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SettleMetric

CITY / CITYVerified city comparison

MarseillevsNice.

Nice is stronger on 2 of 8 headline facts; Marseille on 0. Cost of living (single, excl. rent): Marseille $1,816/mo, Nice $1,816/mo. Freelancer tax burden: Marseille 34.1%, Nice 34.1%. Climate comfort: Marseille 7/12 mo, Nice 9/12 mo.

VerifiedUpdated

14 compared criteria · 18 sources · country-level facts are clearly inherited

fr / fr · SettleMetric

01

The key differences

The key numbers head-to-head — the stronger side is marked. The overall score stays decoration; what matters is which facts fit you.

Headline result

Nice leads on 2 of 8

Marseille

0

Nice

2

01Cost of living (single, excl. rent)
Marseille
$1,816/mo

INSEE — La consommation des ménages en 2024 (Insee Première 2056, dépense de consommation finale par fonction COICOP)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Dec 31, 2024
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Method
INSEE national-accounts household final consumption by COICOP, 2024. Functions sum to €1,543.8B on-territory; subtract housing rentals (actual €77.0B + imputed €220.7B = €297.7B) → €1,246.1B non-rent. Per-capita on the household basis (to match peers): ÷ 31.377M households (Jan 2024) ÷ avg size 2.14 ÷ 12 = €1,546/capita/mo (2024). CPI-uplift mid-2024→mid-2026 ×1.030 = €1,593/mo. ×1.1399 USD/EUR = $1,816/mo. Per-capita basis to match Czechia/Spain/Austria; a lone single-person household spends materially more.
Nice
$1,816/mo

INSEE — La consommation des ménages en 2024 (Insee Première 2056, dépense de consommation finale par fonction COICOP)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Dec 31, 2024
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Method
INSEE national-accounts household final consumption by COICOP, 2024. Functions sum to €1,543.8B on-territory; subtract housing rentals (actual €77.0B + imputed €220.7B = €297.7B) → €1,246.1B non-rent. Per-capita on the household basis (to match peers): ÷ 31.377M households (Jan 2024) ÷ avg size 2.14 ÷ 12 = €1,546/capita/mo (2024). CPI-uplift mid-2024→mid-2026 ×1.030 = €1,593/mo. ×1.1399 USD/EUR = $1,816/mo. Per-capita basis to match Czechia/Spain/Austria; a lone single-person household spends materially more.
02Freelancer tax burden
Marseille
34.1%

SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (URSSAF micro-social, impots.gouv.fr barème, Service-Public)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Jan 1, 2026
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Method
Best eligible scheme at €60,000 turnover, single (1 part) = micro-entrepreneur (micro-BNC, scheme fr-micro-bnc): micro-social 25.6% = 15,360; CFP 0.2% = 120; income tax on 66% of turnover (34% allowance) = 39,600 → 11%/30% bands = 4,984. Levies 20,464 → 34.1%. The versement libératoire (28% flat) is blocked at €60k by the RFR cap; a SASU all-dividend chain runs ≈43.7%.
Nice
34.1%

SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (URSSAF micro-social, impots.gouv.fr barème, Service-Public)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Jan 1, 2026
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Method
Best eligible scheme at €60,000 turnover, single (1 part) = micro-entrepreneur (micro-BNC, scheme fr-micro-bnc): micro-social 25.6% = 15,360; CFP 0.2% = 120; income tax on 66% of turnover (34% allowance) = 39,600 → 11%/30% bands = 4,984. Levies 20,464 → 34.1%. The versement libératoire (28% flat) is blocked at €60k by the RFR cap; a SASU all-dividend chain runs ≈43.7%.
03Homicide rate
Marseille
1.28/100k

Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (crim_off_cat, ICCS0101, unit P_HTHAB)

Open data

Data as of
Dec 31, 2024
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Notes
Police-recorded intentional homicide, 2024 (value 1.28; 2023 was 1.30). Dataset last updated by Eurostat 2026-04-29; cross-checked against decoding the full crim_off_cat matrix. Moderate by European standards — above the safest EU states (Austria 0.85) but well below the global average.
Nice
1.28/100k

Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (crim_off_cat, ICCS0101, unit P_HTHAB)

Open data

Data as of
Dec 31, 2024
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Notes
Police-recorded intentional homicide, 2024 (value 1.28; 2023 was 1.30). Dataset last updated by Eurostat 2026-04-29; cross-checked against decoding the full crim_off_cat matrix. Moderate by European standards — above the safest EU states (Austria 0.85) but well below the global average.
04Climate comfort
Marseille
7/12 mo

SettleMetric computation over climate-normals (WMO 1991–2020, Marignane 07650)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Dec 31, 2020
Verified
Sep 24, 2026
Method
Months whose mean daily maximum is between 15 and 28 °C and whose precipitation is under 150 mm: Mar (16.4 °C), Apr (19.3), May (23.5), Jun (27.9), Sep (25.9), Oct (21.3), Nov (15.7) = 7. July (30.7) and August (30.5) are excluded as too hot, December (12.4), January (11.8) and February (12.8) as too cold. The precipitation test excludes nothing: the wettest month is September at 82.0 mm.
Notes
June qualifies by 0.1 °C. The count is taken at the airport station, about 20 km from the centre.
Nicestronger
9/12 mo

SettleMetric computation over climate-normals (NOAA/WMO 1991–2020, WMO 07690)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Dec 31, 2020
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Method
Months with mean daily max 15–28°C and precipitation < 150mm: Mar (15.4), Apr (17.4), May (21.0), Jun (24.7), Jul (27.5), Aug (27.9), Sep (24.8), Oct (21.0), Nov (17.0) = 9. Jan (13.3), Feb (13.5) and Dec (14.1) miss on the 15°C floor; no month exceeds the 28°C ceiling (Aug peaks 27.9) or the 150mm rain cap (wettest Nov 138.4). Nice scores high thanks to a long, maritime-moderated warm season.
05Internet speed
Marseille
51 Mbps

M-Lab NDT country aggregates for France

Open data

Data as of
Dec 31, 2023
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Method
Median of the 344 daily country-median download values for FR in 2023 (~10.47M download tests; daily medians ranged 24.9–61.1 Mbps). M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style or advertised figures (French fibre commonly markets 300–1000+ Mbps) — comparable only within this criterion. 2023 is the latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API.
Notes
France has extensive FTTH fibre coverage; the M-Lab single-stream median understates real-world line speeds and is used only for cross-country comparability on one consistent method.
Nice
51 Mbps

M-Lab NDT country aggregates for France

Open data

Data as of
Dec 31, 2023
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Method
Median of the 344 daily country-median download values for FR in 2023 (~10.47M download tests; daily medians ranged 24.9–61.1 Mbps). M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style or advertised figures (French fibre commonly markets 300–1000+ Mbps) — comparable only within this criterion. 2023 is the latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API.
Notes
France has extensive FTTH fibre coverage; the M-Lab single-stream median understates real-world line speeds and is used only for cross-country comparability on one consistent method.
06English proficiency
Marseille
Moderate

EF EPI 2025 — France (score 539, rank 38/123, Moderate band)

Research

Data as of
Nov 1, 2025
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Notes
Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): France score 539, global rank 38, 'Moderate' band (EF cutoffs: Moderate 500–549), up 11 places and +15 points vs 2024. English is workable in Paris tech/expat circles and tourism-facing Côte d'Azur, but French is essential for administration, most workplaces, and daily life — France sits below the very-high Northern-European tier.
Nice
Moderate

EF EPI 2025 — France (score 539, rank 38/123, Moderate band)

Research

Data as of
Nov 1, 2025
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Notes
Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): France score 539, global rank 38, 'Moderate' band (EF cutoffs: Moderate 500–549), up 11 places and +15 points vs 2024. English is workable in Paris tech/expat circles and tourism-facing Côte d'Azur, but French is essential for administration, most workplaces, and daily life — France sits below the very-high Northern-European tier.
07Private healthcare cost
Marseille
$821/yr

Curated from French mutuelle comparateur data (goodassur 48,082-quote July 2026 dataset; Selectra tariff study)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Jul 1, 2026
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Method
France has universal public health cover (Assurance Maladie, ~70% reimbursement) topped up by a COMPLEMENTARY private 'mutuelle santé' — supplementary, not full-replacement. Mutuelle pricing is age-banded, not health-rated. Market data (goodassur, 48,082 individual quotes, July 2026): age 25–34 avg €68.98/mo, 35–44 avg €90.68/mo; a mid-market intermediate plan for a healthy 35-year-old ≈ €60/mo = €720/yr → $821/yr at 1.1399. Range ≈ €35/mo ($479/yr) to ≈ €90/mo ($1,231/yr).
Notes
A supplementary top-up on the mandatory public system, not a full private replacement policy (like Austria's Sonderklasse). ~95%+ of residents carry a mutuelle; employees usually get a subsidised group contract (employer pays ≥50%), so this individually-purchased premium is the situation of a freelancer/self-employed person. Mid-market monthly range ≈ €50–70.
Nice
$821/yr

