NL flag
Amsterdam

The Netherlands

vs
NL flag
Heerlen

The Netherlands

Climate

Amsterdam logs 2 hot days a year to Heerlen's 7 — Amsterdam wins by 5. Amsterdam also leads on frost days by 7.

AmsterdamHeerlen
Sunny days
138131
Hot days
27
Frost days
2128
Rainy days
162157
Snow days
13
Outdoor dinner months
4/124/12
Avg wind
4.2 m/s3.4 m/s
Sunshine hours
1,7361,733
Darkest month sun
33 hrs/mo38 hrs/mo
UV peak month
5.44.8

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

Heerlen

Feels-like °C

-5
-1
2
8
17
21
20
22
16
9
2
-3

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; Heerlen has no cost baseline yet.

Amsterdam

$3,405

monthly · balanced

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

Heerlen

monthly · balanced

Mobility

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

5.0/5
vs
/5
AmsterdamHeerlen
WalkabilityTransitCyclingMotorbikeFlightsAirport

Culture

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

4.4/5
vs
0.0/5
AmsterdamHeerlen
ArtsHistoryTheatreVenuesNightlife
Amsterdam leads

Nature & Outdoors

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

4.2/5
vs
/5
AmsterdamHeerlen
SeaForestGreen AreasLakesRunningCampingBeachSurfing

Safety

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

4.2/5
vs
/5

Career

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

4.2/5
vs
/5
AmsterdamHeerlen
JobsEconomyStartupsCoworking

Social & Community

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

3.8/5
vs
/5
AmsterdamHeerlen
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); Heerlen has no food & dining baseline.

3.8/5
vs
/5
AmsterdamHeerlen
RestaurantsBrunchVeganDelivery

Family

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

3.7/5
vs
/5
AmsterdamHeerlen
Intl SchoolsUniversitiesAmenitiesSportPlaygroundsGroceriesGymYogaSpaTennis

Healthcare

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

3.7/5
vs
/5
AmsterdamHeerlen
Public HealthcarePrivate Healthcare

Air Quality

Amsterdam averages 8.8 µg/m³ (good) PM2.5 annually versus Heerlen's 8.4 µg/m³ (good) — Heerlen breathes ~5% cleaner air (0.5 µg/m³ lower).

Amsterdam

Heerlen

8.8µg/m³
8.4µg/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.

Amsterdam (1.2M) and Heerlen (160K) are 7.6x in population — Amsterdam is the larger metro, Heerlen the smaller; on land area Amsterdam spans roughly 4.8x more ground.

6.1x

Amsterdam is roughly 6.1x the scale of Heerlen

Combined population & area comparison

NL flagAmsterdam
6.1x
NL flagHeerlen
1x

City Scale Rankings

Population
1.NL flagAmsterdam1.2M7.6x
2.NL flagHeerlen160K1x
Area
1.NL flagAmsterdam308 km²4.8x
2.NL flagHeerlen64 km²1x
© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
21 km34 km

NL flagAmsterdam

© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
11 km12 km

NL flagHeerlen

Who Thrives Here

Frequently asked about Amsterdam vs Heerlen

Which is cheaper, Amsterdam or Heerlen?
Amsterdam has an estimated monthly cost of $3,405.
How does the climate compare between Amsterdam and Heerlen?
Sunny days: 138 vs 131 d — Similar Annual sunshine: 1,736 vs 1,733 hrs — Similar Winter sunshine: 33 vs 38 hrs/day — Similar Hot days (>30°C): 2 vs 7 d — Amsterdam lower Frost days: 21 vs 28 d — Amsterdam lower Rainy days: 162 vs 157 d — Similar Snowy days: 1 vs 3 d — Similar
Is Amsterdam or Heerlen safer?
Amsterdam has a safety score of 4.2/5.
Should I move to Amsterdam or Heerlen?
Amsterdam and Heerlen 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 Amsterdam and Heerlen 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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