Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Amsterdam and Amstelveen

For one person, living is cheaper in Amstelveen: $3,074 a month against $3,496 in Amsterdam, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

168

Cost of Living Index in Amsterdam
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Amsterdam Living Index
148

Cost of Living Index in Amstelveen
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Amstelveen Living Index

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Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,496

/mo nomad

Amstelveen

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,074

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Amsterdam and in Amstelveen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Amsterdam and in Amstelveen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,496 per month in Amsterdam vs $3,074 in Amstelveen, rent included.

Amsterdam $3,496
Amstelveen $3,074

A couple spends around $5,012 per month in Amsterdam vs $4,293 in Amstelveen, rent included.

Amsterdam $5,012
Amstelveen $4,293

A family of three spends $6,528 per month in Amsterdam vs $5,512 in Amstelveen, rent included.

Amsterdam $6,528
Amstelveen $5,512

Amsterdam costs about 14% more than Amstelveen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Amsterdam and Amstelveen sit above the global median – Amsterdam by 158%, Amstelveen by 127%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.16 €19.71

$24.20 €21.53

-8.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.5 €79.6

$84.1 €74.8

6.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.53 €12.93

$13.40 €11.92

8.43%

Cappuccino

$4.56 €4.06

$3.92 €3.49

16.33%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 €3.43

$3.88 €3.45

-0.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.69

$3.09 €2.75

-2.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 €7.17

$5.46 €4.86

47.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.59 €5.87

$5.73 €5.10

15.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 €1.34

$1.15 €1.02

31.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 €2.10

$1.59 €1.41

48.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 €2.17

$3.68 €3.27

-33.70%

Eggs

$5.21 €4.63

$4.95 €4.40

5.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.77 €14.92

$12.70 €11.30

32.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.06 €11.61

$14.22 €12.65

-8.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.98 €20.44

$16.79 €14.94

36.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.40

$1.98 €1.76

36.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.87 €2.55

$2.40 €2.13

19.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 €2.39

$1.88 €1.67

43.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 €3.52

$5.78 €5.14

-31.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.23

$2.01 €1.79

24.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 €1.48

$1.86 €1.66

-10.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.34

$1.23 €1.09

22.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.48

$0.71 €0.63

135.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.36 €12.77

$13.99 €12.44

2.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.66 €7.71

$6.55 €5.82

32.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 €1.61

$1.49 €1.32

21.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 €2.25

$2.61 €2.32

-3.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 €3.33

$3.87 €3.45

-3.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$117 €104

$73.9 €65.7

58.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.62 €4.11

$4.09 €3.64

12.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.38 €3.00

$3.06 €2.72

10.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.70 €35.31

$30.19 €26.86

31.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.67 €2.37

$2.42 €2.15

10.33%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$41.8K €37.2K

$40.9K €36.4K

2.11%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$38.6K €34.3K

$40.0K €35.6K

-3.50%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$303 €270

$282 €250

7.69%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$22.97 €20.43

$24.53 €21.82

-6.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 €45.83

$50.9 €45.26

1.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 €52.0

$31.15 €27.71

87.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.86 €31.90

$56.6 €50.4

-36.67%

Cinema Ticket

$16.86 €15.00

$16.65 €14.81

1.26%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$2,815 €2,504

$2,305 €2,050

22.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.6K

$26.8K €23.8K

-34.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.2 €82.0

$59.2 €52.7

55.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.16 €37.50

$44.81 €39.86

-5.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.3 €88.3

$89.8 €79.9

10.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €119

$148 €132

-9.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,654 €2,361

$2,278 €2,026

16.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 €1,750

$1,711 €1,522

14.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,963 €3,525

$3,159 €2,810

25.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,158 €2,809

$2,467 €2,194

28.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.5K €9,354

$8,122 €7,225

29.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,700 €5,960

$5,959 €5,301

12.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,677 €4,160

$4,726 €4,204

-1.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.3

4.3

-23.26%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Amsterdam: October 19, 2026

Last update for Amstelveen: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Amsterdam

$2K 56.3%

Amstelveen

$1.7K 55.7% 13% $256

Groceries & Markets

Amsterdam

$384 11%

Amstelveen

$331 10.8% 13.7% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Amsterdam

$378 10.8%

Amstelveen

$357 11.6% 5.5% $21

Eating Out

Amsterdam

$357 10.2%

Amstelveen

$348 11.3% 2.5% $9.1

Clothing & Footwear

Amsterdam

$166 4.7%

Amstelveen

$154 5% 7.1% $12

Getting Around

Amsterdam

$154 4.4%

Amstelveen

$109 3.5% 29.2% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Amsterdam

$92 2.6%

Amstelveen

$64 2.1% 30.1% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,654 in Amsterdam versus $2,278 in Amstelveen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 1% higher in Amstelveen, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89.0 in Amsterdam versus $84.0 in Amstelveen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $384 vs $331 – making Amstelveen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Amstelveen

🕒 Local time

17:44 5:44 PM

Same time as Amsterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

881,933 Capital

91,675

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Amsterdam vs Amstelveen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Amsterdam is pricier by about 14%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,244 per month in Amsterdam and $4,611 in Amstelveen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Amstelveen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 59% less in Amstelveen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,815 per month in Amsterdam and $2,305 in Amstelveen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,496 in Amsterdam and $3,074 in Amstelveen. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Amstelveen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Amstelveen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Amsterdam makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.