Some individuals, at some point in their lives, consider the possibility of changing the country for the city and vice versa. Both the countryside and the city have their peculiarities and have their advantages and disadvantages, and all of them affect our lives from a psychosocial perspective.

Whether you are stressed out by the pace of city life and wish to live in a quieter place, or you live in the country and wish to live in the city for greater job opportunities, moving to either of these two environments requires deep reflection.

In this article you can find the differences between country and city so you can make a better decision.

Field characteristics

When we think of the countryside, we usually imagine an environment with fewer inhabitants, surrounded by animals and vegetation (grass, trees, crops). Logically, we associate it with a less polluted environment. A quiet place where luxuries (from a material point of view) are not abundant.

Undoubtedly, if a person wants to escape from the hustle and bustle of the city, the countryside is a good solution because it is possible to be more relaxed and find peace of mind more easily . The countryside is often seen as a remote and even isolated place if we think that most of the population and economic power are located in the cities. Being in the countryside would mean being far from all the cultural events that can take place in the cities.

If you are looking to be away from densely populated areas and find a quiet area , with a green landscape and be able to connect with nature, the countryside is a perfect place to live.

Characteristics of the city

After describing what the countryside is like, let’s see what living in the city can bring us and what its advantages are.

Cities are places where a large number of people live, and are characterized by a civilized, developed environment where people generally live surrounded by new technologies and very precise services.

However, the level of technological development of a city depends on its economic situation and the country in which it is located. Cities usually have a different cultural environment and lifestyle than the countryside: much busier and sometimes more stressful.

Since cities are places of investment for governing bodies, there is usually more infrastructure, good transport networks, large businesses, corporate buildings, university institutions, shopping centres and much more.

However, despite the fact that the city is a place with a great deal of employment opportunities and where university education is usually of higher quality, people tend to live with higher levels of stress.

What differentiates the countryside from the city

The differences between the country and the city are many, but deciding to live in one place or another depends on the person’s needs and what they are looking for in their life. Now, what are the differences between these two environments? Below you can find the answer to this question.

1. Access to health care

While it is true that in the countryside it is possible to lead a healthy life (with fresh food), far from being sedentary, it is also true that there is less access to complex, necessary medical services . For example, when a person has to undergo emergency surgery.

2. Infrastructure

As I mentioned, a large part of the economy of a country is located in cities and, therefore, also investments in infrastructure, transport networks, etc . In the countryside, on the other hand, life is more peaceful and there are other needs.

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3. Education

Education in the cities is different from that in the countryside. If we think of a metropolis, we can imagine large university campuses, which aim to cover the labour needs of that context.

4. Tranquility

The countryside is a much quieter place than the city, not only because of the number of inhabitants, but also because of the lifestyle , which is much more relaxed and in which one is continuously in contact with nature.

5. Contact with nature

Therefore, there is more vegetation, it is possible to breathe fresh air, eat fresh food freshly extracted from the garden and farms.

6. Company and securities

In the big cities, capitalist influence tends to predominate, which often generates psychological and social phenomena different from those of the countryside. The person tends to feel more like an object than a subject , with a predominance of the sensation of anonymity, and the hectic pace of life and the influence of capitalism tends to provoke more superficial affective ties.

Since the pace of life in the countryside is slower, people often recognize themselves as unique beings, connecting with their identity, that of others and nature

7. Employment opportunities

The development of industry and technology means that there is greater demand for employment in cities. In terms of production levels, in the countryside the primary sector predominates, and in the city the tertiary sector, although in recent times the quaternary sector has also been of great importance.

8. Landscape

The landscape is very different between the country and the city. In the country, green predominates while in the city it is possible to see large buildings, shops, transport…

9. Contamination

Living in the city also means breathing higher levels of pollution than in the countryside, where the air is much purer and beneficial to health .

10. Population density

The population density is much higher in the cities than in the countryside. In the countryside there are fewer inhabitants and they live in a more dispersed way.

11. Art, culture and leisure

Cities are great alternatives for art, culture and leisure, so it is possible to do many fun activities related to group initiatives unlike the countryside, which is a quieter place and where it is possible to find both physical and mental relaxation.