Curated from French mutuelle comparateur data (goodassur 48,082-quote July 2026 dataset; Selectra tariff study)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Jul 1, 2026
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Method
France has universal public health cover (Assurance Maladie, ~70% reimbursement) topped up by a COMPLEMENTARY private 'mutuelle santé' — supplementary, not full-replacement. Mutuelle pricing is age-banded, not health-rated. Market data (goodassur, 48,082 individual quotes, July 2026): age 25–34 avg €68.98/mo, 35–44 avg €90.68/mo; a mid-market intermediate plan for a healthy 35-year-old ≈ €60/mo = €720/yr → $821/yr at 1.1399. Range ≈ €35/mo ($479/yr) to ≈ €90/mo ($1,231/yr).
Notes
A supplementary top-up on the mandatory public system, not a full private replacement policy (like Austria's Sonderklasse). ~95%+ of residents carry a mutuelle; employees usually get a subsidised group contract (employer pays ≥50%), so this individually-purchased premium is the situation of a freelancer/self-employed person. Mid-market monthly range ≈ €50–70.
08Air quality (PM2.5)
Marseille
9.4 µg/m³

European Environment Agency — Air Quality Statistics (E1a validated), Marseille stations FR03043 "MARSEILLE 5 AVENUES", FR03006 "MARSEILLE RABATAU" and FR03014 "MARSEILLE ST LOUIS"

Open data

Data as of
Dec 31, 2024
Verified
Sep 24, 2026
Method
Mean of the validated (E1a, verification flag 1) 2024 annual PM2.5 means at the three stations the EEA assigns to Marseille, queried from the EEA statistics service on 2026-09-24: FR03043 "MARSEILLE 5 AVENUES" (urban background, 2.2 km from the Hôtel de Ville) 8.604 µg/m³ at 96.12% coverage; FR03006 "MARSEILLE RABATAU" (urban traffic, 3.2 km from the Hôtel de Ville) 10.496 µg/m³ at 96.79% coverage; FR03014 "MARSEILLE ST LOUIS" (urban background, 5.8 km from the Hôtel de Ville) 8.969 µg/m³ at 98.93% coverage. (8.604 + 10.496 + 8.969) / 3 = 9.36. The WHO Ambient Air Quality Database v8.0 (2026) gives Marseille 9.357 µg/m³ for 2024 at 97% coverage; the three stations' mean is 9.356 and their coverages average 97.3%. The WHO row counts four stations because its count covers all three pollutants it reports — the fourth, a suburban background site, has no 2024 PM2.5 mean in the EEA statistics.
Notes
Two background stations and one traffic station, all inside the city. The EEA held no validated 2025 PM2.5 statistics for France on 2026-09-24. The WHO series for Marseille reads 9.78 (2020), 10.53 (2021), 11.73 (2022) and 10.93 (2023). About twice the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³, and just under the EU limit of 10 that applies from 2030.
Nicestronger
9.2 µg/m³

WHO Ambient Air Quality Database 2026 (v8.0), Nice/FRA — original data European Environment Agency, Air Quality Statistics

Open data

Data as of
Dec 31, 2024
Verified
Aug 28, 2026
Method
Row Nice/FRA, year 2024, of the WHO Ambient Air Quality Database v8.0 (2026), read from the published spreadsheet on 2026-08-28: pm25_concentration = 9.177 µg/m³ at 98% temporal coverage, reference "European Environmental Agency", WHO footprint population 670,215. The row lists four stations (two urban background, one suburban background and one urban traffic), but that count covers all three pollutants the row reports: the EEA's validated 2024 PM2.5 statistics, queried on 2026-09-24, hold three stations assigned to Nice — FR24036 "NICE ARSON" (urban background, 9.257 µg/m³ at 97.67% coverage) and FR24035 "NICE PROMENADE" (urban traffic, 9.348 at 95.80%) in Nice itself, and FR24009 "CANNES BROUSSAILLES" (urban background, 8.916 at 99.08%) in Cannes, 26.6 km from this city's recorded coordinates. Their mean is 9.174, 0.003 below the WHO value, and their coverages average 97.5%; the EEA statistics served on 2026-09-24 carry a calculation date of 2026-09-22, later than the WHO file's sheet date of 2026-06-28. Reference year 2024 — the latest year this database carries a full-year PM2.5 figure for this city, and the year already used by the other European cities in this dataset. Identity checked against the row's own station centroid, which lies 11.7 km from this city's recorded coordinates — the file contains near-miss names such as "Playa Del Ingles/ESP" and "Porto Empedocle/ITA", so the check is not a formality.
Notes
WHO gives the footprint population as 670,215 against the 357,737 commune figure recorded on this page, and the station centroid sits 11.7 km from the city coordinates, so the row describes the agglomeration rather than the commune. Coverage is good (98%) and the station mix is background-weighted, so the figure should read close to general urban exposure. Preceding years in the same series: 2020 9.63 (97%), 2021 9.96 (99%), 2022 10.56 (98%), 2023 9.45 (97%).

02

Which city fits your plan?

Each lens weighs only the facts that matter to that plan, and names the side it favours.

Remote IT / freelancer

Contract or freelance in tech, billing clients abroad.

A close call for this plan

01Freelancer tax burden
Marseille
34.1%

SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (URSSAF micro-social, impots.gouv.fr barème, Service-Public)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Jan 1, 2026
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Method
Best eligible scheme at €60,000 turnover, single (1 part) = micro-entrepreneur (micro-BNC, scheme fr-micro-bnc): micro-social 25.6% = 15,360; CFP 0.2% = 120; income tax on 66% of turnover (34% allowance) = 39,600 → 11%/30% bands = 4,984. Levies 20,464 → 34.1%. The versement libératoire (28% flat) is blocked at €60k by the RFR cap; a SASU all-dividend chain runs ≈43.7%.
Nice
34.1%

SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (URSSAF micro-social, impots.gouv.fr barème, Service-Public)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Jan 1, 2026
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Method
Best eligible scheme at €60,000 turnover, single (1 part) = micro-entrepreneur (micro-BNC, scheme fr-micro-bnc): micro-social 25.6% = 15,360; CFP 0.2% = 120; income tax on 66% of turnover (34% allowance) = 39,600 → 11%/30% bands = 4,984. Levies 20,464 → 34.1%. The versement libératoire (28% flat) is blocked at €60k by the RFR cap; a SASU all-dividend chain runs ≈43.7%.
02Internet speed
Marseille
51 Mbps

M-Lab NDT country aggregates for France

Open data

Data as of
Dec 31, 2023
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Method
Median of the 344 daily country-median download values for FR in 2023 (~10.47M download tests; daily medians ranged 24.9–61.1 Mbps). M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style or advertised figures (French fibre commonly markets 300–1000+ Mbps) — comparable only within this criterion. 2023 is the latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API.
Notes
France has extensive FTTH fibre coverage; the M-Lab single-stream median understates real-world line speeds and is used only for cross-country comparability on one consistent method.
Nice
51 Mbps

M-Lab NDT country aggregates for France

Open data

Data as of
Dec 31, 2023
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Method
Median of the 344 daily country-median download values for FR in 2023 (~10.47M download tests; daily medians ranged 24.9–61.1 Mbps). M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style or advertised figures (French fibre commonly markets 300–1000+ Mbps) — comparable only within this criterion. 2023 is the latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API.
Notes
France has extensive FTTH fibre coverage; the M-Lab single-stream median understates real-world line speeds and is used only for cross-country comparability on one consistent method.
03English proficiency
Marseille
Moderate

EF EPI 2025 — France (score 539, rank 38/123, Moderate band)

Research

Data as of
Nov 1, 2025
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Notes
Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): France score 539, global rank 38, 'Moderate' band (EF cutoffs: Moderate 500–549), up 11 places and +15 points vs 2024. English is workable in Paris tech/expat circles and tourism-facing Côte d'Azur, but French is essential for administration, most workplaces, and daily life — France sits below the very-high Northern-European tier.
Nice
Moderate

EF EPI 2025 — France (score 539, rank 38/123, Moderate band)

Research

Data as of
Nov 1, 2025
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Notes
Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): France score 539, global rank 38, 'Moderate' band (EF cutoffs: Moderate 500–549), up 11 places and +15 points vs 2024. English is workable in Paris tech/expat circles and tourism-facing Côte d'Azur, but French is essential for administration, most workplaces, and daily life — France sits below the very-high Northern-European tier.
04Cost of living (single, excl. rent)
Marseille
$1,816/mo

INSEE — La consommation des ménages en 2024 (Insee Première 2056, dépense de consommation finale par fonction COICOP)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Dec 31, 2024
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Method
INSEE national-accounts household final consumption by COICOP, 2024. Functions sum to €1,543.8B on-territory; subtract housing rentals (actual €77.0B + imputed €220.7B = €297.7B) → €1,246.1B non-rent. Per-capita on the household basis (to match peers): ÷ 31.377M households (Jan 2024) ÷ avg size 2.14 ÷ 12 = €1,546/capita/mo (2024). CPI-uplift mid-2024→mid-2026 ×1.030 = €1,593/mo. ×1.1399 USD/EUR = $1,816/mo. Per-capita basis to match Czechia/Spain/Austria; a lone single-person household spends materially more.
Nice
$1,816/mo

INSEE — La consommation des ménages en 2024 (Insee Première 2056, dépense de consommation finale par fonction COICOP)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Dec 31, 2024
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Method
INSEE national-accounts household final consumption by COICOP, 2024. Functions sum to €1,543.8B on-territory; subtract housing rentals (actual €77.0B + imputed €220.7B = €297.7B) → €1,246.1B non-rent. Per-capita on the household basis (to match peers): ÷ 31.377M households (Jan 2024) ÷ avg size 2.14 ÷ 12 = €1,546/capita/mo (2024). CPI-uplift mid-2024→mid-2026 ×1.030 = €1,593/mo. ×1.1399 USD/EUR = $1,816/mo. Per-capita basis to match Czechia/Spain/Austria; a lone single-person household spends materially more.
05Domestic delivery quality
Marseille
Excellent

La Poste / Colissimo (Pickup) and Mondial Relay network figures

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Jan 1, 2025
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Method
France has one of Europe's densest out-of-home parcel networks. Colissimo/Pickup: 26,000+ pickup points (≈17,500 relay points + ≈6,500 automatic lockers, incl. ≈4,500 24/7 Pickup Station lockers). Mondial Relay: ≈17,000 points (≈9,000 lockers + ≈8,000 relais). Plus Relais Colis, Chronopost, DPD, and La Poste home delivery ~6 days/week, with nationwide next-day/2-day standard options → 'excellent'.
Nice
Excellent

La Poste / Colissimo (Pickup) and Mondial Relay network figures

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Jan 1, 2025
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Method
France has one of Europe's densest out-of-home parcel networks. Colissimo/Pickup: 26,000+ pickup points (≈17,500 relay points + ≈6,500 automatic lockers, incl. ≈4,500 24/7 Pickup Station lockers). Mondial Relay: ≈17,000 points (≈9,000 lockers + ≈8,000 relais). Plus Relais Colis, Chronopost, DPD, and La Poste home delivery ~6 days/week, with nationwide next-day/2-day standard options → 'excellent'.

