Compact, international and easy to live in, if you can find a home

Amsterdam is an easy city to live in day to day. I cycle 12 minutes to work, English works almost everywhere and my colleagues come from over 30 countries. Work life balance is excellent and nobody expects you to answer messages at night. Public transport is reliable, and trains to Rotterdam, Utrecht and even Paris are straightforward. The big problem is housing: a small studio costs me 1,650 euros, and the search took seven weeks. Health insurance is an extra monthly cost, and the weather is grey and windy for much of the year. With a professional salary it is a great place, but people on lower incomes struggle.