Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Amsterdam and Geleen

For one person, living is cheaper in Geleen: $2,469 a month against $3,517 in Amsterdam, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 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
120

Cost of Living Index in Geleen
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Geleen Living Index

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Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,517

/mo nomad

Geleen

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,469

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Amsterdam and in Geleen

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

A single person spends $3,517 per month in Amsterdam vs $2,469 in Geleen, rent included.

Amsterdam $3,517
Geleen $2,469

A couple spends around $5,063 per month in Amsterdam vs $3,664 in Geleen, rent included.

Amsterdam $5,063
Geleen $3,664

A family of three spends $6,608 per month in Amsterdam vs $4,858 in Geleen, rent included.

Amsterdam $6,608
Geleen $4,858

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

Both Amsterdam and Geleen sit above the global median – Amsterdam by 158%, Geleen by 81%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.34 €20.07

$20.16 €18.11

10.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 €79.6

$94.7 €85.0

-6.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.80 €13.29

$12.37 €11.11

19.64%

Cappuccino

$4.65 €4.18

$4.07 €3.66

14.25%

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

$3.69 €3.32

$3.70 €3.32

-0.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.60

$3.02 €2.71

-3.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.92 €7.12

$6.22 €5.59

27.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.54 €5.87

$5.69 €5.11

14.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 €1.29

$1.28 €1.15

12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 €2.15

$1.83 €1.64

31.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 €2.25

$2.71 €2.44

-7.75%

Eggs

$5.15 €4.63

$4.49 €4.03

14.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.90 €15.18

$14.53 €13.05

16.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.73 €11.44

$13.76 €12.36

-7.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.87 €20.55

$15.75 €14.14

45.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.47

$2.57 €2.31

7.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 €2.46

$2.48 €2.23

10.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 €2.46

$1.91 €1.72

43.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.86 €3.47

$4.52 €4.06

-14.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.26

$1.94 €1.74

29.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 €1.48

$2.40 €2.15

-31.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.35

$1.28 €1.15

17.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.52

$0.79 €0.71

113.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.52 €13.04

$13.83 €12.42

4.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.60 €7.73

$6.84 €6.14

25.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.60

$1.44 €1.30

23.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.25

$2.60 €2.34

-3.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.70 €3.32

$3.99 €3.59

-7.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$117 €105

$79.9 €71.8

45.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.69 €4.21

$3.41 €3.07

37.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.42 €3.08

$3.24 €2.91

5.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.00 €35.04

$28.28 €25.41

37.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.56 €2.30

$2.34 €2.10

9.40%

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

$40.6K €36.5K

$40.5K €36.4K

0.13%

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

$38.9K €34.9K

$39.9K €35.9K

-2.64%

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

$306 €275

$263 €236

16.60%

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

$22.66 €20.35

$16.91 €15.19

34.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.8 €47.45

$41.15 €36.96

28.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.0 €49.37

$41.48 €37.26

32.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.66 €32.04

$20.30 €18.24

75.67%

Cinema Ticket

$16.48 €14.81

$14.14 €12.70

16.55%

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

$2,778 €2,495

$1,273 €1,144

118.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €15.2K

$6,603 €5,931

156.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.7 €83.3

$79.1 €71.1

17.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.28 €37.08

$37.39 €33.59

10.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €91.1

$111 €99.9

-8.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €120

$128 €115

5.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,642 €2,373

$1,444 €1,297

82.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,989 €1,787

$1,158 €1,040

71.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,165 €3,741

$2,337 €2,099

78.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,251 €2,920

$1,877 €1,686

73.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.6K €9,480

$5,513 €4,953

91.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,734 €6,049

$3,918 €3,519

71.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,625 €4,155

$4,395 €3,948

5.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.3

4.02

-17.91%

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

Last update for Amsterdam: October 27, 2026

Last update for Geleen: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Amsterdam

$2K 56.6%

Geleen

$1.2K 46.9% 41.8% $831

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Amsterdam

$382 10.9%

Geleen

$321 13% 16% $61

Groceries & Markets

Amsterdam

$381 10.8%

Geleen

$329 13.3% 13.6% $52

Eating Out

Amsterdam

$358 10.2%

Geleen

$317 12.8% 11.5% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Amsterdam

$166 4.7%

Geleen

$160 6.5% 3.8% $6.3

Getting Around

Amsterdam

$153 4.4%

Geleen

$116 4.7% 24.6% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Amsterdam

$88 2.5%

Geleen

$70 2.8% 20.7% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,642 in Amsterdam versus $1,444 in Geleen. 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 5% 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 $95 in Geleen. Groceries tell a different story – $381 in Amsterdam vs $329 in Geleen – so Geleen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Geleen

🕒 Local time

19:47 7:47 PM

Same time as Amsterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

881,933 Capital

31,970

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Amsterdam Geleen 170 km

From you

Amsterdam
Geleen

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 Geleen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Amsterdam is pricier by about 42%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,276 per month in Amsterdam and $3,704 in Geleen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Geleen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,444 there versus $2,642 in Amsterdam.

Public transport costs about 31% less in Geleen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,778 per month in Amsterdam and $1,273 in Geleen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Geleen – 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 Geleen. 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.