Family

Relocating with a partner and school-age children.

Nice fits better — 2 of 5

01International schools
Marseille
1

IB World School profile (ibo.org, read through an Internet Archive snapshot) — International Bilingual School of Provence

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Sep 24, 2026
Verified
Sep 24, 2026
Method
Accreditor-verified: the International Bilingual School of Provence, 500 route de Bouc-Bel-Air, Luynes (commune of Aix-en-Provence), about 20 km north of the Hôtel de Ville — IB World School, school code 001386, Diploma Programme authorised 4 June 2002, per its IB profile as archived on 2025-10-13. Aix-en-Provence and Marseille both belong to the Aix-Marseille-Provence Métropole.
Notes
VERIFIED FLOOR, and the one school counted is outside the city. The International School of Marseille, in the 7th arrondissement, is described on school-search sites as offering the IB Diploma within the same school group, but no IB profile of its own could be found in the Internet Archive and ibo.org answered our requests with a Cloudflare challenge, so it is not counted. No Marseille-area school is in the CIS membership directory, and the nearest Accredited European School is in Manosque, outside the metro area. Cambridge International's school finder renders only in a browser, so Cambridge-registered schools could not be enumerated.
Nicestronger
3

Accreditor registries (IB — ibo.org; Cambridge International; COBIS; CIS; MSA) — per-school verification for the Nice / Côte d'Azur area

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Jul 14, 2026
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Method
Verified floor of 3, each tied to a named accreditor: (1) International School of Nice (Nice) — IB World School (full continuum), CIS + MSA accredited, the flagship English-medium IB school in Nice itself; (2) ICS Côte d'Azur (Sophia Antipolis / Valbonne, ~20 km SW) — IB World School, PYP since 2018, IB school code 049702; (3) Mougins British International School (Mougins, ~30 km SW) — British curriculum to IGCSE/A-Level via Cambridge International + Pearson Edexcel, COBIS member.
Notes
Conservative accreditor-verified floor. The Antibes/Mougins/Sophia-Antipolis/Valbonne cluster IS included (2 of the 3). Excluded: schools in Monaco (a separate sovereign state) and several Nice-area bilingual FR/EN private schools whose international accreditation could not be confirmed. Counting those would push the total well above 3.
02Homicide rate
Marseille
1.28/100k

Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (crim_off_cat, ICCS0101, unit P_HTHAB)

Open data

Data as of
Dec 31, 2024
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Notes
Police-recorded intentional homicide, 2024 (value 1.28; 2023 was 1.30). Dataset last updated by Eurostat 2026-04-29; cross-checked against decoding the full crim_off_cat matrix. Moderate by European standards — above the safest EU states (Austria 0.85) but well below the global average.
Nice
1.28/100k

Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (crim_off_cat, ICCS0101, unit P_HTHAB)

Open data

Data as of
Dec 31, 2024
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Notes
Police-recorded intentional homicide, 2024 (value 1.28; 2023 was 1.30). Dataset last updated by Eurostat 2026-04-29; cross-checked against decoding the full crim_off_cat matrix. Moderate by European standards — above the safest EU states (Austria 0.85) but well below the global average.
03Private healthcare cost
Marseille
$821/yr

Curated from French mutuelle comparateur data (goodassur 48,082-quote July 2026 dataset; Selectra tariff study)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Jul 1, 2026
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Method
France has universal public health cover (Assurance Maladie, ~70% reimbursement) topped up by a COMPLEMENTARY private 'mutuelle santé' — supplementary, not full-replacement. Mutuelle pricing is age-banded, not health-rated. Market data (goodassur, 48,082 individual quotes, July 2026): age 25–34 avg €68.98/mo, 35–44 avg €90.68/mo; a mid-market intermediate plan for a healthy 35-year-old ≈ €60/mo = €720/yr → $821/yr at 1.1399. Range ≈ €35/mo ($479/yr) to ≈ €90/mo ($1,231/yr).
Notes
A supplementary top-up on the mandatory public system, not a full private replacement policy (like Austria's Sonderklasse). ~95%+ of residents carry a mutuelle; employees usually get a subsidised group contract (employer pays ≥50%), so this individually-purchased premium is the situation of a freelancer/self-employed person. Mid-market monthly range ≈ €50–70.
Nice
$821/yr

Curated from French mutuelle comparateur data (goodassur 48,082-quote July 2026 dataset; Selectra tariff study)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Jul 1, 2026
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Method
France has universal public health cover (Assurance Maladie, ~70% reimbursement) topped up by a COMPLEMENTARY private 'mutuelle santé' — supplementary, not full-replacement. Mutuelle pricing is age-banded, not health-rated. Market data (goodassur, 48,082 individual quotes, July 2026): age 25–34 avg €68.98/mo, 35–44 avg €90.68/mo; a mid-market intermediate plan for a healthy 35-year-old ≈ €60/mo = €720/yr → $821/yr at 1.1399. Range ≈ €35/mo ($479/yr) to ≈ €90/mo ($1,231/yr).
Notes
A supplementary top-up on the mandatory public system, not a full private replacement policy (like Austria's Sonderklasse). ~95%+ of residents carry a mutuelle; employees usually get a subsidised group contract (employer pays ≥50%), so this individually-purchased premium is the situation of a freelancer/self-employed person. Mid-market monthly range ≈ €50–70.
04Air quality (PM2.5)
Marseille
9.4 µg/m³

European Environment Agency — Air Quality Statistics (E1a validated), Marseille stations FR03043 "MARSEILLE 5 AVENUES", FR03006 "MARSEILLE RABATAU" and FR03014 "MARSEILLE ST LOUIS"

Open data

Data as of
Dec 31, 2024
Verified
Sep 24, 2026
Method
Mean of the validated (E1a, verification flag 1) 2024 annual PM2.5 means at the three stations the EEA assigns to Marseille, queried from the EEA statistics service on 2026-09-24: FR03043 "MARSEILLE 5 AVENUES" (urban background, 2.2 km from the Hôtel de Ville) 8.604 µg/m³ at 96.12% coverage; FR03006 "MARSEILLE RABATAU" (urban traffic, 3.2 km from the Hôtel de Ville) 10.496 µg/m³ at 96.79% coverage; FR03014 "MARSEILLE ST LOUIS" (urban background, 5.8 km from the Hôtel de Ville) 8.969 µg/m³ at 98.93% coverage. (8.604 + 10.496 + 8.969) / 3 = 9.36. The WHO Ambient Air Quality Database v8.0 (2026) gives Marseille 9.357 µg/m³ for 2024 at 97% coverage; the three stations' mean is 9.356 and their coverages average 97.3%. The WHO row counts four stations because its count covers all three pollutants it reports — the fourth, a suburban background site, has no 2024 PM2.5 mean in the EEA statistics.
Notes
Two background stations and one traffic station, all inside the city. The EEA held no validated 2025 PM2.5 statistics for France on 2026-09-24. The WHO series for Marseille reads 9.78 (2020), 10.53 (2021), 11.73 (2022) and 10.93 (2023). About twice the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³, and just under the EU limit of 10 that applies from 2030.
Nicestronger
9.2 µg/m³

WHO Ambient Air Quality Database 2026 (v8.0), Nice/FRA — original data European Environment Agency, Air Quality Statistics

