NL flag
Alkmaar

The Netherlands

vs
NL flag
Utrecht

The Netherlands

Climate

Alkmaar logs 0 hot days a year to Utrecht's 2 — Alkmaar wins by 2. Alkmaar also leads on frost days by 20.

AlkmaarUtrecht
Sunny days
144132
Hot days
02
Frost days
222
Rainy days
179165
Snow days
01
Outdoor dinner months
2/124/12
Avg wind
6.0 m/s4.0 m/s
Sunshine hours
1,8631,692
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

Utrecht

Feels-like °C

-6
-2
0
6
14
19
19
21
15
8
2
-4

Dinner outside

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

Cost of Living

Utrecht averages $2,912/mo for balanced living; Alkmaar has no cost baseline yet.

Alkmaar

monthly · balanced

Utrecht

$2,912

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $2,295Comfort $4,080
Top 90%in Among 217 Europe cities

Mobility

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

/5
vs
4.0/5
AlkmaarUtrecht
WalkabilityTransitCyclingMotorbikeFlightsAirport

Culture

Utrecht's culture score of 3.5 sits well above Alkmaar's 0.0.

0.0/5
vs
3.5/5
AlkmaarUtrecht
ArtsVenuesNightlife
Utrecht leads

Nature & Outdoors

Utrecht scores 3.3 on nature & outdoors (0–5 scale); Alkmaar has no nature & outdoors baseline.

/5
vs
3.3/5
AlkmaarUtrecht
SeaForestGreen AreasLakesRunningCampingBeachSurfing

Safety

Utrecht scores 4.6 on safety (0–5 scale); Alkmaar has no safety baseline.

/5
vs
4.6/5

Career

Utrecht scores 3.0 on career (0–5 scale); Alkmaar has no career baseline.

/5
vs
3.0/5
AlkmaarUtrecht
JobsCoworking

Social & Community

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

/5
vs
3.8/5
AlkmaarUtrecht
Everyday EnglishExpat-First CommunityMulticultural MixExpat Integration ExperienceUrban EnergyStreet AtmosphereLocal-First CommunityGovernment Immigration FriendlinessAdmin English Support

Food & Dining

Utrecht scores 3.0 on food & dining (0–5 scale); Alkmaar has no food & dining baseline.

/5
vs
3.0/5
AlkmaarUtrecht
RestaurantsBrunchVeganDelivery

Family

Utrecht scores 3.4 on family (0–5 scale); Alkmaar has no family baseline.

/5
vs
3.4/5
AlkmaarUtrecht
Intl SchoolsUniversitiesAmenitiesSportPlaygroundsGroceriesGymYogaSpa

Healthcare

Utrecht scores 4.0 on healthcare (0–5 scale); Alkmaar has no healthcare baseline.

/5
vs
4.0/5
AlkmaarUtrecht
Public HealthcarePrivate Healthcare

Air Quality

Alkmaar averages 7.8 µg/m³ (good) PM2.5 annually versus Utrecht's 8.6 µg/m³ (good) — Alkmaar breathes ~9% cleaner air (0.8 µg/m³ lower).

Alkmaar

Utrecht

7.8µg/m³
8.6µg/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 Utrecht (519K) are 3.0x in population — Utrecht is the larger metro, Alkmaar the smaller; on land area Utrecht spans roughly 1.9x more ground.

2.4x

Utrecht is roughly 2.4x the scale of Alkmaar

Combined population & area comparison

NL flagUtrecht
2.4x
NL flagAlkmaar
1x

City Scale Rankings

Population
1.NL flagUtrecht519K3.0x
2.NL flagAlkmaar171K1x
Area
1.NL flagUtrecht115 km²1.9x
2.NL flagAlkmaar60 km²1x
© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
10 km12 km

NL flagAlkmaar

© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
14 km17 km

NL flagUtrecht

Who Thrives Here

Frequently asked about Alkmaar vs Utrecht

Which is cheaper, Alkmaar or Utrecht?
Utrecht has an estimated monthly cost of $2,912.
How does the climate compare between Alkmaar and Utrecht?
Sunny days: 144 vs 132 d — Alkmaar higher Annual sunshine: 1,863 vs 1,692 hrs — Alkmaar higher Winter sunshine: 36 vs 33 hrs/day — Similar Hot days (>30°C): 0 vs 2 d — Similar Frost days: 2 vs 22 d — Alkmaar lower Rainy days: 179 vs 165 d — Utrecht lower
Is Alkmaar or Utrecht safer?
Utrecht has a safety score of 4.6/5.
Should I move to Alkmaar or Utrecht?
Alkmaar and Utrecht 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 Utrecht 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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