Bordeaux
France · Europe · 260K people
Wine capital with an elegant, walkable riverside centre.
Ranked #40 of 303 overall · 44.84, -0.58
Overview
Bordeaux sits in France, on the European continent, home to roughly 260,000 people. It has a reputation as a solid, practical choice for raising a family. Its reputation is built on history, architecture and a dense cultural calendar. People who choose to settle in Bordeaux tend to point to a strong sense of safety, a climate most people find easy to live with, and solid infrastructure for remote work as the deciding factors. Within the 103 cities we track in Europe, the regional average sits at 6.9/10, which puts Bordeaux's 7.3/10 comfortably ahead of the regional norm. On CityMatch, Bordeaux scores 7.3/10 overall across cost of living, safety, environment, transport, climate, healthcare and internet, ranking #40 of 303 cities in our database. Its strongest single criterion is safety at 8/10, while cost of living is its softest spot at 6/10 — the full breakdown, honest trade-offs, and who this city actually suits are below.
Full scorecard
Reasonable day-to-day costs.
Low crime, easy to feel at ease.
Air quality is acceptable most of the year.
Public transport covers the basics well.
A normal seasonal mix, nothing extreme.
Reliable access to quality care.
Remote work is a non-issue here.
Is Bordeaux right for you?
Set your own priorities and see where it ranks against every city in the dataset.
Run the recommender →How are these scores calculated?
Every city on CityMatch is scored 1-10 on seven criteria — cost of living, safety, environment, transport, climate, healthcare and internet — and those seven numbers are combined into the overall score shown throughout the site using a consistent, automated formula (an equal-weighted average by default, or your own weighting via the recommender tool). The same method is applied identically to every city, so scores are comparable across the full database.
Sources & data provenance
The current dataset is an internally curated starter dataset built for this version of the site, reflecting each city's general reputation on each criterion rather than a live feed from a single external provider. It is not yet sourced from a specific third-party API. If that changes, this section will be updated to name the exact sources in use.
Last updated: 17 July 2026
Strengths & trade-offs
Strengths
A 8/10 safety score puts Bordeaux among the more reassuring cities to walk around, day or night.
Healthcare scores 8/10, a meaningful factor for families, retirees, or anyone planning to stay long-term.
Internet and connectivity score 8/10, making remote work a non-issue rather than a workaround.
Trade-offs
Cost of living is Bordeaux's comparatively softest spot at 6/10 — still a workable budget, just not its standout strength.
Environment and air quality sits at 7/10, comparatively the softest of Bordeaux's scores though still a reasonable baseline.
Is Bordeaux safe?
Safety is a genuine strength of Bordeaux, at 8/10. It's the kind of city where petty crime and serious crime alike are less of a daily concern than in most of the 303 cities we track.
At night
Walking at night is generally low-stress here, though sticking to lit, populated streets is always sensible advice anywhere.
For tourists
Tourists rarely report serious issues beyond the ordinary pickpocket risk that exists in any well-visited city — normal vigilance in crowded areas is enough.
For families
Combined with a healthcare score of 8/10 and environment score of 7/10, Bordeaux looks like a genuinely solid pick for raising a family.
For solo travelers
Cities scoring this well on safety (8/10) are generally considered comfortable for solo travelers, though — as anywhere — checking current, specific local advice before a trip is always worth the ten minutes it takes.
On public transport
Public transport feels safe here too — safety (8/10) and transport quality (7/10) are both strong, a combination that generally makes getting around without a car low-stress.
Practical tips
- →Standard city awareness is genuinely enough here — no need for unusual precautions.
- →Keep half an eye on belongings in busy tourist spots, the same as anywhere.
What's the climate like in Bordeaux?
Bordeaux scores 7/10 on climate — pleasant enough for most of the year, without being a specific draw on its own.
Seasonal character
Expect a normal four-season rhythm (or a wet/dry split closer to the equator), without extremes dominating the calendar.
Comfort level
Comfort is generally good, with the odd day or short stretch that calls for planning ahead rather than year-round ease.
Best time to live here
Shoulder-season months (spring and autumn, broadly) tend to be the safest bet if you can choose when to visit or move.
Note: this reflects our single aggregate 1-10 climate score rather than month-by-month temperature, humidity or rainfall data, which we don't currently track — treat it as a general read rather than a forecast.
Quality of life in Bordeaux
Put together, quality of life in Bordeaux is shaped less by any single number and more by the combination: bordeaux tends to run at a calmer, more settled pace, the kind of rhythm that suits routine and family life more than nightlife, paired with an outdoor/environment picture that's generally favorable and transport that's genuinely workable.
Pace & lifestyle
Bordeaux tends to run at a calmer, more settled pace, the kind of rhythm that suits routine and family life more than nightlife.
Nature & outdoors
Outdoor time is reasonably pleasant, with environment (7/10) and climate (7/10) scores that don't get in the way, without being a specific draw either.
Getting around
Transport (7/10) covers most needs reasonably well, with occasional gaps a bike or rideshare fills in easily.
Culture & leisure
Bordeaux is specifically known for its cultural and historical scene — museums, architecture and a dense calendar of things to do are part of its identity, not an afterthought.
Based on its actual score profile, Bordeaux tends to suit people who prioritize safety and healthcare over cost of living — see "Who Bordeaux suits" above for the specific profiles that fit best.