Open data

Data as of
Dec 31, 2024
Verified
Aug 28, 2026
Method
Row Nice/FRA, year 2024, of the WHO Ambient Air Quality Database v8.0 (2026), read from the published spreadsheet on 2026-08-28: pm25_concentration = 9.177 µg/m³ at 98% temporal coverage, reference "European Environmental Agency", WHO footprint population 670,215. The row lists four stations (two urban background, one suburban background and one urban traffic), but that count covers all three pollutants the row reports: the EEA's validated 2024 PM2.5 statistics, queried on 2026-09-24, hold three stations assigned to Nice — FR24036 "NICE ARSON" (urban background, 9.257 µg/m³ at 97.67% coverage) and FR24035 "NICE PROMENADE" (urban traffic, 9.348 at 95.80%) in Nice itself, and FR24009 "CANNES BROUSSAILLES" (urban background, 8.916 at 99.08%) in Cannes, 26.6 km from this city's recorded coordinates. Their mean is 9.174, 0.003 below the WHO value, and their coverages average 97.5%; the EEA statistics served on 2026-09-24 carry a calculation date of 2026-09-22, later than the WHO file's sheet date of 2026-06-28. Reference year 2024 — the latest year this database carries a full-year PM2.5 figure for this city, and the year already used by the other European cities in this dataset. Identity checked against the row's own station centroid, which lies 11.7 km from this city's recorded coordinates — the file contains near-miss names such as "Playa Del Ingles/ESP" and "Porto Empedocle/ITA", so the check is not a formality.
Notes
WHO gives the footprint population as 670,215 against the 357,737 commune figure recorded on this page, and the station centroid sits 11.7 km from the city coordinates, so the row describes the agglomeration rather than the commune. Coverage is good (98%) and the station mix is background-weighted, so the figure should read close to general urban exposure. Preceding years in the same series: 2020 9.63 (97%), 2021 9.96 (99%), 2022 10.56 (98%), 2023 9.45 (97%).
05English proficiency
Marseille
Moderate

EF EPI 2025 — France (score 539, rank 38/123, Moderate band)

Research

Data as of
Nov 1, 2025
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Notes
Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): France score 539, global rank 38, 'Moderate' band (EF cutoffs: Moderate 500–549), up 11 places and +15 points vs 2024. English is workable in Paris tech/expat circles and tourism-facing Côte d'Azur, but French is essential for administration, most workplaces, and daily life — France sits below the very-high Northern-European tier.
Nice
Moderate

EF EPI 2025 — France (score 539, rank 38/123, Moderate band)

Research

Data as of
Nov 1, 2025
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Notes
Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): France score 539, global rank 38, 'Moderate' band (EF cutoffs: Moderate 500–549), up 11 places and +15 points vs 2024. English is workable in Paris tech/expat circles and tourism-facing Côte d'Azur, but French is essential for administration, most workplaces, and daily life — France sits below the very-high Northern-European tier.

Money & crypto

Optimising tax, banking and crypto rules.

A close call for this plan

01Crypto regulation
Marseille
Legal regulated

impots.gouv.fr — Plus-values sur cessions d'actifs numériques (cryptomonnaies); AMF/MiCA CASP regime

Official source

Data as of
Jan 1, 2026
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Notes
Legal and regulated. Capital gains on digital assets for private/occasional investors are taxed at the flat PFU — 31.4% from 1 Jan 2026 (12.8% income tax + 18.6% social levies; the social part rose from 17.2% when the 2026 Social Security law lifted CSG on capital income 9.2%→10.6%), with the option to elect the progressive scale instead (since 2023). Total annual disposals ≤ €305 are exempt. Crypto-asset service providers authorise as CASPs under the EU MiCA regulation (the former AMF 'PSAN' regime from the 2019 PACTE law), with the AMF as competent authority.
Nice
Legal regulated

impots.gouv.fr — Plus-values sur cessions d'actifs numériques (cryptomonnaies); AMF/MiCA CASP regime

Official source

Data as of
Jan 1, 2026
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Notes
Legal and regulated. Capital gains on digital assets for private/occasional investors are taxed at the flat PFU — 31.4% from 1 Jan 2026 (12.8% income tax + 18.6% social levies; the social part rose from 17.2% when the 2026 Social Security law lifted CSG on capital income 9.2%→10.6%), with the option to elect the progressive scale instead (since 2023). Total annual disposals ≤ €305 are exempt. Crypto-asset service providers authorise as CASPs under the EU MiCA regulation (the former AMF 'PSAN' regime from the 2019 PACTE law), with the AMF as competent authority.
02Financial control level
Marseille
Low

Service-Public / economie.gouv.fr — Paiement en espèces (plafond); Code monétaire et financier art. D112-3

Official source

Data as of
Sep 1, 2015
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Method
Composite: France uses the euro, fully convertible, with EU free movement of capital and NO exchange/capital controls. The main constraint is a cash-payment cap — a French tax resident may pay at most €1,000 in cash to a professional (since Sept 2015; non-resident tourists up to €15,000); cash between private individuals is unlimited (written proof required above €1,500). The EU Anti-Money-Laundering Regulation adds an EU-wide €10,000 cash cap from 2027. Non-resident banking is available with standard KYC. These are ordinary AML measures, not capital controls → 'low'.
Nice
Low

Service-Public / economie.gouv.fr — Paiement en espèces (plafond); Code monétaire et financier art. D112-3

Official source

Data as of
Sep 1, 2015
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Method
Composite: France uses the euro, fully convertible, with EU free movement of capital and NO exchange/capital controls. The main constraint is a cash-payment cap — a French tax resident may pay at most €1,000 in cash to a professional (since Sept 2015; non-resident tourists up to €15,000); cash between private individuals is unlimited (written proof required above €1,500). The EU Anti-Money-Laundering Regulation adds an EU-wide €10,000 cash cap from 2027. Non-resident banking is available with standard KYC. These are ordinary AML measures, not capital controls → 'low'.
03Freelancer tax burden
Marseille
34.1%

SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (URSSAF micro-social, impots.gouv.fr barème, Service-Public)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Jan 1, 2026
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Method
Best eligible scheme at €60,000 turnover, single (1 part) = micro-entrepreneur (micro-BNC, scheme fr-micro-bnc): micro-social 25.6% = 15,360; CFP 0.2% = 120; income tax on 66% of turnover (34% allowance) = 39,600 → 11%/30% bands = 4,984. Levies 20,464 → 34.1%. The versement libératoire (28% flat) is blocked at €60k by the RFR cap; a SASU all-dividend chain runs ≈43.7%.
Nice
34.1%

SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (URSSAF micro-social, impots.gouv.fr barème, Service-Public)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Jan 1, 2026
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Method
Best eligible scheme at €60,000 turnover, single (1 part) = micro-entrepreneur (micro-BNC, scheme fr-micro-bnc): micro-social 25.6% = 15,360; CFP 0.2% = 120; income tax on 66% of turnover (34% allowance) = 39,600 → 11%/30% bands = 4,984. Levies 20,464 → 34.1%. The versement libératoire (28% flat) is blocked at €60k by the RFR cap; a SASU all-dividend chain runs ≈43.7%.

Calm lifestyle

Prioritising safety, air, and an easy daily life.

Nice fits better — 2 of 4

01Homicide rate
Marseille
1.28/100k

Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (crim_off_cat, ICCS0101, unit P_HTHAB)

Open data

Data as of
Dec 31, 2024
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Notes
Police-recorded intentional homicide, 2024 (value 1.28; 2023 was 1.30). Dataset last updated by Eurostat 2026-04-29; cross-checked against decoding the full crim_off_cat matrix. Moderate by European standards — above the safest EU states (Austria 0.85) but well below the global average.
Nice
1.28/100k

Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (crim_off_cat, ICCS0101, unit P_HTHAB)

Open data

Data as of
Dec 31, 2024
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Notes
Police-recorded intentional homicide, 2024 (value 1.28; 2023 was 1.30). Dataset last updated by Eurostat 2026-04-29; cross-checked against decoding the full crim_off_cat matrix. Moderate by European standards — above the safest EU states (Austria 0.85) but well below the global average.
02Air quality (PM2.5)
Marseille
9.4 µg/m³

European Environment Agency — Air Quality Statistics (E1a validated), Marseille stations FR03043 "MARSEILLE 5 AVENUES", FR03006 "MARSEILLE RABATAU" and FR03014 "MARSEILLE ST LOUIS"

Open data

Data as of
Dec 31, 2024
Verified
Sep 24, 2026
Method
Mean of the validated (E1a, verification flag 1) 2024 annual PM2.5 means at the three stations the EEA assigns to Marseille, queried from the EEA statistics service on 2026-09-24: FR03043 "MARSEILLE 5 AVENUES" (urban background, 2.2 km from the Hôtel de Ville) 8.604 µg/m³ at 96.12% coverage; FR03006 "MARSEILLE RABATAU" (urban traffic, 3.2 km from the Hôtel de Ville) 10.496 µg/m³ at 96.79% coverage; FR03014 "MARSEILLE ST LOUIS" (urban background, 5.8 km from the Hôtel de Ville) 8.969 µg/m³ at 98.93% coverage. (8.604 + 10.496 + 8.969) / 3 = 9.36. The WHO Ambient Air Quality Database v8.0 (2026) gives Marseille 9.357 µg/m³ for 2024 at 97% coverage; the three stations' mean is 9.356 and their coverages average 97.3%. The WHO row counts four stations because its count covers all three pollutants it reports — the fourth, a suburban background site, has no 2024 PM2.5 mean in the EEA statistics.
Notes
Two background stations and one traffic station, all inside the city. The EEA held no validated 2025 PM2.5 statistics for France on 2026-09-24. The WHO series for Marseille reads 9.78 (2020), 10.53 (2021), 11.73 (2022) and 10.93 (2023). About twice the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³, and just under the EU limit of 10 that applies from 2030.
Nicestronger
9.2 µg/m³

WHO Ambient Air Quality Database 2026 (v8.0), Nice/FRA — original data European Environment Agency, Air Quality Statistics

