Climate

Clermont-Ferrand logs 13 hot days a year to Marseille's 2 — Marseille wins by 11. Marseille also leads on outdoor-dinner months by 2.

Clermont-FerrandMarseille
Sunny days
169268
Hot days
132
Frost days
540
Rain days
15377
Snow days
70
Outdoor dinner months
3/125/12
Avg wind
2.5 m/s4.3 m/s
Sunshine hours
2,0632,914
Darkest month sun
53 hrs/mo138 hrs/mo
UV peak month
7.28.1

Clermont-Ferrand

Feels-like °C

-4
0
3
6
13
21
23
21
18
9
2
-3

Dinner outside

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

Marseille

Feels-like °C

2
5
9
13
20
26
29
28
23
15
8
2

Dinner outside

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

Cost of Living

Clermont-Ferrand is $242/mo cheaper

Clermont-Ferrand runs about $1,977/mo for a balanced lifestyle against Marseille's $2,219/mo — Clermont-Ferrand comes in $242 cheaper each month, roughly 12% less.

Clermont-Ferrand

$1,977

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $1,502Comfort $3,086
Top 50%in Among 217 Europe cities

Marseille

$2,219

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $1,700Comfort $3,457
Top 65%in Among 217 Europe cities

Mobility

On mobility, Marseille scores 2.8 vs Clermont-Ferrand's 2.2 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on flight connectivity. Clermont-Ferrand still holds an edge on car efficiency.

2.2/5
vs
2.8/5
Clermont-FerrandMarseille
WalkabilityTransitCar EfficiencyMotorbike
WalkabilityTransitMotorbikeFlightsAirport
Marseille leads

Culture

Marseille's culture score of 3.8 sits well above Clermont-Ferrand's 3.1, with the biggest gap on history museums.

3.1/5
vs
3.8/5
Clermont-FerrandMarseille
ArtsHistoryTheatreVenuesNightlife
Marseille leads

Nature & Outdoors

Marseille's nature & outdoors score of 4.3 sits well above Clermont-Ferrand's 3.8, with the biggest gap on sea access. Clermont-Ferrand still holds an edge on lakes & rivers.

3.8/5
vs
4.3/5
Clermont-FerrandMarseille
MountainsForestGreen AreasLakesRunningHikingCamping
SeaMountainsForestGreen AreasRunningHikingCampingBeachSurfingDivingSkiingClimbing
Marseille leads

Safety

Clermont-Ferrand's safety score is ~2.0× Marseille's — in the upper band, while Marseille lands below average, with the biggest gap on walking safety.

3.6/5
vs
1.8/5
Clermont-FerrandMarseille
Street SafetyProperty CrimeRoadWildfireFlooding
Clermont-Ferrand leads

Career

Marseille's career score of 3.6 sits well above Clermont-Ferrand's 2.3, with the biggest gap on coworking infrastructure.

2.3/5
vs
3.6/5
Clermont-FerrandMarseille
JobsEconomyStartupsCoworking
Marseille leads

Social & Community

Marseille's social & community score is ~1.3× Clermont-Ferrand's — in the middle of the scale, while Clermont-Ferrand lands below average, with the biggest gap on multicultural mix. Clermont-Ferrand still holds an edge on everyday english.

2.3/5
vs
3.1/5
Clermont-FerrandMarseille
Everyday EnglishStreet AtmosphereGovernment Immigration Friendliness
Expat-First CommunityMulticultural MixExpat Integration ExperienceUrban EnergyStreet AtmosphereGovernment Immigration Friendliness
Marseille leads

Food & Dining

On food & dining, Marseille scores 3.6 vs Clermont-Ferrand's 2.0 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on vegan & vegetarian options.

2.0/5
vs
3.6/5
Clermont-FerrandMarseille
RestaurantsBrunchVeganDelivery
Marseille leads

Family

On family, Marseille scores 3.1 vs Clermont-Ferrand's 2.3 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on international schools.

2.3/5
vs
3.1/5
Clermont-FerrandMarseille
UniversitiesPlaygroundsGroceriesGym
UniversitiesAmenitiesSportPlaygroundsGroceriesGymYogaSpaTennis
Marseille leads

Healthcare

On healthcare, Clermont-Ferrand scores 3.4 vs Marseille's 3.0 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on public healthcare quality. Marseille still holds an edge on private healthcare quality.

3.4/5
vs
3.0/5
Clermont-FerrandMarseille
Public Healthcare
Public HealthcarePrivate Healthcare
Clermont-Ferrand leads

Air Quality

Clermont-Ferrand averages 7.8 µg/m³ (good) PM2.5 annually versus Marseille's 9.4 µg/m³ (good) — Clermont-Ferrand breathes ~16% cleaner air (1.5 µg/m³ lower).

Clermont-Ferrand

Marseille

7.8µg/m³
9.4µg/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.

Clermont-Ferrand (203K) and Marseille (912K) are 4.5x in population — Marseille is the larger metro, Clermont-Ferrand the smaller; on land area Marseille spans roughly 2.8x more ground.

3.5x

Marseille is roughly 3.5x the scale of Clermont-Ferrand

Combined population & area comparison

FR flagMarseille
3.5x
FR flagClermont-Ferrand
1x

City Scale Rankings

Population
1.FR flagMarseille912K4.5x
2.FR flagClermont-Ferrand203K1x
Area
1.FR flagMarseille185 km²2.8x
2.FR flagClermont-Ferrand66 km²1x
© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
8.9 km12 km

FR flagClermont-Ferrand

© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
24 km19 km

FR flagMarseille

Who Thrives Here

Frequently asked about Clermont-Ferrand vs Marseille

Which is cheaper, Clermont-Ferrand or Marseille?
Clermont-Ferrand is approximately $242 per month cheaper. Clermont-Ferrand averages $1,977/mo while Marseille averages $2,219/mo.
How does the climate compare between Clermont-Ferrand and Marseille?
Sunny days: 169 vs 268 d — Marseille higher Annual sunshine: 2,063 vs 2,914 hrs — Marseille higher Winter sunshine: 53 vs 138 hrs/day — Marseille higher Hot days (>30°C): 13 vs 2 d — Marseille lower Frost days: 54 vs 0 d — Marseille lower Rainy days: 153 vs 77 d — Marseille lower Snowy days: 7 vs 0 d — Marseille lower
Is Clermont-Ferrand or Marseille safer?
Clermont-Ferrand scores higher on safety. Clermont-Ferrand rates 3.6/5 while Marseille rates 1.8/5, based on street safety, property crime rates, and natural hazard exposure.
Should I move to Clermont-Ferrand or Marseille?
Clermont-Ferrand and Marseille are both popular relocation destinations with distinct characteristics. Clermont-Ferrand is generally more affordable, while Marseille may offer different lifestyle advantages. 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 Clermont-Ferrand and Marseille 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

Clermont-Ferrand vs Marseille: Cost, Climate, Safety