Montpellier vs Nice

Montpellier is compact and built for walking, with a tight medieval core and tram lines that make a car optional. It is a mid-sized city rather than a metropolis, so it lacks the heft of Lyon or Marseille but keeps a human scale.

Nice feels urban without feeling sprawling. The trade-off is tighter housing space, while the pace is calmer and more residential than a major metropolitan centre.

Violent crime is rare and the city feels secure on that front, with traffic safety also strong. Where it slips is petty crime, the pickpocketing and opportunistic theft common to busy southern European cities, so the streets ask for ordinary city awareness rather than worry.

Serious violent crime is rare and the roads are comparatively safe. Nice records the least theft per resident of the French cities we cover, though pickpocketing in the tourist core still calls for ordinary care.

The local market remains thin, with high unemployment and few roles designed for English-only applicants. France's public system delivers solid quality care here, with good hospitals and emergency cover and low out-of-pocket costs once enrolled.

Nice's local job market is fairly narrow, with high unemployment and English-language roles that are not especially plentiful. France's healthcare system is strong, and Nice plugs into it with capable hospitals and low out-of-pocket exposure once residents are in the system.

There is plenty of life for a city this size, fuelled by a large student population. Montpellier is a clean, sunny southern city, its student-filled old town well kept and walkable.

Strong on food and a distinct local identity, with Niçoise cooking, good restaurants, and a Mediterranean cafe life that blends French and Italian influence. Nice is a Riviera resort, fairly well kept though showing touristy wear in places.