Open data

Data as of
Dec 31, 2024
Verified
Aug 28, 2026
Method
Row Nice/FRA, year 2024, of the WHO Ambient Air Quality Database v8.0 (2026), read from the published spreadsheet on 2026-08-28: pm25_concentration = 9.177 µg/m³ at 98% temporal coverage, reference "European Environmental Agency", WHO footprint population 670,215. The row lists four stations (two urban background, one suburban background and one urban traffic), but that count covers all three pollutants the row reports: the EEA's validated 2024 PM2.5 statistics, queried on 2026-09-24, hold three stations assigned to Nice — FR24036 "NICE ARSON" (urban background, 9.257 µg/m³ at 97.67% coverage) and FR24035 "NICE PROMENADE" (urban traffic, 9.348 at 95.80%) in Nice itself, and FR24009 "CANNES BROUSSAILLES" (urban background, 8.916 at 99.08%) in Cannes, 26.6 km from this city's recorded coordinates. Their mean is 9.174, 0.003 below the WHO value, and their coverages average 97.5%; the EEA statistics served on 2026-09-24 carry a calculation date of 2026-09-22, later than the WHO file's sheet date of 2026-06-28. Reference year 2024 — the latest year this database carries a full-year PM2.5 figure for this city, and the year already used by the other European cities in this dataset. Identity checked against the row's own station centroid, which lies 11.7 km from this city's recorded coordinates — the file contains near-miss names such as "Playa Del Ingles/ESP" and "Porto Empedocle/ITA", so the check is not a formality.
Notes
WHO gives the footprint population as 670,215 against the 357,737 commune figure recorded on this page, and the station centroid sits 11.7 km from the city coordinates, so the row describes the agglomeration rather than the commune. Coverage is good (98%) and the station mix is background-weighted, so the figure should read close to general urban exposure. Preceding years in the same series: 2020 9.63 (97%), 2021 9.96 (99%), 2022 10.56 (98%), 2023 9.45 (97%).
03Cost of living (single, excl. rent)
Marseille
$1,816/mo

INSEE — La consommation des ménages en 2024 (Insee Première 2056, dépense de consommation finale par fonction COICOP)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Dec 31, 2024
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Method
INSEE national-accounts household final consumption by COICOP, 2024. Functions sum to €1,543.8B on-territory; subtract housing rentals (actual €77.0B + imputed €220.7B = €297.7B) → €1,246.1B non-rent. Per-capita on the household basis (to match peers): ÷ 31.377M households (Jan 2024) ÷ avg size 2.14 ÷ 12 = €1,546/capita/mo (2024). CPI-uplift mid-2024→mid-2026 ×1.030 = €1,593/mo. ×1.1399 USD/EUR = $1,816/mo. Per-capita basis to match Czechia/Spain/Austria; a lone single-person household spends materially more.
Nice
$1,816/mo

INSEE — La consommation des ménages en 2024 (Insee Première 2056, dépense de consommation finale par fonction COICOP)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Dec 31, 2024
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Method
INSEE national-accounts household final consumption by COICOP, 2024. Functions sum to €1,543.8B on-territory; subtract housing rentals (actual €77.0B + imputed €220.7B = €297.7B) → €1,246.1B non-rent. Per-capita on the household basis (to match peers): ÷ 31.377M households (Jan 2024) ÷ avg size 2.14 ÷ 12 = €1,546/capita/mo (2024). CPI-uplift mid-2024→mid-2026 ×1.030 = €1,593/mo. ×1.1399 USD/EUR = $1,816/mo. Per-capita basis to match Czechia/Spain/Austria; a lone single-person household spends materially more.
04Climate comfort
Marseille
7/12 mo

SettleMetric computation over climate-normals (WMO 1991–2020, Marignane 07650)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Dec 31, 2020
Verified
Sep 24, 2026
Method
Months whose mean daily maximum is between 15 and 28 °C and whose precipitation is under 150 mm: Mar (16.4 °C), Apr (19.3), May (23.5), Jun (27.9), Sep (25.9), Oct (21.3), Nov (15.7) = 7. July (30.7) and August (30.5) are excluded as too hot, December (12.4), January (11.8) and February (12.8) as too cold. The precipitation test excludes nothing: the wettest month is September at 82.0 mm.
Notes
June qualifies by 0.1 °C. The count is taken at the airport station, about 20 km from the centre.
Nicestronger
9/12 mo

SettleMetric computation over climate-normals (NOAA/WMO 1991–2020, WMO 07690)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Dec 31, 2020
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Method
Months with mean daily max 15–28°C and precipitation < 150mm: Mar (15.4), Apr (17.4), May (21.0), Jun (24.7), Jul (27.5), Aug (27.9), Sep (24.8), Oct (21.0), Nov (17.0) = 9. Jan (13.3), Feb (13.5) and Dec (14.1) miss on the 15°C floor; no month exceeds the 28°C ceiling (Aug peaks 27.9) or the 150mm rain cap (wettest Nov 138.4). Nice scores high thanks to a long, maritime-moderated warm season.

03

The full comparison

Open any fact to see what it measures, how fresh it is and the complete source trail for both cities.

01

Taxes

1 verified fact
01+−Freelancer tax burden% effective burden at €60k/year self-employed profileMarseille34.1Nice34.1

What this measures

Effective total burden (income tax + mandatory social and health contributions) for a solo IT freelancer with €60,000/year revenue and 10% deductible expenses, using the most favourable eligible scheme in the country's tax-schemes data. Computed by the SettleMetric tax engine; recorded as a curated value with the winning scheme id in method.

Lower is better· % effective burden at €60k/year self-employed profile· re-verified every 365 days

Marseille

SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (URSSAF micro-social, impots.gouv.fr barème, Service-Public)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Jan 1, 2026
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Method
Best eligible scheme at €60,000 turnover, single (1 part) = micro-entrepreneur (micro-BNC, scheme fr-micro-bnc): micro-social 25.6% = 15,360; CFP 0.2% = 120; income tax on 66% of turnover (34% allowance) = 39,600 → 11%/30% bands = 4,984. Levies 20,464 → 34.1%. The versement libératoire (28% flat) is blocked at €60k by the RFR cap; a SASU all-dividend chain runs ≈43.7%.

Nice

SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (URSSAF micro-social, impots.gouv.fr barème, Service-Public)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Jan 1, 2026
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Method
Best eligible scheme at €60,000 turnover, single (1 part) = micro-entrepreneur (micro-BNC, scheme fr-micro-bnc): micro-social 25.6% = 15,360; CFP 0.2% = 120; income tax on 66% of turnover (34% allowance) = 39,600 → 11%/30% bands = 4,984. Levies 20,464 → 34.1%. The versement libératoire (28% flat) is blocked at €60k by the RFR cap; a SASU all-dividend chain runs ≈43.7%.

02

Legalization

1 verified fact
01+−Remote-work legalization easeMarseilleLong stay pathNiceLong stay path

What this measures

Best available legalization route for a location-independent earner with a median (non-EU, non-US) passport, classified from this country's legalization-paths data: dedicated digital-nomad visa; general freelance/self-employment permit; realistic long-stay path (e.g. renewable temporary residence); only short visa-free/tourist stays; effectively none.

Rated by category· re-verified every 180 days

Marseille

France-Visas — official visa wizard (no dedicated remote-work/digital-nomad visa; self-employment via Passeport Talent / profession libérale)

Official source

Data as of
Jul 14, 2026
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Notes
France has no dedicated digital-nomad or remote-work visa. The long-stay visitor visa (VLS-TS visiteur) forbids any professional activity, so it does not fit an actively-earning remote worker. Non-EU self-employed freelancers use the 'entrepreneur/profession libérale' long-stay visa or the Passeport Talent (for qualifying founders/investors/highly-skilled). EU/EEA/Swiss citizens work and freelance freely with no permit. Classified 'long-stay-path'.

Nice

France-Visas — official visa wizard (no dedicated remote-work/digital-nomad visa; self-employment via Passeport Talent / profession libérale)

Official source

Data as of
Jul 14, 2026
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Notes
France has no dedicated digital-nomad or remote-work visa. The long-stay visitor visa (VLS-TS visiteur) forbids any professional activity, so it does not fit an actively-earning remote worker. Non-EU self-employed freelancers use the 'entrepreneur/profession libérale' long-stay visa or the Passeport Talent (for qualifying founders/investors/highly-skilled). EU/EEA/Swiss citizens work and freelance freely with no permit. Classified 'long-stay-path'.

03

Cost of living

1 verified fact
01+−Cost of living (single, excl. rent)USD/month, single person, excluding rentMarseille1,816Nice1,816

What this measures

Monthly cost of a defined single-person basket (food, transport, utilities, mobile+internet, modest leisure) excluding rent, curated from national statistics office price data and large local retailers' published prices, converted to USD at the ECB rate recorded in fx-rates. The method field of each value itemizes the basket inputs.

Lower is better· USD/month, single person, excluding rent· re-verified every 365 days

Marseille

INSEE — La consommation des ménages en 2024 (Insee Première 2056, dépense de consommation finale par fonction COICOP)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Dec 31, 2024
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Method
INSEE national-accounts household final consumption by COICOP, 2024. Functions sum to €1,543.8B on-territory; subtract housing rentals (actual €77.0B + imputed €220.7B = €297.7B) → €1,246.1B non-rent. Per-capita on the household basis (to match peers): ÷ 31.377M households (Jan 2024) ÷ avg size 2.14 ÷ 12 = €1,546/capita/mo (2024). CPI-uplift mid-2024→mid-2026 ×1.030 = €1,593/mo. ×1.1399 USD/EUR = $1,816/mo. Per-capita basis to match Czechia/Spain/Austria; a lone single-person household spends materially more.

