France
Nice makes sense if
- A calmer day-to-day safety profile matters most to you.
Nice vs Toulouse
Nice runs on Mediterranean light and a slower coastal rhythm, with careers more often arriving with residents than starting locally. Toulouse has a university and aerospace economy, a warm brick-red centre and an easier daily pace.
The grey shape is all 283 cities; each row says whether lower or higher is better. Ratings out of 10 are our reviewed estimates; the rest is published data. How we measure
The choice in one minute
Toulouse makes sense if
- You want the easier housing and budget equation in this comparison.
- Access to stronger healthcare matters most to you.
- You want the broader career options in this comparison.
What matters to you
Set how much each area counts. The ranking updates as you go. Climate and values are left out because there is no better or worse there, only your taste.
Money
Nature & outdoors
City life
Safety & health
Work & family
Moving & settling in
- 1Nice67
Leads on nature & outdoors; stands out for beach & sea and hiking.
- 2Toulouse67
Leads on work & family; stands out for space for the money and cycling infrastructure.
Scores out of 100, averaged from the areas you weighted. For a ranking built around your own situation, take the quiz.
Side by side
Money
Rent on a new lease, everyday prices and tax.
Section score out of 100
Toulouse70Nice68
One-bedroom rent
Per month, new lease, citywide
€118/mo€2,140/mo
- €715/mo
- €554/mo, leads
Rent as share of local pay
One-bedroom rent vs. typical net local pay
21%120%
- ~30%
- ~21%, leads
Everyday prices
Excluding rent · United States = 100
25131
- 85
- 85
Income tax + social contributions
Range: average-wage rate to top marginal rate; the dot marks its midpoint
0%46%
- 28–55%
- 28–55%
Climate
The year month by month. Whether it suits you is yours to judge.
Solid line: average daytime high. Dashed: night-time low. Point at the chart for any month; point at a city name to shade its range.
Bright days
Under 80% cloud and under 1 mm rain
30 days347 days
- 234 days, leads
- 196 days
Muggy days
Days that feel sticky (dew point)
0 days365 days
- 85 days
- 45 days, leads
Air pollution
Annual mean fine particles (PM2.5)
4.6 µg/m³84 µg/m³
- 10.8 µg/m³
- 10.2 µg/m³
Nature & outdoors
How easily you get to water, mountains and green space.
Section score out of 100
Nice73Toulouse62
Beach & sea
110
- 9/10, leads
- 4/10
Mountains
110
- 8/10, leads
- 7/10
City parks
110
- 6/10
- 7/10, leads
Weekend escapes
110
- 10/10, leads
- 9/10
City life
Getting around on foot, food, culture and the feel of the streets.
Section score out of 100
Nice69Toulouse69
Walkability
110
- 8/10
- 8/10
Public transport
110
- 7/10
- 7/10
Restaurants
110
- 8/10, leads
- 7/10
Public spaces
110
- 9/10, leads
- 8/10
Safety & health
Crime, how safe people feel, and the care you would get.
Section score out of 100
Nice71Toulouse71
Homicide rate
Per 100,000 residents per year
0.247
- 1.3
- 1.3
Feels safe day to day
110
- 7/10
- 7/10
Healthcare quality
110
- 8/10
- 9/10, leads
English-speaking care
110
- 7/10, leads
- 6/10
Work & family
Jobs, working culture, schools and raising kids.
Section score out of 100
Toulouse69Nice62
Job market
110
- 5/10
- 7/10, leads
Jobs in English
110
- 6/10
- 6/10
Work–life balance
110
- 9/10
- 9/10
Schools
110
- 7/10
- 7/10
Moving & settling in
Visas, language, paperwork and staying connected.
Section score out of 100
Nice59Toulouse58
Visa & residence difficulty
Typical case; your passport changes this
110
- 5/10
- 5/10
Language barrier
For an English speaker
110
- 6/10
- 6/10
Openness to newcomers
110
- 6/10
- 6/10
Flight connections
110
- 7/10, leads
- 6/10
Society & values
Where each city sits. There is no right end of these scales.
Social attitudes
ConservativeLiberal
- 7/10
- 8/10
LGBTQ+ acceptance
LowHigh
- 8/10
- 8/10
Diversity
HomogeneousDiverse
- 7/10
- 6/10
Religion in public life
ReligiousSecular
- 8/10
- 9/10
Life in each city
Daily life
Nice
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.
Toulouse
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.
Safety
Nice
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.
Toulouse
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.
Work and healthcare
Nice
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.
Toulouse
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.
Culture and public life
Nice
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.
Toulouse
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.
Summary
Toulouse is the more grounded choice for work and a relaxed, substantial city routine. Nice suits someone with work in hand who wants coastal days and outdoor living over career development.
Read on
Which of these fits you?
These numbers treat everyone the same. The quiz weighs them by your budget, climate taste, family and work, and ranks all 283 cities for you.