Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Amsterdam and Gouda

For one person, living is cheaper in Gouda: $2,484 a month against $3,517 in Amsterdam, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 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 Gouda
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Gouda Living Index

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Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,517

/mo nomad

Gouda

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,484

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Amsterdam and in Gouda

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

A single person spends $3,517 per month in Amsterdam vs $2,484 in Gouda, rent included.

Amsterdam $3,517
Gouda $2,484

A couple spends around $5,063 per month in Amsterdam vs $3,942 in Gouda, rent included.

Amsterdam $5,063
Gouda $3,942

A family of three spends $6,608 per month in Amsterdam vs $5,399 in Gouda, rent included.

Amsterdam $6,608
Gouda $5,399

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

Both Amsterdam and Gouda sit above the global median – Amsterdam by 158%, Gouda by 83%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.34 €20.02

$19.29 €17.28

15.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 €79.4

$89.7 €80.4

-1.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.80 €13.26

$15.05 €13.49

-1.66%

Cappuccino

$4.65 €4.17

$4.24 €3.80

9.67%

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

$3.69 €3.31

$3.56 €3.19

3.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.60

$3.01 €2.70

-3.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.92 €7.10

$7.89 €7.07

0.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.54 €5.86

$6.03 €5.41

8.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 €1.29

$1.24 €1.11

16.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 €2.15

$2.30 €2.06

4.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 €2.24

$2.52 €2.25

-0.79%

Eggs

$5.15 €4.62

$4.59 €4.12

12.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.90 €15.15

$14.77 €13.24

14.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.73 €11.41

$13.09 €11.73

-2.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.87 €20.50

$16.60 €14.88

37.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.46

$2.63 €2.35

4.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 €2.45

$2.27 €2.03

20.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 €2.46

$1.97 €1.76

39.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.86 €3.46

$3.56 €3.19

8.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.26

$1.73 €1.55

45.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 €1.48

$2.00 €1.80

-17.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.35

$1.16 €1.04

30.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.51

$0.88 €0.79

92.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.52 €13.01

$13.28 €11.90

9.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.60 €7.71

$6.75 €6.05

27.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.60

$1.50 €1.34

18.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.25

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.70 €3.31

$3.86 €3.46

-4.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$117 €104

$96.4 €86.4

20.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.69 €4.20

$3.31 €2.97

41.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.42 €3.07

$3.27 €2.93

4.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.00 €34.95

$22.57 €20.22

72.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.56 €2.29

$2.49 €2.23

2.81%

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

$40.6K €36.4K

$41.1K €36.8K

-1.15%

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

$38.9K €34.8K

$39.3K €35.2K

-1.11%

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

$306 €275

$274 €245

12.00%

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

$22.66 €20.30

$15.29 €13.70

48.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.8 €47.34

$49.74 €44.58

6.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.0 €49.25

$58.2 €52.1

-5.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.66 €31.96

$23.42 €20.99

52.26%

Cinema Ticket

$16.48 €14.77

$15.20 €13.62

8.42%

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

$2,778 €2,489

$2,559 €2,293

8.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €15.2K

$13.0K €11.7K

30.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.7 €83.1

$95.9 €85.9

-3.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.28 €36.99

$42.43 €38.02

-2.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €90.9

$108 €96.9

-6.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €120

$140 €125

-4.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,642 €2,368

$1,780 €1,595

48.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,989 €1,783

$1,097 €983

81.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,165 €3,732

$2,821 €2,528

47.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,251 €2,913

$2,315 €2,074

40.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.6K €9,457

$5,807 €5,204

81.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,734 €6,034

$4,426 €3,966

52.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,625 €4,145

$2,507 €2,247

84.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.3

3.4

-2.94%

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

Last update for Amsterdam: October 27, 2026

Last update for Gouda: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Amsterdam

$2K 56.6%

Gouda

$1.1K 44.2% 44.9% $892

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Amsterdam

$382 10.9%

Gouda

$339 13.6% 11.3% $43

Groceries & Markets

Amsterdam

$381 10.8%

Gouda

$326 13.1% 14.3% $54

Eating Out

Amsterdam

$358 10.2%

Gouda

$328 13.2% 8.3% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Amsterdam

$166 4.7%

Gouda

$174 7% 4.6% $7.6

Getting Around

Amsterdam

$153 4.4%

Gouda

$132 5.3% 14.1% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Amsterdam

$88 2.5%

Gouda

$89 3.6% 0.7% $0.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,642 in Amsterdam versus $1,780 in Gouda. 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 84% higher in Amsterdam. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Amsterdam versus $90 in Gouda. Groceries tell a different story – $381 in Amsterdam vs $326 in Gouda – so Gouda wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Gouda

🕒 Local time

01:46 1:46 AM

Same time as Amsterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

881,933 Capital

73,427

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Amsterdam Gouda 42 km

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Amsterdam
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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 Gouda: 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 $3,726 in Gouda. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gouda, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,780 there versus $2,642 in Amsterdam.

Public transport costs about 17% less in Gouda. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Amsterdam, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,517 in Amsterdam and $2,484 in Gouda. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Gouda – 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 Gouda. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Amsterdam makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.