Nice

INSEE — La consommation des ménages en 2024 (Insee Première 2056, dépense de consommation finale par fonction COICOP)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Dec 31, 2024
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Method
INSEE national-accounts household final consumption by COICOP, 2024. Functions sum to €1,543.8B on-territory; subtract housing rentals (actual €77.0B + imputed €220.7B = €297.7B) → €1,246.1B non-rent. Per-capita on the household basis (to match peers): ÷ 31.377M households (Jan 2024) ÷ avg size 2.14 ÷ 12 = €1,546/capita/mo (2024). CPI-uplift mid-2024→mid-2026 ×1.030 = €1,593/mo. ×1.1399 USD/EUR = $1,816/mo. Per-capita basis to match Czechia/Spain/Austria; a lone single-person household spends materially more.
Monthly spending by category (national, excl. rent)

INSEE — La consommation des ménages en 2024 (Insee Première 2056, COICOP functional breakdown)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Dec 31, 2024
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Method
Each INSEE 2024 COICOP function (€B/yr) → per-capita USD/mo by ÷ 31.377M households ÷ 2.14 ÷ 12 then ×1.030 CPI uplift ×1.1399 FX. Housing (04) shown net of rent (actual + imputed rents excluded). Items sum ≈ $1,814 ≈ the $1,816 headline. Health is households' out-of-pocket/non-reimbursed only — France's universal Assurance Maladie plus near-universal mutuelles cover most care, so this line is structurally low.
total1,814 USD/mo
Transport283 USD
Food & non-alcoholic beverages273 USD
Restaurants & hotels191 USD
Housing (water, energy, maintenance — excl. rent)185 USD
Insurance & financial services182 USD
Recreation, sport & culture158 USD
Other goods & services (personal care, social protection, misc.)138 USD
Health (out-of-pocket & non-reimbursed)85 USD
Furnishings & household equipment84 USD
Information & communication80 USD
Alcoholic beverages & tobacco74 USD
Clothing & footwear65 USD
Education16 USD

04

Housing

0 verified facts

Rent by apartment type

Asking rent, central price with outside-centre in parentheses ($/mo).

Marseille

ANIL — 'Carte des loyers' 2025, asking-rent indicators by commune and arrondissement (estimates from Groupe SeLoger and leboncoin listings), Marseille 1st–16th arrondissements

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Sep 30, 2025
Verified
Sep 24, 2026
Method
« Estimations ANIL, à partir des données du Groupe SeLoger et de leboncoin »: the 2025 edition of the ministry's rent map, published on data.gouv.fr on 11 December 2025 and read on 2026-09-24, models for each of Marseille's sixteen arrondissements the asking rent per m² per month, charges included, of an unfurnished flat let in the third quarter of 2025 — one series for 1–2-room flats (reference 37 m²) and one for flats of 3 rooms or more (72 m²). Centre = the 1st, 2nd, 6th and 7th arrondissements, a judgement (the Hôtel de Ville is in the 2nd); outside = the other twelve. Each group is the mean of its arrondissements weighted by the listings behind each estimate: 1–2 rooms €18.789/m² centre (25,384 listings) and €18.523 outside (60,840); 3 rooms or more €15.532 centre (14,173) and €14.811 outside (47,758). Studio and 1br take the 1–2-room rate, 2br and 3br the 3-room-plus rate, times the floor areas used for Paris and Nice (studio 30, 1br 40, 2br 60, 3br 85 m²), converted at the ECB reference rate in data/fx-rates.json (EUR 1 = USD 1.1534, 2026-08-13): studio $650 / $641, 1br $867 / $855, 2br $1,075 / $1,025, 3br $1,523 / $1,452.
Notes
The centre is barely dearer than the rest of Marseille, because the city divides north–south more than centre–edge: among 1–2-room flats the 1st arrondissement (€17.01/m²) is as cheap as the 3rd (€17.02) and cheaper than the northern 14th (€17.40) — only the northern 15th is cheaper still (€16.16) — while the southern 7th, 8th and 9th reach €20.64, €20.38 and €19.95. MODELLED ASKING RENTS, charges included and unfurnished — the basis Nice uses; studios read low because the 1–2-room rate is modelled on a 37 m² flat. Marseille is not on service-public.gouv.fr's list of communes under rent control (encadrement des loyers), read on 2026-09-24.
Nice

ANIL / Ministère de la Transition écologique — 'Carte des loyers' 2025 (loyers d'annonce par commune), commune de Nice 06088; center/outside spread from Observatoire des Loyers de la Côte d'Azur (ADIL 06) 2024

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Sep 30, 2025
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Method
Official anchor: Carte des loyers 2025 (asking rents / 'loyers d'annonce', charges comprises) gives Nice apartments 20.43 €/m²/month commune-wide. No official source publishes an intra-Nice center/outside asking grid, so a curated ±~10% split is applied: center (Carré d'Or / centre-ville / Promenade) = 22 €/m², outer districts = 18 €/m² — informed by the Observatoire des Loyers 06 zone spread and SeLoger's Nice asking range (15–28 €/m², avg ~20). Cells = €/m² × typical surface (studio 30, 1br 40, 2br 60, 3br 85 m²) × 1.1399 USD/EUR. The 20.43 figure is the 2025 edition's (published 11 December 2025, lettings of the third quarter of 2025); until 2026-09-24 this fact was labelled with the 2024 edition, which gives Nice 19.50 €/m².
Notes
DERIVED matrix. The directly-sourced input is the commune-wide 20.43 €/m² asking figure (charges comprises); the center/outside split and the per-type cells are curated using typical French apartment surfaces and a documented zone premium/discount. A flat €/m² per location is applied — small units (studios) really command a higher €/m² than large ones, so studio cells are conservative and 3br cells slightly high. Charges-comprises asking rents sit above observatoire observed (net-of-charges) medians.
01Studio
Marseillecheaper
$650$641 outside
Nice
$752$616 outside
021-bedroom
Marseillecheaper
$867$855 outside
Nice
$1,003$821 outside
032-bedroom
Marseillecheaper
$1,075$1,025 outside
Nice
$1,505$1,231 outside
043-bedroom
Marseillecheaper
$1,523$1,452 outside
Nice
$2,132$1,744 outside

05

Safety

1 verified fact
01+−Homicide rateintentional homicides per 100,000/yearMarseille1.3Nice1.3

What this measures

Intentional homicide victims per 100,000 population, latest available year. Country level: UNODC national series. City level: official municipal/police statistics where published; otherwise null (country value shown as country-level).

Lower is better· intentional homicides per 100,000/year· re-verified every 730 days

Marseille

Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (crim_off_cat, ICCS0101, unit P_HTHAB)

Open data

Data as of
Dec 31, 2024
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Notes
Police-recorded intentional homicide, 2024 (value 1.28; 2023 was 1.30). Dataset last updated by Eurostat 2026-04-29; cross-checked against decoding the full crim_off_cat matrix. Moderate by European standards — above the safest EU states (Austria 0.85) but well below the global average.

Nice

Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (crim_off_cat, ICCS0101, unit P_HTHAB)

Open data

Data as of
Dec 31, 2024
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Notes
Police-recorded intentional homicide, 2024 (value 1.28; 2023 was 1.30). Dataset last updated by Eurostat 2026-04-29; cross-checked against decoding the full crim_off_cat matrix. Moderate by European standards — above the safest EU states (Austria 0.85) but well below the global average.

06

Climate

2 verified facts
01+−Climate comfortpleasant months/yearMarseille7Nicestronger9

What this measures

Number of months whose 1991–2020 climate normals satisfy: mean daily maximum between 15°C and 28°C and monthly precipitation under 150mm. Computed from the city's climate-normals indicator; the raw normals are stored alongside so users can judge by their own taste.

Higher is better· pleasant months/year· re-verified every 3650 days

Marseille

SettleMetric computation over climate-normals (WMO 1991–2020, Marignane 07650)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Dec 31, 2020
Verified
Sep 24, 2026
Method
Months whose mean daily maximum is between 15 and 28 °C and whose precipitation is under 150 mm: Mar (16.4 °C), Apr (19.3), May (23.5), Jun (27.9), Sep (25.9), Oct (21.3), Nov (15.7) = 7. July (30.7) and August (30.5) are excluded as too hot, December (12.4), January (11.8) and February (12.8) as too cold. The precipitation test excludes nothing: the wettest month is September at 82.0 mm.
Notes
June qualifies by 0.1 °C. The count is taken at the airport station, about 20 km from the centre.

Nice

SettleMetric computation over climate-normals (NOAA/WMO 1991–2020, WMO 07690)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Dec 31, 2020
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Method
Months with mean daily max 15–28°C and precipitation < 150mm: Mar (15.4), Apr (17.4), May (21.0), Jun (24.7), Jul (27.5), Aug (27.9), Sep (24.8), Oct (21.0), Nov (17.0) = 9. Jan (13.3), Feb (13.5) and Dec (14.1) miss on the 15°C floor; no month exceeds the 28°C ceiling (Aug peaks 27.9) or the 150mm rain cap (wettest Nov 138.4). Nice scores high thanks to a long, maritime-moderated warm season.
02+−Air quality (PM2.5)µg/m³, annual mean PM2.5Marseille9.4Nicestronger9.2

What this measures

Annual mean fine-particulate (PM2.5) concentration for the city, latest available year. Anchors follow the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³ → 10) through the EU limit value territory (25 µg/m³ → 2). Preferred source: European Environment Agency city-level air quality data; outside Europe: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database or the national monitoring network.

