Best Places to Live in the Netherlands
Amsterdam
The Netherland’s largest city and capital, Amsterdam is one of the top financial centers in Europe and home to seven of the world’s top 500 companies, including Philips and ING. In 2011, the global consulting firm Mercer ranked the city thirteenth in its annual Quality of Living survey. The Amstel River terminates in the city center and connects a large number of canals that wind through Amsterdam’s neighborhoods. Amsterdam also is nature-friendly and one of the most bicycle-friendly large cities in the world. Residents are encouraged to cycle or walk in the city. Culturally rich with opera, symphony and world-class art museums, Amsterdam is home to the Rijksmuseum, which has the largest and most important collection of Dutch art in the world. With an oceanic climate strongly influenced by its proximity to the North Sea, Amsterdam generally has a mild climate. In January, the average high temperature is about 42 F and the low is around 33 F. In July, temperatures remain mild with an average high of 72 F and a low of 55 F. The city receives 36 inches of precipitation each year.
Maastricht
Over 2,000 years old, this picturesque city of over 100,000 people is located on the southern tip of the country near its border with Belgium. Often rated one of the top cities in the Netherlands to live in, Maastricht offers expats history, art, churches and museums. It is also the birthplace of the European Union and a member of the Most Ancient European Towns Network. With cobblestone roads, beautiful parks and ancient structures, the city is for romantics. Like most cities in the Netherlands it is very clean and environmentally friendly, with an emphasis on public transit to get around. The climate is fairly moderate year-round with summer highs in July reaching an average 74 F with lows around 56 F. Winter highs in January average 41 F and lows 32 F. Rain falls throughout the year, accumulating an average of 30 inches.
Utrecht
Located near the center of the country, just southeast of Amsterdam, this ancient city of over 300,000 people is a fascinating blend of medieval castles, renowned old world structures and modern restaurants and cafes along its canals. The city’s location guarantees excellent connections to the rest of the Netherlands through public transportation. Utrecht is also known for education. The largest university in the Netherlands, Utrecht University, is located there. Utrecht’s climate is very similar to other cities in the counry. January highs are about 42 F and lows around 32 F. During the summer months, the temperature in July averages 73 F and the lows 55 F. Utrecht receives 33 inches of precipitation each year.
Financial
The Netherlands follows the European Union’s monetary authority, the Eurosystem. This makes the country’s official currency the euro (EUR), denoted by the € symbol. The Eurosystem uses a floating exchange rate. Check with the European Central Bank for the current exchange rate. Paper currency denominations in the Netherlands are: 5.00, 10.00, 20.00, 50.00, 100.00, 200.00 and 500.00. Coin units are: 0.01, 0.02, 0.05, 0.10, 0.20, 0.50, 1.00 and 2.00.
The World Economic Forum (2011) ranked the Netherland’s an impressive seventh out of 60 countries in its study on the strength of global banking financial services. Dutch banks are known to be safe and stable, with ABN Amro, Rabobank, Postbank and ING among the biggest banks in the country. All of these banks offer comprehensive financial services similar to what you would receive in the U.S.