Montpellier vs Toulouse

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.

A mid-sized city that feels human-scaled, with a walkable old centre of pink-brick streets and solid, livable neighbourhoods. Density is moderate and homes tend to come with more room than a Parisian flat.

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.

Toulouse is a safe place to settle by most measures, with low serious-crime levels and strong road safety. Walking after dark feels comfortable in most areas.

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.

Toulouse has a strong local market built around high-value industries, with a sizeable technology ecosystem and professional networks that are useful without being deep. Care quality is high and largely free at the point of use, with reliable hospitals and emergency services and very low out-of-pocket exposure.

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.

A lively southern food and cafe culture, anchored in hearty regional cooking like cassoulet and the wider Occitan table, with a strong sense of local identity from a big student population. Toulouse, the pink-brick city, keeps decent upkeep though grime gathers in spots.