How clean is Bordeaux?
Bordeaux scores 7/10 on environment — decent air quality most of the year, without being a specific standout.
Public spaces
Public space quality isn't separately measured in our data; the environment score above is the closest proxy we have, and it points to an unremarkable, workable baseline.
Infrastructure maintenance
General infrastructure maintenance isn't a criterion we score independently, so treat any specific claims about road quality, public bins, or graffiti with caution unless they come from a recent, first-hand source.
The "environment" score behind all of this is CityMatch's single combined measure of air quality and general environmental conditions — 10 meaning consistently clean air, 1 meaning significant pollution. It doesn't separately break out waste management, noise, or visual upkeep, which aren't part of our current dataset.
Who Bordeaux suits
Safety-first mover
Safety-first movers — people relocating somewhere unfamiliar who weigh personal safety above all (fit score 7.5/10 here).
Expat
Expats — expatriates relocating for work who lean on safety, healthcare and internet to stay settled and connected (fit score 7.5/10 here).
Young family
Young familys — households with kids prioritizing safety, healthcare and clean air (fit score 7.4/10 here).
Entrepreneur
Entrepreneurs — founders and small business owners who need reliable connectivity and a livable base without big-city costs (fit score 7.3/10 here).
In depth
Cost of living
Bordeaux scores 6/10 on affordability — not cheap, but reasonable: expect a moderate budget to cover a comfortable, unremarkable lifestyle.
Safety
Safety is one of Bordeaux's clearest strengths, scoring 8/10 — the kind of place where walking home at night or letting kids out alone doesn't require much second-guessing.
Climate
Bordeaux's climate scores 7/10 — a decent mix of seasons without extremes in either direction.
Quality of life
Bordeaux's overall quality of life (7.3/10) comes from consistency rather than any single standout: every criterion sits within a few points of the others, with safety edging out as the strongest and cost of living the softest spot. The average across all seven criteria is 7.3/10.
Transport
Transport in Bordeaux scores 7/10 — workable public options exist, though a bike or occasional car still helps for some routes.
Internet & remote work
Remote work is well supported here: Bordeaux scores 8/10 on internet and connectivity, with fast, reliable connections in most neighborhoods.
Why choose Bordeaux?
The short version: Bordeaux doesn't have a genuine weak point on our scorecard. Safety is its clearest strength at 7.3/10 overall, and cost of living — while relatively its lowest score — is still comfortably decent.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Bordeaux safe?
Yes — Bordeaux scores 8/10 on safety, among the higher end of the 303 cities we track. Normal city awareness is enough for most visitors and residents.
What budget do I need to live in Bordeaux?
Bordeaux scores 6/10 on cost of living — a moderate budget is enough for a comfortable lifestyle, without it being a bargain destination.
Is Bordeaux good for families?
Bordeaux works well for families: safety (8/10), healthcare (8/10) and environment (7/10) average out to a strong combination for raising kids.
Is Bordeaux a good city for students?
Bordeaux isn't specifically known as a student hub, but its affordability (6/10) and transport (7/10) scores make it a workable option.
Is Bordeaux suitable for digital nomads?
Bordeaux isn't specifically marketed to remote workers, but the fundamentals are there: internet scores 8/10 and cost of living 6/10.
What's the climate like in Bordeaux?
Bordeaux scores 7/10 on climate — a normal seasonal mix without real extremes.
Is Bordeaux pleasant to live in year-round?
Largely yes — with a climate score of 7/10 and an environment (air quality) score of 7/10, Bordeaux holds up well across seasons.
Is Bordeaux a good choice for a first move abroad?
It's a reasonable choice for a first move: safety, healthcare, transport and environment average out to 7.5/10 here, a fairly forgiving combination for someone settling in for the first time.
Is the internet good enough for remote work in Bordeaux?
Yes — Bordeaux scores 8/10 on internet and connectivity, comfortably enough for video calls and day-to-day remote work.
Is Bordeaux a good place to retire?
It has real appeal for retirees: healthcare, climate and safety average out to 7.7/10 here — the three criteria that tend to matter most for that stage of life.
What are good alternatives to Bordeaux?
Based on continent, tags and overall score, Bilbao and Strasbourg are the closest matches to Bordeaux in our database — worth comparing directly if you're still deciding.
Is Bordeaux worth living in?
Reasonably — Bordeaux scores 7.3/10 overall, a solid if unremarkable all-round profile. Whether it's "worth it" depends more on which specific criteria matter most to you than on the average alone.
Who should move to Bordeaux?
Based on its score profile, Bordeaux suits people who value safety and healthcare more than the average mover — see the "Who Bordeaux suits" section above for the specific profiles (families, digital nomads, students, etc.) that fit best.
Is Bordeaux walkable, and is public transport good?
Reasonably — Bordeaux scores 7/10 on transport, covering most day-to-day needs without being a standout transit city.
What's the biggest advantage of living in Bordeaux?
Safety is Bordeaux's standout strength, scoring 8/10 — the highest of its seven criteria on CityMatch.
What's the biggest downside of living in Bordeaux?
Cost of living is the clearest trade-off, scoring just 6/10 — the lowest of Bordeaux's seven criteria, and worth weighing against its strengths.