Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Amsterdam and Borculo

For one person, living is cheaper in Borculo: $2,525 a month against $3,592 in Amsterdam, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Amsterdam, Netherlands
Borculo, Netherlands
Amsterdam
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$3,592
/mo nomad
Borculo
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$2,525
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Amsterdam and in Borculo

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

A single person spends $3,592 per month in Amsterdam vs $2,525 in Borculo, rent included.

  • Amsterdam $3,592
  • Borculo $2,525

A couple spends around $5,063 per month in Amsterdam vs $3,738 in Borculo, rent included.

  • Amsterdam $5,063
  • Borculo $3,738

A family of three spends $6,533 per month in Amsterdam vs $4,952 in Borculo, rent included.

  • Amsterdam $6,533
  • Borculo $4,952

Amsterdam costs about 42% more than Borculo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Amsterdam and Borculo sit above the global median – Amsterdam by 166%, Borculo by 87%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Amsterdam
Borculo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.72 €20.24
$22.27 €19.84
2.02%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$89.7 €79.9
$88.0 €78.4
2.02%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.38 €12.81
$13.68 €12.18
5.12%
Cappuccino
$4.65 €4.14
$4.29 €3.82
8.39%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.88 €3.46
$3.72 €3.32
4.30%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 €2.65
$3.01 €2.68
-1.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.68 €6.84
$6.17 €5.50
24.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.80 €6.06
$5.64 €5.03
20.57%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Amsterdam
Borculo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 €1.35
$1.37 €1.22
10.22%
White Bread (500g)
$2.36 €2.11
$2.29 €2.04
3.06%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.50 €2.23
$2.55 €2.27
-1.96%
Eggs
$5.39 €4.80
$4.87 €4.34
10.68%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.70 €14.88
$13.68 €12.19
22.08%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.89 €11.48
$13.88 €12.36
-7.13%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$23.63 €21.05
$17.26 €15.37
36.91%
Apples (1kg)
$2.76 €2.46
$2.69 €2.39
2.60%
Banana (1kg)
$2.81 €2.51
$2.40 €2.14
17.08%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.76 €2.46
$1.98 €1.77
39.39%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.89 €3.47
$4.43 €3.94
-12.19%
Potato (1kg)
$2.43 €2.16
$1.80 €1.60
35.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.71 €1.52
$1.97 €1.76
-13.20%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.31
$1.22 €1.08
20.49%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.68 €1.50
$0.92 €0.82
82.61%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.38 €12.81
$13.73 €12.23
4.73%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.52 €7.59
$6.97 €6.21
22.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.73 €1.54
$1.49 €1.33
16.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.63 €2.34
$2.63 €2.34
-
🚌 Getting Around
Amsterdam
Borculo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.71 €3.31
$3.54 €3.16
4.80%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$118 €105
$88.9 €79.2
33.19%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.71 €4.19
$4.00 €3.57
17.75%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.44 €3.06
$2.78 €2.47
23.74%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$59.6 €53.1
$29.11 €25.93
104.57%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.66 €2.37
$2.47 €2.20
7.69%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$41.4K €36.8K
$41.1K €36.6K
0.72%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.6K €34.4K
$39.9K €35.5K
-3.15%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Amsterdam
Borculo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$298 €265
$260 €232
14.45%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.21 €20.67
$22.32 €19.88
3.99%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$52.9 €47.16
$49.17 €43.80
7.67%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Amsterdam
Borculo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$53.4 €47.56
$41.55 €37.01
28.50%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.92 €32.00
$23.98 €21.36
49.79%
Cinema Ticket
$16.96 €15.10
$15.10 €13.45
12.32%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Amsterdam
Borculo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,797 €2,492
$2,550 €2,271
9.71%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.0K €20.5K
$7,902 €7,039
191.66%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Amsterdam
Borculo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$93.8 €83.6
$94.5 €84.2
-0.72%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.27 €37.65
$43.03 €38.33
-1.77%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.3 €87.5
$105 €93.4
-6.32%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$133 €118
$137 €122
-2.95%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Amsterdam
Borculo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,678 €2,386
$1,452 €1,294
84.40%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,065 €1,840
$1,152 €1,026
79.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,084 €3,638
$2,284 €2,035
78.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,160 €2,815
$1,875 €1,670
68.55%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$10.4K €9,308
$5,694 €5,072
83.51%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,719 €5,985
$4,538 €4,042
48.06%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Amsterdam
Borculo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,789 €4,266
$3,391 €3,021
41.21%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.3
3.82
-13.61%

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

Last update for Amsterdam: November 1, 2026

Last update for Borculo: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Amsterdam
$2.1K
Borculo
$1.2K 44.2% $914
Groceries & Markets
Amsterdam
$385
Borculo
$338 12.1% $46
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Amsterdam
$374
Borculo
$332 11.3% $42
Eating Out
Amsterdam
$360
Borculo
$340 5.7% $20
Clothing & Footwear
Amsterdam
$165
Borculo
$171 3.3% $5.4
Getting Around
Amsterdam
$155
Borculo
$121 22% $34
Sport & Entertainment
Amsterdam
$87
Borculo
$72 17.8% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,678 in Amsterdam versus $1,452 in Borculo. 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 41% 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 in Amsterdam versus $88 in Borculo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $385 vs $338 – making Borculo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇳🇱 Amsterdam
🇳🇱 Borculo
🕒 Local time
20:24 8:24 PM
20:24 8:24 PM
Same time as Amsterdam
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
881,933 Capital
10,000
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.891 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Amsterdam Borculo 110 km
From you
  • Amsterdam
  • Borculo

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Borculo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Borculo cheaper than Amsterdam?
Yes – Amsterdam is pricier by about 42%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,388 per month in Amsterdam and $3,787 in Borculo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Borculo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,452 there versus $2,678 in Amsterdam.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 25% less in Borculo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How do food prices compare in Amsterdam and in Borculo?
Groceries cost about 14% more in Amsterdam, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is $3,000 a realistic budget for living in Amsterdam or in Borculo?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Borculo, where all-in costs run around $2,525, than in Amsterdam at $3,592. In Borculo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Amsterdam it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Amsterdam or Borculo more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Borculo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Amsterdam or Borculo?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Borculo. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Amsterdam makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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