Lower is better· µg/m³, annual mean PM2.5· re-verified every 730 days

Marseille

European Environment Agency — Air Quality Statistics (E1a validated), Marseille stations FR03043 "MARSEILLE 5 AVENUES", FR03006 "MARSEILLE RABATAU" and FR03014 "MARSEILLE ST LOUIS"

Open data

Data as of
Dec 31, 2024
Verified
Sep 24, 2026
Method
Mean of the validated (E1a, verification flag 1) 2024 annual PM2.5 means at the three stations the EEA assigns to Marseille, queried from the EEA statistics service on 2026-09-24: FR03043 "MARSEILLE 5 AVENUES" (urban background, 2.2 km from the Hôtel de Ville) 8.604 µg/m³ at 96.12% coverage; FR03006 "MARSEILLE RABATAU" (urban traffic, 3.2 km from the Hôtel de Ville) 10.496 µg/m³ at 96.79% coverage; FR03014 "MARSEILLE ST LOUIS" (urban background, 5.8 km from the Hôtel de Ville) 8.969 µg/m³ at 98.93% coverage. (8.604 + 10.496 + 8.969) / 3 = 9.36. The WHO Ambient Air Quality Database v8.0 (2026) gives Marseille 9.357 µg/m³ for 2024 at 97% coverage; the three stations' mean is 9.356 and their coverages average 97.3%. The WHO row counts four stations because its count covers all three pollutants it reports — the fourth, a suburban background site, has no 2024 PM2.5 mean in the EEA statistics.
Notes
Two background stations and one traffic station, all inside the city. The EEA held no validated 2025 PM2.5 statistics for France on 2026-09-24. The WHO series for Marseille reads 9.78 (2020), 10.53 (2021), 11.73 (2022) and 10.93 (2023). About twice the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³, and just under the EU limit of 10 that applies from 2030.

Nice

WHO Ambient Air Quality Database 2026 (v8.0), Nice/FRA — original data European Environment Agency, Air Quality Statistics

Open data

Data as of
Dec 31, 2024
Verified
Aug 28, 2026
Method
Row Nice/FRA, year 2024, of the WHO Ambient Air Quality Database v8.0 (2026), read from the published spreadsheet on 2026-08-28: pm25_concentration = 9.177 µg/m³ at 98% temporal coverage, reference "European Environmental Agency", WHO footprint population 670,215. The row lists four stations (two urban background, one suburban background and one urban traffic), but that count covers all three pollutants the row reports: the EEA's validated 2024 PM2.5 statistics, queried on 2026-09-24, hold three stations assigned to Nice — FR24036 "NICE ARSON" (urban background, 9.257 µg/m³ at 97.67% coverage) and FR24035 "NICE PROMENADE" (urban traffic, 9.348 at 95.80%) in Nice itself, and FR24009 "CANNES BROUSSAILLES" (urban background, 8.916 at 99.08%) in Cannes, 26.6 km from this city's recorded coordinates. Their mean is 9.174, 0.003 below the WHO value, and their coverages average 97.5%; the EEA statistics served on 2026-09-24 carry a calculation date of 2026-09-22, later than the WHO file's sheet date of 2026-06-28. Reference year 2024 — the latest year this database carries a full-year PM2.5 figure for this city, and the year already used by the other European cities in this dataset. Identity checked against the row's own station centroid, which lies 11.7 km from this city's recorded coordinates — the file contains near-miss names such as "Playa Del Ingles/ESP" and "Porto Empedocle/ITA", so the check is not a formality.
Notes
WHO gives the footprint population as 670,215 against the 357,737 commune figure recorded on this page, and the station centroid sits 11.7 km from the city coordinates, so the row describes the agglomeration rather than the commune. Coverage is good (98%) and the station mix is background-weighted, so the figure should read close to general urban exposure. Preceding years in the same series: 2020 9.63 (97%), 2021 9.96 (99%), 2022 10.56 (98%), 2023 9.45 (97%).

07

Healthcare

1 verified fact
01+−Private healthcare costUSD/year, comprehensive private insurance premium, healthy 35-year-oldMarseille821Nice821

What this measures

Median of at least three publicly quoted annual premiums for comprehensive private medical insurance (outpatient + inpatient, ~$100k coverage, small deductible) for a healthy 35-year-old resident foreigner, from local and international insurers. Method field lists the insurers quoted.

Lower is better· USD/year, comprehensive private insurance premium, healthy 35-year-old· re-verified every 365 days

Marseille

Curated from French mutuelle comparateur data (goodassur 48,082-quote July 2026 dataset; Selectra tariff study)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Jul 1, 2026
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Method
France has universal public health cover (Assurance Maladie, ~70% reimbursement) topped up by a COMPLEMENTARY private 'mutuelle santé' — supplementary, not full-replacement. Mutuelle pricing is age-banded, not health-rated. Market data (goodassur, 48,082 individual quotes, July 2026): age 25–34 avg €68.98/mo, 35–44 avg €90.68/mo; a mid-market intermediate plan for a healthy 35-year-old ≈ €60/mo = €720/yr → $821/yr at 1.1399. Range ≈ €35/mo ($479/yr) to ≈ €90/mo ($1,231/yr).
Notes
A supplementary top-up on the mandatory public system, not a full private replacement policy (like Austria's Sonderklasse). ~95%+ of residents carry a mutuelle; employees usually get a subsidised group contract (employer pays ≥50%), so this individually-purchased premium is the situation of a freelancer/self-employed person. Mid-market monthly range ≈ €50–70.

Nice

Curated from French mutuelle comparateur data (goodassur 48,082-quote July 2026 dataset; Selectra tariff study)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Jul 1, 2026
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Method
France has universal public health cover (Assurance Maladie, ~70% reimbursement) topped up by a COMPLEMENTARY private 'mutuelle santé' — supplementary, not full-replacement. Mutuelle pricing is age-banded, not health-rated. Market data (goodassur, 48,082 individual quotes, July 2026): age 25–34 avg €68.98/mo, 35–44 avg €90.68/mo; a mid-market intermediate plan for a healthy 35-year-old ≈ €60/mo = €720/yr → $821/yr at 1.1399. Range ≈ €35/mo ($479/yr) to ≈ €90/mo ($1,231/yr).
Notes
A supplementary top-up on the mandatory public system, not a full private replacement policy (like Austria's Sonderklasse). ~95%+ of residents carry a mutuelle; employees usually get a subsidised group contract (employer pays ≥50%), so this individually-purchased premium is the situation of a freelancer/self-employed person. Mid-market monthly range ≈ €50–70.

08

Money & crypto

2 verified facts
01+−Crypto regulationMarseilleLegal regulatedNiceLegal regulated

What this measures

Own classification of the legal status of holding, trading and cashing out cryptocurrency for individuals: legal-friendly (legal with clear, favourable rules or explicit tax exemptions), legal-regulated (legal under standard licensing/AML and taxation), restricted (partial bans: payments or banking access prohibited), banned (holding/trading prohibited). Classified from national regulators' and central banks' official positions.

Rated by category· re-verified every 180 days

Marseille

impots.gouv.fr — Plus-values sur cessions d'actifs numériques (cryptomonnaies); AMF/MiCA CASP regime

Official source

Data as of
Jan 1, 2026
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Notes
Legal and regulated. Capital gains on digital assets for private/occasional investors are taxed at the flat PFU — 31.4% from 1 Jan 2026 (12.8% income tax + 18.6% social levies; the social part rose from 17.2% when the 2026 Social Security law lifted CSG on capital income 9.2%→10.6%), with the option to elect the progressive scale instead (since 2023). Total annual disposals ≤ €305 are exempt. Crypto-asset service providers authorise as CASPs under the EU MiCA regulation (the former AMF 'PSAN' regime from the 2019 PACTE law), with the AMF as competent authority.

Nice

impots.gouv.fr — Plus-values sur cessions d'actifs numériques (cryptomonnaies); AMF/MiCA CASP regime

Official source

Data as of
Jan 1, 2026
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Notes
Legal and regulated. Capital gains on digital assets for private/occasional investors are taxed at the flat PFU — 31.4% from 1 Jan 2026 (12.8% income tax + 18.6% social levies; the social part rose from 17.2% when the 2026 Social Security law lifted CSG on capital income 9.2%→10.6%), with the option to elect the progressive scale instead (since 2023). Total annual disposals ≤ €305 are exempt. Crypto-asset service providers authorise as CASPs under the EU MiCA regulation (the former AMF 'PSAN' regime from the 2019 PACTE law), with the AMF as competent authority.
02+−Financial control levelMarseilleLowNiceLow

What this measures

Own composite of state control over personal money flows: currency/capital controls (IMF AREAER), restrictions on foreign accounts and transfers, mandatory income declaration scope for residents, cash payment limits, banking access for foreigners. Low = free movement of personal funds and easy non-resident banking; very-high = strict capital controls and pervasive reporting. Method field on each value lists the inputs used.

Rated by category· re-verified every 365 days

Marseille

Service-Public / economie.gouv.fr — Paiement en espèces (plafond); Code monétaire et financier art. D112-3

Official source

Data as of
Sep 1, 2015
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Method
Composite: France uses the euro, fully convertible, with EU free movement of capital and NO exchange/capital controls. The main constraint is a cash-payment cap — a French tax resident may pay at most €1,000 in cash to a professional (since Sept 2015; non-resident tourists up to €15,000); cash between private individuals is unlimited (written proof required above €1,500). The EU Anti-Money-Laundering Regulation adds an EU-wide €10,000 cash cap from 2027. Non-resident banking is available with standard KYC. These are ordinary AML measures, not capital controls → 'low'.

