NL flag
Alkmaar

The Netherlands

vs
NL flag
Rotterdam

The Netherlands

Climate

Alkmaar logs 0 hot days a year to Rotterdam's 2 — Alkmaar wins by 2. Alkmaar also leads on frost days by 16.

AlkmaarRotterdam
Sunny days
144141
Hot days
02
Frost days
218
Rainy days
179162
Outdoor dinner months
2/123/12
Avg wind
6.0 m/s4.3 m/s
Sunshine hours
1,8631,810
Darkest month sun
36 hrs/mo35 hrs/mo
UV peak month
5.55.2

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

Rotterdam

Feels-like °C

-6
-3
-1
5
13
19
18
21
15
8
1
-5

Dinner outside

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

Cost of Living

Rotterdam averages $2,798/mo for balanced living; Alkmaar has no cost baseline yet.

Alkmaar

monthly · balanced

Rotterdam

$2,798

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $2,193Comfort $3,925
Top 88%in Among 217 Europe cities

Mobility

Rotterdam scores 4.0 on mobility (0–5 scale); Alkmaar has no mobility baseline.

/5
vs
4.0/5
AlkmaarRotterdam
WalkabilityTransitCyclingCar EfficiencyMotorbikeAirport

Culture

Rotterdam's culture score of 4.2 sits well above Alkmaar's 0.0.

0.0/5
vs
4.2/5
AlkmaarRotterdam
ArtsHistoryTheatreVenuesNightlife
Rotterdam leads

Nature & Outdoors

Rotterdam scores 4.0 on nature & outdoors (0–5 scale); Alkmaar has no nature & outdoors baseline.

/5
vs
4.0/5
AlkmaarRotterdam
SeaForestGreen AreasLakesRunningCampingBeachSurfing

Safety

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

/5
vs
4.2/5

Career

Rotterdam scores 4.0 on career (0–5 scale); Alkmaar has no career baseline.

/5
vs
4.0/5
AlkmaarRotterdam
JobsEconomyStartupsCoworking

Social & Community

Rotterdam scores 3.7 on social & community (0–5 scale); Alkmaar has no social & community baseline.

/5
vs
3.7/5
AlkmaarRotterdam
Everyday EnglishExpat-First CommunityMulticultural MixExpat Integration ExperienceUrban EnergyLocal-First CommunityGovernment Immigration FriendlinessAdmin English Support

Food & Dining

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

/5
vs
3.8/5
AlkmaarRotterdam
RestaurantsBrunchVeganDelivery

Family

Rotterdam scores 3.9 on family (0–5 scale); Alkmaar has no family baseline.

/5
vs
3.9/5
AlkmaarRotterdam
Intl SchoolsUniversitiesAmenitiesSportPlaygroundsGroceriesGymYogaSpaTennis

Healthcare

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

/5
vs
3.7/5
AlkmaarRotterdam
Public HealthcarePrivate Healthcare

Air Quality

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

Alkmaar

Rotterdam

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 Rotterdam (2.2M) are 13x in population — Rotterdam is the larger metro, Alkmaar the smaller; on land area Rotterdam spans roughly 11x more ground.

12x

Rotterdam is roughly 12x the scale of Alkmaar

Combined population & area comparison

NL flagRotterdam
12x
NL flagAlkmaar
1x

City Scale Rankings

Population
1.NL flagRotterdam2.2M13x
2.NL flagAlkmaar171K1x
Area
1.NL flagRotterdam677 km²11x
2.NL flagAlkmaar60 km²1x
© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
10 km12 km

NL flagAlkmaar

© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
35 km33 km

NL flagRotterdam

Who Thrives Here

Frequently asked about Alkmaar vs Rotterdam

Which is cheaper, Alkmaar or Rotterdam?
Rotterdam has an estimated monthly cost of $2,798.
How does the climate compare between Alkmaar and Rotterdam?
Sunny days: 144 vs 141 d — Similar Annual sunshine: 1,863 vs 1,810 hrs — Similar Winter sunshine: 36 vs 35 hrs/day — Similar Hot days (>30°C): 0 vs 2 d — Similar Frost days: 2 vs 18 d — Alkmaar lower Rainy days: 179 vs 162 d — Rotterdam lower
Is Alkmaar or Rotterdam safer?
Rotterdam has a safety score of 4.2/5.
Should I move to Alkmaar or Rotterdam?
Alkmaar and Rotterdam 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 Rotterdam 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

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