Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Amsterdam and Groningen

For one person, living is cheaper in Groningen: $2,348 a month against $3,517 in Amsterdam, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 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
113

Cost of Living Index in Groningen
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Groningen Living Index

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Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,517

/mo nomad

Groningen

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,348

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Amsterdam and in Groningen

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

A single person spends $3,517 per month in Amsterdam vs $2,348 in Groningen, rent included.

Amsterdam $3,517
Groningen $2,348

A couple spends around $5,063 per month in Amsterdam vs $3,547 in Groningen, rent included.

Amsterdam $5,063
Groningen $3,547

A family of three spends $6,608 per month in Amsterdam vs $4,745 in Groningen, rent included.

Amsterdam $6,608
Groningen $4,745

Amsterdam costs about 50% more than Groningen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Amsterdam and Groningen sit above the global median – Amsterdam by 158%, Groningen by 73%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.34 €20.02

$20.31 €18.20

10.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 €79.4

$103 €91.9

-13.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.80 €13.26

$15.42 €13.82

-4.02%

Cappuccino

$4.65 €4.17

$4.65 €4.16

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

$3.69 €3.31

$3.90 €3.49

-5.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.60

$3.12 €2.80

-7.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.92 €7.10

$5.54 €4.97

42.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.54 €5.86

$5.47 €4.90

19.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 €1.29

$1.46 €1.31

-1.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 €2.15

$2.51 €2.25

-4.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 €2.24

$2.53 €2.27

-1.19%

Eggs

$5.15 €4.62

$4.56 €4.09

12.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.90 €15.15

$12.46 €11.16

35.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.73 €11.41

$13.13 €11.77

-3.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.87 €20.50

$17.91 €16.05

27.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.46

$2.96 €2.65

-7.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 €2.45

$2.52 €2.26

8.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 €2.46

$2.65 €2.37

3.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.86 €3.46

$4.82 €4.32

-19.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.26

$1.97 €1.77

27.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 €1.48

$1.56 €1.40

5.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.35

$1.30 €1.17

16.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.51

$1.27 €1.14

33.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.52 €13.01

$14.28 €12.79

1.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.60 €7.71

$6.52 €5.85

31.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.60

$1.45 €1.30

22.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.25

$2.45 €2.20

2.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.70 €3.31

$4.15 €3.72

-10.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$117 €104

$67.2 €60.3

73.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.69 €4.20

$6.65 €5.96

-29.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.42 €3.07

$2.66 €2.38

28.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.00 €34.95

$28.78 €25.79

35.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.56 €2.29

$2.66 €2.39

-3.76%

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

$40.6K €36.4K

$42.1K €37.7K

-3.51%

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

$38.9K €34.8K

$39.2K €35.2K

-0.91%

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

$306 €275

$229 €205

34.00%

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

$22.66 €20.30

$20.69 €18.54

9.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.8 €47.34

$50.3 €45.07

5.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.0 €49.25

$37.83 €33.90

45.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.66 €31.96

$15.10 €13.53

136.16%

Cinema Ticket

$16.48 €14.77

$16.95 €15.19

-2.77%

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

$2,778 €2,489

$2,012 €1,803

38.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €15.2K

$7,714 €6,912

119.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.7 €83.1

$108 €96.5

-13.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.28 €36.99

$44.69 €40.05

-7.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €90.9

$105 €93.9

-3.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €120

$197 €177

-32.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,642 €2,368

$1,382 €1,238

91.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,989 €1,783

$993 €890

100.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,165 €3,732

$2,110 €1,891

97.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,251 €2,913

$1,605 €1,439

102.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.6K €9,457

$5,500 €4,929

91.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,734 €6,034

$3,905 €3,500

72.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,625 €4,145

$3,026 €2,712

52.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.3

3.43

-3.79%

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

Last update for Amsterdam: October 27, 2026

Last update for Groningen: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Amsterdam

$2K 56.6%

Groningen

$993 42.3% 50.1% $996

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Amsterdam

$382 10.9%

Groningen

$300 12.8% 21.5% $82

Groceries & Markets

Amsterdam

$381 10.8%

Groningen

$344 14.7% 9.6% $37

Eating Out

Amsterdam

$358 10.2%

Groningen

$331 14.1% 7.5% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Amsterdam

$166 4.7%

Groningen

$205 8.7% 23.1% $38

Getting Around

Amsterdam

$153 4.4%

Groningen

$104 4.4% 32.2% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Amsterdam

$88 2.5%

Groningen

$72 3.1% 18.4% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,642 in Amsterdam versus $1,382 in Groningen. 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 53% higher in Amsterdam. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Amsterdam versus $103 in Groningen. Groceries tell a different story – $381 in Amsterdam vs $344 in Groningen – so Groningen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Groningen

🕒 Local time

06:35 6:35 AM

Same time as Amsterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

881,933 Capital

201,242

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Amsterdam Groningen 150 km

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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 Groningen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Amsterdam is pricier by about 50%, 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 $3,523 in Groningen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Groningen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,382 there versus $2,642 in Amsterdam.

Public transport costs about 42% less in Groningen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,778 per month in Amsterdam and $2,012 in Groningen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,517 in Amsterdam and $2,348 in Groningen. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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