Nice

Service-Public / economie.gouv.fr — Paiement en espèces (plafond); Code monétaire et financier art. D112-3

Official source

Data as of
Sep 1, 2015
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Method
Composite: France uses the euro, fully convertible, with EU free movement of capital and NO exchange/capital controls. The main constraint is a cash-payment cap — a French tax resident may pay at most €1,000 in cash to a professional (since Sept 2015; non-resident tourists up to €15,000); cash between private individuals is unlimited (written proof required above €1,500). The EU Anti-Money-Laundering Regulation adds an EU-wide €10,000 cash cap from 2027. Non-resident banking is available with standard KYC. These are ordinary AML measures, not capital controls → 'low'.

09

Infrastructure

3 verified facts
01+−Domestic delivery qualityMarseilleExcellentNiceExcellent

What this measures

Quality of in-country parcel delivery. excellent = nationwide next-day widely available, dense parcel-locker network, real-time tracking standard; good = 1–3 day delivery, lockers in major cities; basic = reliable but slow (3–7 days), mostly to-door or post-office pickup; poor = unreliable delivery, street addresses often unusable, informal workarounds common. Classified from official service/coverage data of the national postal operator and the two largest private carriers; inputs itemized in each value's method field.

Rated by category· re-verified every 730 days

Marseille

La Poste / Colissimo (Pickup) and Mondial Relay network figures

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Jan 1, 2025
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Method
France has one of Europe's densest out-of-home parcel networks. Colissimo/Pickup: 26,000+ pickup points (≈17,500 relay points + ≈6,500 automatic lockers, incl. ≈4,500 24/7 Pickup Station lockers). Mondial Relay: ≈17,000 points (≈9,000 lockers + ≈8,000 relais). Plus Relais Colis, Chronopost, DPD, and La Poste home delivery ~6 days/week, with nationwide next-day/2-day standard options → 'excellent'.

Nice

La Poste / Colissimo (Pickup) and Mondial Relay network figures

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Jan 1, 2025
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Method
France has one of Europe's densest out-of-home parcel networks. Colissimo/Pickup: 26,000+ pickup points (≈17,500 relay points + ≈6,500 automatic lockers, incl. ≈4,500 24/7 Pickup Station lockers). Mondial Relay: ≈17,000 points (≈9,000 lockers + ≈8,000 relais). Plus Relais Colis, Chronopost, DPD, and La Poste home delivery ~6 days/week, with nationwide next-day/2-day standard options → 'excellent'.
02+−International delivery easeMarseilleMinor frictionNiceMinor friction

What this measures

Ease of receiving goods from abroad. seamless = major international carriers deliver door-to-door, meaningful duty-free de-minimis threshold, customs clearance predictable in days; minor-friction = carriers present but low de-minimis, extra paperwork or routine delays; significant-friction = frequent customs holds, high brokerage fees, some marketplaces refuse to ship; unreliable = parcels regularly lost or blocked, informal import channels dominate. De-minimis thresholds and clearance rules from the national customs authority (official source, cite the regulation); carrier presence from carriers' official pages.

Rated by category· re-verified every 365 days

Marseille

EU single market (free movement of goods) + European Commission removal of the €150 duty-free import threshold (from 1 July 2026)

Official source

Data as of
Jul 1, 2026
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Notes
Intra-EU shipping is frictionless (single market — most European cross-border parcels arrive like domestic ones). For non-EU imports the EU removed the €150 duty-free threshold and from 1 July 2026 applies a temporary flat customs duty per item on ≤€150 consignments (VAT already collected at checkout via IOSS since 2021). Predictable but no longer duty-free — the same EU regime as other member states.

Nice

EU single market (free movement of goods) + European Commission removal of the €150 duty-free import threshold (from 1 July 2026)

Official source

Data as of
Jul 1, 2026
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Notes
Intra-EU shipping is frictionless (single market — most European cross-border parcels arrive like domestic ones). For non-EU imports the EU removed the €150 duty-free threshold and from 1 July 2026 applies a temporary flat customs duty per item on ≤€150 consignments (VAT already collected at checkout via IOSS since 2021). Predictable but no longer duty-free — the same EU regime as other member states.
03+−Internet speedMbps, median fixed downloadMarseille51.4Nice51.4

What this measures

Median fixed-broadband download speed over the trailing 6 months from M-Lab NDT open data (CC0), aggregated at country or city level. Not comparable with Ookla figures (different test methodology) — do not mix sources within this criterion.

Higher is better· Mbps, median fixed download· re-verified every 365 days

Marseille

M-Lab NDT country aggregates for France

Open data

Data as of
Dec 31, 2023
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Method
Median of the 344 daily country-median download values for FR in 2023 (~10.47M download tests; daily medians ranged 24.9–61.1 Mbps). M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style or advertised figures (French fibre commonly markets 300–1000+ Mbps) — comparable only within this criterion. 2023 is the latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API.
Notes
France has extensive FTTH fibre coverage; the M-Lab single-stream median understates real-world line speeds and is used only for cross-country comparability on one consistent method.

Nice

M-Lab NDT country aggregates for France

Open data

Data as of
Dec 31, 2023
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Method
Median of the 344 daily country-median download values for FR in 2023 (~10.47M download tests; daily medians ranged 24.9–61.1 Mbps). M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style or advertised figures (French fibre commonly markets 300–1000+ Mbps) — comparable only within this criterion. 2023 is the latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API.
Notes
France has extensive FTTH fibre coverage; the M-Lab single-stream median understates real-world line speeds and is used only for cross-country comparability on one consistent method.

10

Language

1 verified fact
01+−English proficiencyMarseilleModerateNiceModerate

What this measures

Own banding of how far English gets a resident in daily life (government offices, healthcare, housing, services). Informed by EF EPI band (research source, cited with attribution, not republished) plus official language status and service-sector realities. Values are our bands, not EF scores.

Rated by category· re-verified every 730 days

Marseille

EF EPI 2025 — France (score 539, rank 38/123, Moderate band)

Research

Data as of
Nov 1, 2025
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Notes
Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): France score 539, global rank 38, 'Moderate' band (EF cutoffs: Moderate 500–549), up 11 places and +15 points vs 2024. English is workable in Paris tech/expat circles and tourism-facing Côte d'Azur, but French is essential for administration, most workplaces, and daily life — France sits below the very-high Northern-European tier.

Nice

EF EPI 2025 — France (score 539, rank 38/123, Moderate band)

Research

Data as of
Nov 1, 2025
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Notes
Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): France score 539, global rank 38, 'Moderate' band (EF cutoffs: Moderate 500–549), up 11 places and +15 points vs 2024. English is workable in Paris tech/expat circles and tourism-facing Côte d'Azur, but French is essential for administration, most workplaces, and daily life — France sits below the very-high Northern-European tier.

11

Education

1 verified fact
01+−International schoolsaccredited international schools, countMarseille1Nicestronger3

What this measures

Count of international schools in the metro area accredited by or member of IB, CIS, COBIS, or an equivalent national-curriculum-abroad body (verified against the accreditor's public registry, not aggregator sites).

Higher is better· accredited international schools, count· re-verified every 730 days

Marseille

IB World School profile (ibo.org, read through an Internet Archive snapshot) — International Bilingual School of Provence

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Sep 24, 2026
Verified
Sep 24, 2026
Method
Accreditor-verified: the International Bilingual School of Provence, 500 route de Bouc-Bel-Air, Luynes (commune of Aix-en-Provence), about 20 km north of the Hôtel de Ville — IB World School, school code 001386, Diploma Programme authorised 4 June 2002, per its IB profile as archived on 2025-10-13. Aix-en-Provence and Marseille both belong to the Aix-Marseille-Provence Métropole.
Notes
VERIFIED FLOOR, and the one school counted is outside the city. The International School of Marseille, in the 7th arrondissement, is described on school-search sites as offering the IB Diploma within the same school group, but no IB profile of its own could be found in the Internet Archive and ibo.org answered our requests with a Cloudflare challenge, so it is not counted. No Marseille-area school is in the CIS membership directory, and the nearest Accredited European School is in Manosque, outside the metro area. Cambridge International's school finder renders only in a browser, so Cambridge-registered schools could not be enumerated.

Nice

Accreditor registries (IB — ibo.org; Cambridge International; COBIS; CIS; MSA) — per-school verification for the Nice / Côte d'Azur area

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Jul 14, 2026
Verified
Jul 14, 2026
Method
Verified floor of 3, each tied to a named accreditor: (1) International School of Nice (Nice) — IB World School (full continuum), CIS + MSA accredited, the flagship English-medium IB school in Nice itself; (2) ICS Côte d'Azur (Sophia Antipolis / Valbonne, ~20 km SW) — IB World School, PYP since 2018, IB school code 049702; (3) Mougins British International School (Mougins, ~30 km SW) — British curriculum to IGCSE/A-Level via Cambridge International + Pearson Edexcel, COBIS member.
Notes
Conservative accreditor-verified floor. The Antibes/Mougins/Sophia-Antipolis/Valbonne cluster IS included (2 of the 3). Excluded: schools in Monaco (a separate sovereign state) and several Nice-area bilingual FR/EN private schools whose international accreditation could not be confirmed. Counting those would push the total well above 3.