score of 4.4 sits well above Alkmaar's 0.0.

0.0/5
vs
4.4/5
AlkmaarAmsterdam
ArtsHistoryTheatreVenuesNightlife
Amsterdam leads

Nature & Outdoors

Amsterdam scores 4.2 on nature & outdoors (0–5 scale); Alkmaar has no nature & outdoors baseline.

/5
vs
4.2/5
AlkmaarAmsterdam
SeaForestGreen AreasLakesRunningCampingBeachSurfing

Safety

Amsterdam scores 4.2 on safety (0–5 scale); Alkmaar has no safety baseline.

/5
vs
4.2/5

Career

Amsterdam scores 4.2 on career (0–5 scale); Alkmaar has no career baseline.

/5
vs
4.2/5
AlkmaarAmsterdam
JobsEconomyStartupsCoworking

Social & Community

Amsterdam scores 3.8 on social & community (0–5 scale); Alkmaar has no social & community baseline.

/5
vs
3.8/5
AlkmaarAmsterdam
Everyday EnglishExpat-First CommunityMulticultural MixExpat Integration ExperienceUrban EnergyStreet AtmosphereGovernment Immigration FriendlinessAdmin English Support

Food & Dining

Amsterdam scores 3.8 on food & dining (0–5 scale); Alkmaar has no food & dining baseline.

/5
vs
3.8/5
AlkmaarAmsterdam
RestaurantsBrunchVeganDelivery

Family

Amsterdam scores 3.7 on family (0–5 scale); Alkmaar has no family baseline.

/5
vs
3.7/5
AlkmaarAmsterdam
Intl SchoolsUniversitiesAmenitiesSportPlaygroundsGroceriesGymYogaSpaTennis

Healthcare

Amsterdam scores 3.7 on healthcare (0–5 scale); Alkmaar has no healthcare baseline.

/5
vs
3.7/5
AlkmaarAmsterdam
Public HealthcarePrivate Healthcare

Air Quality

Alkmaar averages 7.8 µg/m³ (good) PM2.5 annually versus Amsterdam's 8.8 µg/m³ (good) — Alkmaar breathes ~11% cleaner air (1 µg/m³ lower).

Alkmaar

Amsterdam

7.8µg/m³
8.8µg/m³

PM2.5 annual average

Good
Good

WHO classification

City Scale

Both maps at the same real-world scale — 1 cm on either map is the same distance.

Alkmaar (171K) and Amsterdam (1.2M) are 7.2x in population — Amsterdam is the larger metro, Alkmaar the smaller; on land area Amsterdam spans roughly 5.1x more ground.

6.1x

Amsterdam is roughly 6.1x the scale of Alkmaar

Combined population & area comparison

NL flagAmsterdam
6.1x
NL flagAlkmaar
1x

City Scale Rankings

Population
1.NL flagAmsterdam1.2M7.2x
2.NL flagAlkmaar171K1x
Area
1.NL flagAmsterdam308 km²5.1x
2.NL flagAlkmaar60 km²1x
© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
10 km12 km

NL flagAlkmaar

© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
21 km34 km

NL flagAmsterdam

Who Thrives Here

Frequently asked about Alkmaar vs Amsterdam

Which is cheaper, Alkmaar or Amsterdam?
Amsterdam has an estimated monthly cost of $3,405.
How does the climate compare between Alkmaar and Amsterdam?
Sunny days: 144 vs 138 d — Similar Annual sunshine: 1,863 vs 1,736 hrs — Alkmaar higher Winter sunshine: 36 vs 33 hrs/day — Similar Hot days (>30°C): 0 vs 2 d — Similar Frost days: 2 vs 21 d — Alkmaar lower Rainy days: 179 vs 162 d — Amsterdam lower
Is Alkmaar or Amsterdam safer?
Amsterdam has a safety score of 4.2/5.
Should I move to Alkmaar or Amsterdam?
Alkmaar and Amsterdam are both popular relocation destinations with distinct characteristics. The best choice depends on your priorities — climate preferences, career opportunities, cost constraints, and lifestyle needs. Take the personalized quiz to find your ideal match, or explore the map to compare cities by region and lifestyle factors.

The best city depends on what matters to you

This comparison shows how Alkmaar and Amsterdam stack up on the data. But your climate preferences, budget, career needs, and lifestyle priorities can shift the picture entirely. A personalized diagnostic finds what fits your life.

Take the free diagnostic

10 minutes, no account needed