I have been living in this magical city for 5 years now and I want to share with you interesting facts and features of life in Amsterdam. Would you like to move here too?

pros

Channels

Well, how not to say about the beauty of Amsterdam, its gingerbread houses, fabulous canals, evergreen vegetation and architecture so organically integrated into the landscape. I am a designer, and the visual component is extremely important for me, and the capital of the Netherlands pleases my eye every day. Residents of the city (and the country) love to plant flowers and bring beauty, pots with trees are lined up in front of each house and roses are woven, facades are carefully repaired and ancient architecture is protected.

Equality

The Netherlands differs from many European countries in that they managed to build socialism. The state is focused on people, on equality of rights and wages, which, on the one hand, makes it very difficult to receive above-average wages, but on the other hand, it closes the gap between the poor and the rich. From this, the population is peaceful, since almost no one envy anyone, because everyone lives equally well.

relaxation

In the Netherlands, people know how to enjoy life and balance between work and leisure. Every day from 5 pm the bars and cafes are filled, and in sunny weather the canals are packed with lovers of wine, cheese and boating.

Standard of living

The Dutch can rely on the state, which helps and ensures a peaceful existence for the inhabitants of the country. It is not scary to walk around the city after midnight, and in general one feels calm and contented.

Environmental friendliness

In the Netherlands dubai, great importance is attached to ethics, environmental friendliness and a healthy lifestyle. There are many organic supermarkets, vegetarian and vegan establishments, garbage sorting and many other initiatives that make everything cleaner and better.

Minuses

taxes

Taxes are what ensures equality and quality of life in the Netherlands, but at the same time what eats up a significant part of income. They grow along with the salary, and from a certain point, career growth is no longer reflected in earnings . This demotivates and sometimes makes you think about moving to more capitalist countries i.e dubai.

Dutch

Yes, everyone speaks fluent English, plus the expat community in Amsterdam is large. But no one canceled the local language. However, almost none of my expat acquaintances ever learned Dutch: everyone complains about its complexity, very harsh and unpleasant sound.

Weather

I don’t understand where the myths about foggy Albion, rainy Great Britain, came from in the world, if there are many times more rainfall in the Netherlands? About 7 months a year there is eternal autumn with fogs, drizzle in the air and the absence of the sun. Life becomes more fun only between May and September.

Expensive housing

Another item that undermines the income item is very expensive housing: both rent and purchase. When planning a full-fledged move and a future in the Netherlands, you need to be prepared to overpay heavily for it.

Medicine

There are legends about Dutch medicine. Despite the neighborhood with Germany, which is considered a guru in healthcare, people in the Netherlands live by the principle: what is not fatal, you do not need to be treated. Only locals who grew up with this attitude calmly trust doctors and take paracetamol for everything. Whereas all expats (even from European countries) fly to their homes for examination.