Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Amsterdam and Emmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Emmen: $1,892 a month against $3,517 in Amsterdam, rent and utilities included – about $19,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

170

Cost of Living Index in Amsterdam
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Amsterdam Living Index
91

Cost of Living Index in Emmen
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Emmen Living Index

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Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,517

/mo nomad

Emmen

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$1,892

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Amsterdam and in Emmen

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

A single person spends $3,517 per month in Amsterdam vs $1,892 in Emmen, rent included.

Amsterdam $3,517
Emmen $1,892

A couple spends around $5,063 per month in Amsterdam vs $2,917 in Emmen, rent included.

Amsterdam $5,063
Emmen $2,917

A family of three spends $6,608 per month in Amsterdam vs $3,942 in Emmen, rent included.

Amsterdam $6,608
Emmen $3,942

Amsterdam costs about 86% more than Emmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Amsterdam and Emmen sit above the global median – Amsterdam by 158%, Emmen by 39%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.34 €20.07

$22.22 €19.96

0.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 €79.6

$82.1 €73.7

7.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.80 €13.29

$13.56 €12.18

9.14%

Cappuccino

$4.65 €4.18

$3.41 €3.06

36.36%

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

$3.69 €3.32

$3.37 €3.03

9.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.60

$3.38 €3.03

-14.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.92 €7.12

$5.72 €5.14

38.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.54 €5.87

$4.36 €3.92

50.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 €1.29

$1.03 €0.93

39.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 €2.15

$2.21 €1.98

8.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 €2.25

$2.75 €2.47

-9.09%

Eggs

$5.15 €4.63

$4.35 €3.91

18.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.90 €15.18

$11.94 €10.72

41.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.73 €11.44

$12.73 €11.43

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.87 €20.55

$16.42 €14.75

39.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.47

$2.61 €2.34

5.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 €2.46

$2.43 €2.18

12.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 €2.46

$1.80 €1.62

52.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.86 €3.47

$3.20 €2.87

20.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.26

$1.81 €1.63

39.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 €1.48

$1.85 €1.66

-10.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.35

$1.19 €1.07

26.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.52

$0.70 €0.63

141.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.52 €13.04

$12.34 €11.08

17.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.60 €7.73

$6.52 €5.85

31.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.60

$1.27 €1.14

40.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.25

$2.63 €2.37

-4.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.70 €3.32

$2.19 €1.97

68.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$117 €105

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.69 €4.21

$8.33 €7.48

-43.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.42 €3.08

$1.99 €1.79

71.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.00 €35.04

$22.02 €19.78

77.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.56 €2.30

$2.36 €2.12

8.47%

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

$40.6K €36.5K

$42.0K €37.7K

-3.31%

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

$38.9K €34.9K

$39.8K €35.7K

-2.18%

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

$306 €275

$166 €149

84.56%

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

$22.66 €20.35

$18.60 €16.71

21.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.8 €47.45

$54.8 €49.26

-3.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.0 €49.37

$41.08 €36.90

33.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.66 €32.04

$22.11 €19.86

61.28%

Cinema Ticket

$16.48 €14.81

$13.21 €11.87

24.75%

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

$2,778 €2,495

$2,653 €2,383

4.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €15.2K

$7,951 €7,143

113.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.7 €83.3

$77.3 €69.4

19.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.28 €37.08

$40.60 €36.47

1.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €91.1

$88.2 €79.2

14.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €120

$102 €91.7

31.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,642 €2,373

$878 €789

200.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,989 €1,787

$789 €709

152.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,165 €3,741

$1,674 €1,504

148.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,251 €2,920

$1,367 €1,228

137.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.6K €9,480

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,734 €6,049

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,625 €4,155

$2,753 €2,473

68.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.3

3.65

-9.59%

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

Last update for Amsterdam: October 27, 2026

Last update for Emmen: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Amsterdam

$2K 56.6%

Emmen

$789 41.7% 60.3% $1.2K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Amsterdam

$382 10.9%

Emmen

$239 12.7% 37.3% $142

Groceries & Markets

Amsterdam

$381 10.8%

Emmen

$307 16.2% 19.3% $73

Eating Out

Amsterdam

$358 10.2%

Emmen

$324 17.1% 9.6% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Amsterdam

$166 4.7%

Emmen

$139 7.3% 16.6% $28

Getting Around

Amsterdam

$153 4.4%

Emmen

$27 * 1.4% 82.3% $126

Sport & Entertainment

Amsterdam

$88 2.5%

Emmen

$68 3.6% 23.2% $20

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,642 in Amsterdam versus $878 in Emmen. 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 68% 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 $89 in Amsterdam versus $82 in Emmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $381 vs $307 – making Emmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Emmen

🕒 Local time

21:22 9:22 PM

Same time as Amsterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

881,933 Capital

108,765

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Emmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Amsterdam is pricier by about 86%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,276 per month in Amsterdam and $2,839 in Emmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Emmen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $878 there versus $2,642 in Amsterdam.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Amsterdam and $82 in Emmen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 24% more in Amsterdam, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Emmen, where all-in costs run around $1,892, than in Amsterdam at $3,517. In Emmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Amsterdam it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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