Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Amsterdam and Bussum

For one person, living is cheaper in Bussum: $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.

Amsterdam
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$3,465
/mo nomad
Bussum
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$2,557
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Amsterdam and in Bussum

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

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

  • Amsterdam $3,465
  • Bussum $2,557

A couple spends around $4,929 per month in Amsterdam vs $3,742 in Bussum, rent included.

  • Amsterdam $4,929
  • Bussum $3,742

A family of three spends $6,393 per month in Amsterdam vs $4,927 in Bussum, rent included.

  • Amsterdam $6,393
  • Bussum $4,927

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

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Amsterdam
Bussum
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.10 €19.66
$24.87 €22.12
-11.14%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$90.0 €80.0
$84.2 €74.9
6.88%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$15.32 €13.63
$13.63 €12.13
12.40%
Cappuccino
$4.58 €4.07
$3.90 €3.47
17.44%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.70 €3.29
$3.77 €3.36
-1.86%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.98 €2.65
$3.11 €2.77
-4.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.38 €6.56
$5.43 €4.83
35.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.73 €5.10
$5.48 €4.88
4.56%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Amsterdam
Bussum
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.57 €1.40
$1.17 €1.04
34.19%
White Bread (500g)
$2.30 €2.04
$1.33 €1.18
72.93%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.51 €2.23
$2.43 €2.16
3.29%
Eggs
$5.07 €4.51
$4.82 €4.29
5.19%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.73 €14.88
$12.77 €11.36
31.01%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.11 €11.66
$14.39 €12.80
-8.90%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$22.79 €20.28
$16.67 €14.83
36.71%
Apples (1kg)
$2.73 €2.43
$1.91 €1.70
42.93%
Banana (1kg)
$2.76 €2.46
$2.40 €2.13
15.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.74 €2.44
$1.81 €1.61
51.38%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.78 €3.37
$2.66 €2.36
42.11%
Potato (1kg)
$2.38 €2.11
$2.01 €1.78
18.41%
Onion (1kg)
$1.61 €1.43
$1.56 €1.39
3.21%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 €1.30
$1.23 €1.09
18.70%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.77 €1.58
$0.75 €0.67
136.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.52 €12.92
$13.92 €12.38
4.31%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.10 €8.09
$6.78 €6.03
34.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.79 €1.59
$1.50 €1.34
19.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.43 €2.16
$1.75 €1.56
38.86%
🚌 Getting Around
Amsterdam
Bussum
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.69 €3.29
$3.50 €3.11
5.43%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$112 €100
$88.6 €78.8
26.94%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.51 €4.01
$4.40 €3.91
2.50%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.44 €3.06
$3.28 €2.91
4.88%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$39.71 €35.32
$60.8 €54.1
-34.68%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.63 €2.34
$2.26 €2.01
16.37%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$41.3K €36.7K
$39.5K €35.2K
4.47%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.4K €35.1K
$23.0K €20.5K
71.18%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Amsterdam
Bussum
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$295 €262
$282 €251
4.65%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.26 €19.80
$24.44 €21.74
-8.92%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51.1 €45.46
$49.21 €43.77
3.86%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Amsterdam
Bussum
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$59.9 €53.3
$59.0 €52.5
1.59%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.44 €31.52
$23.98 €21.33
47.79%
Cinema Ticket
$16.82 €14.96
$16.68 €14.83
0.84%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Amsterdam
Bussum
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,826 €2,513
$2,374 €2,112
19.01%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.1K €15.2K
$7,848 €6,981
118.30%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Amsterdam
Bussum
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$92.5 €82.3
$58.5 €52.0
58.26%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.61 €37.01
$43.85 €39.01
-5.11%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$97.6 €86.9
$90.6 €80.6
7.72%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$132 €117
$140 €125
-5.92%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Amsterdam
Bussum
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,575 €2,290
$1,639 €1,458
57.05%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,955 €1,739
$1,177 €1,047
66.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,997 €3,555
$2,393 €2,129
67.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,053 €2,716
$1,886 €1,678
61.85%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$10.4K €9,222
$5,963 €5,304
73.86%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,494 €5,776
$6,301 €5,605
3.06%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Amsterdam
Bussum
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,692 €4,174
$4,538 €4,037
3.40%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.27
4.3
-23.95%

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

Last update for Amsterdam: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bussum: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Amsterdam
$2K
Bussum
$1.2K 39.8% $778
Groceries & Markets
Amsterdam
$383
Bussum
$306 19.9% $76
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Amsterdam
$368
Bussum
$355 3.5% $13
Eating Out
Amsterdam
$353
Bussum
$352 0.1% $0.5
Clothing & Footwear
Amsterdam
$164
Bussum
$150 8.4% $14
Getting Around
Amsterdam
$149
Bussum
$123 17.2% $26
Sport & Entertainment
Amsterdam
$94
Bussum
$92 1.3% $1.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,575 in Amsterdam versus $1,639 in Bussum. 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 3% 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 $84.0 in Bussum. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $383 vs $306 – making Bussum the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇳🇱 Amsterdam
🇳🇱 Bussum
🕒 Local time
10:31 10:31 AM
10:31 10:31 AM
Same time as Amsterdam
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
881,933 Capital
33,220
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Amsterdam Bussum 21 km
From you
  • Amsterdam
  • Bussum

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 Bussum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bussum cheaper than Amsterdam?
Yes – Amsterdam is pricier by about 36%, 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 $5,197 per month in Amsterdam and $3,835 in Bussum. 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 Bussum, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 27% less in Bussum. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $2,826 per month in Amsterdam and $2,374 in Bussum. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $3,000 enough to cover costs in Amsterdam or in Bussum?
$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,465 in Amsterdam and $2,557 in Bussum. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is Amsterdam or Bussum more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Bussum – 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 Bussum?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Bussum. 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.

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