Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Amsterdam and Arnhem

For one person, living is cheaper in Arnhem: $2,557 a month against $3,465 in Amsterdam, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 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
125

Cost of Living Index in Arnhem
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Arnhem Living Index

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Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,465

/mo nomad

Arnhem

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,557

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Amsterdam and in Arnhem

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 Arnhem actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,465 per month in Amsterdam vs $2,557 in Arnhem, rent included.

Amsterdam $3,465
Arnhem $2,557

A couple spends around $4,929 per month in Amsterdam vs $3,743 in Arnhem, rent included.

Amsterdam $4,929
Arnhem $3,743

A family of three spends $6,393 per month in Amsterdam vs $4,930 in Arnhem, rent included.

Amsterdam $6,393
Arnhem $4,930

Amsterdam costs about 36% more than Arnhem, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Amsterdam and Arnhem sit above the global median – Amsterdam by 157%, Arnhem by 89%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.10 €19.66

$21.91 €19.49

0.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.0 €80.0

$85.2 €75.8

5.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.32 €13.63

$14.98 €13.32

2.27%

Cappuccino

$4.58 €4.07

$4.07 €3.62

12.53%

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

$3.70 €3.29

$3.34 €2.97

10.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 €2.65

$2.83 €2.52

5.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.38 €6.56

$5.62 €5.00

31.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.73 €5.10

$5.47 €4.86

4.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 €1.40

$1.48 €1.32

6.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 €2.04

$1.99 €1.77

15.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 €2.23

$2.29 €2.04

9.61%

Eggs

$5.07 €4.51

$5.21 €4.64

-2.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.73 €14.88

$12.74 €11.33

31.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.11 €11.66

$14.14 €12.58

-7.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.79 €20.28

$15.77 €14.03

44.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.43

$2.82 €2.50

-3.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.76 €2.46

$2.54 €2.26

8.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 €2.44

$1.86 €1.65

47.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.78 €3.37

$5.39 €4.79

-29.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 €2.11

$1.88 €1.67

26.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 €1.43

$2.39 €2.13

-32.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.30

$1.22 €1.08

19.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 €1.58

$0.71 €0.63

149.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.52 €12.92

$14.23 €12.65

2.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.10 €8.09

$7.15 €6.36

27.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 €1.59

$1.44 €1.28

24.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 €2.16

$2.63 €2.34

-7.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.69 €3.29

$4.35 €3.87

-15.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 €100

$113 €100

-0.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 €4.01

$4.00 €3.56

12.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.44 €3.06

$2.38 €2.12

44.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.71 €35.32

$32.86 €29.23

20.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.63 €2.34

$2.39 €2.12

10.04%

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

$41.3K €36.7K

$41.8K €37.2K

-1.24%

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

$39.4K €35.1K

$39.7K €35.3K

-0.70%

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

$295 €262

$276 €245

6.96%

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

$22.26 €19.80

$22.71 €20.20

-1.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.1 €45.46

$42.44 €37.75

20.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.9 €53.3

$41.30 €36.73

45.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 €31.52

$10.99 €9.78

222.47%

Cinema Ticket

$16.82 €14.96

$14.38 €12.79

16.97%

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

$2,826 €2,513

$1,259 €1,120

124.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €15.2K

$5,925 €5,270

189.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.5 €82.3

$95.3 €84.8

-2.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.61 €37.01

$29.13 €25.91

42.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.6 €86.9

$107 €94.8

-8.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €117

$152 €136

-13.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,575 €2,290

$1,436 €1,278

79.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,955 €1,739

$1,159 €1,031

68.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,997 €3,555

$2,228 €1,982

79.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,053 €2,716

$1,834 €1,632

66.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.4K €9,222

$5,312 €4,725

95.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,494 €5,776

$4,175 €3,714

55.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,692 €4,174

$3,723 €3,312

26.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.27

3.95

-17.22%

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

Last update for Amsterdam: October 12, 2026

Last update for Arnhem: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Amsterdam

$2K 56.4%

Arnhem

$1.2K 45.3% 40.7% $796

Groceries & Markets

Amsterdam

$383 11%

Arnhem

$335 13.1% 12.4% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Amsterdam

$368 10.6%

Arnhem

$341 13.3% 7.4% $27

Eating Out

Amsterdam

$353 10.2%

Arnhem

$333 13% 5.7% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Amsterdam

$164 4.7%

Arnhem

$173 6.8% 5.4% $8.9

Getting Around

Amsterdam

$149 4.3%

Arnhem

$146 5.7% 1.9% $2.8

Sport & Entertainment

Amsterdam

$94 2.7%

Arnhem

$70 2.7% 25.1% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,575 in Amsterdam versus $1,436 in Arnhem. 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 26% higher in Amsterdam, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90.0 in Amsterdam versus $85.0 in Arnhem. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $383 vs $335 – making Arnhem the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Arnhem

🕒 Local time

03:18 3:18 AM

Same time as Amsterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

881,933 Capital

165,770

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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From you

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Amsterdam vs Arnhem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Amsterdam is pricier by about 36%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,197 per month in Amsterdam and $3,835 in Arnhem. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 0% less in Arnhem. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,826 per month in Amsterdam and $1,259 in Arnhem. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,465 in Amsterdam and $2,557 in Arnhem. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Arnhem – 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 Arnhem. 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.