Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Amsterdam and Heerlen

For one person, living is cheaper in Heerlen: $2,255 a month against $3,496 in Amsterdam, rent and utilities included – about $14,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

168

Cost of Living Index in Amsterdam
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Amsterdam Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Heerlen
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Heerlen Living Index

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Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,496

/mo nomad

Heerlen

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,255

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Amsterdam and in Heerlen

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

A single person spends $3,496 per month in Amsterdam vs $2,255 in Heerlen, rent included.

Amsterdam $3,496
Heerlen $2,255

A couple spends around $5,012 per month in Amsterdam vs $3,463 in Heerlen, rent included.

Amsterdam $5,012
Heerlen $3,463

A family of three spends $6,528 per month in Amsterdam vs $4,672 in Heerlen, rent included.

Amsterdam $6,528
Heerlen $4,672

Amsterdam costs about 55% more than Heerlen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Amsterdam and Heerlen sit above the global median – Amsterdam by 158%, Heerlen by 66%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.16 €19.71

$23.76 €21.13

-6.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.5 €79.6

$97.9 €87.0

-8.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.53 €12.93

$19.01 €16.90

-23.57%

Cappuccino

$4.56 €4.06

$4.09 €3.64

11.49%

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

$3.86 €3.43

$3.24 €2.88

19.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.69

$2.29 €2.03

31.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 €7.17

$6.09 €5.42

32.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.59 €5.87

$5.59 €4.97

17.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 €1.34

$1.33 €1.19

13.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 €2.10

$2.41 €2.15

-2.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 €2.17

$2.54 €2.26

-3.94%

Eggs

$5.21 €4.63

$4.47 €3.97

16.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.77 €14.92

$11.73 €10.43

42.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.06 €11.61

$14.00 €12.45

-6.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.98 €20.44

$17.89 €15.91

28.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.40

$2.28 €2.03

18.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.87 €2.55

$2.51 €2.23

14.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 €2.39

$2.11 €1.88

27.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 €3.52

$4.32 €3.84

-8.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.23

$1.85 €1.65

35.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 €1.48

$2.09 €1.86

-20.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.34

$1.39 €1.24

8.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.48

$0.83 €0.74

101.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.36 €12.77

$13.87 €12.34

3.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.66 €7.71

$7.20 €6.41

20.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 €1.61

$1.41 €1.26

28.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 €2.25

$2.66 €2.37

-4.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 €3.33

$3.60 €3.20

3.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$117 €104

$59.8 €53.2

95.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.62 €4.11

$6.27 €5.58

-26.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.38 €3.00

$1.69 €1.50

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.70 €35.31

$22.38 €19.91

77.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.67 €2.37

$2.46 €2.19

8.54%

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

$41.8K €37.2K

$29.7K €26.4K

40.86%

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

$38.6K €34.3K

$35.0K €31.1K

10.32%

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

$303 €270

$191 €170

58.38%

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

$22.97 €20.43

$26.36 €23.45

-12.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 €45.83

$56.0 €49.78

-7.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 €52.0

$35.46 €31.54

64.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.86 €31.90

$27.63 €24.58

29.79%

Cinema Ticket

$16.86 €15.00

$13.40 €11.92

25.82%

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

$2,815 €2,504

$671 €597

319.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.6K

$5,507 €4,898

218.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.2 €82.0

$99.6 €88.6

-7.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.16 €37.50

$49.56 €44.08

-14.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.3 €88.3

$101 €90.1

-1.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €119

$193 €172

-30.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,654 €2,361

$1,120 €996

137.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 €1,750

$938 €834

109.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,963 €3,525

$1,913 €1,701

107.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,158 €2,809

$1,587 €1,411

99.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.5K €9,354

$3,938 €3,502

167.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,700 €5,960

$2,810 €2,500

138.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,677 €4,160

$2,947 €2,622

58.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.3

4.35

-24.14%

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

Last update for Amsterdam: October 19, 2026

Last update for Heerlen: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Amsterdam

$2K 56.3%

Heerlen

$938 41.6% 52.3% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Amsterdam

$384 11%

Heerlen

$333 14.8% 13.2% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Amsterdam

$378 10.8%

Heerlen

$274 12.1% 27.5% $104

Eating Out

Amsterdam

$357 10.2%

Heerlen

$360 16% 0.9% $3.3

Clothing & Footwear

Amsterdam

$166 4.7%

Heerlen

$200 8.9% 20.5% $34

Getting Around

Amsterdam

$154 4.4%

Heerlen

$89 3.9% 42.1% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Amsterdam

$92 2.6%

Heerlen

$62 2.8% 32.5% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,654 in Amsterdam versus $1,120 in Heerlen. 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 59% 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 $89.0 in Amsterdam versus $98.0 in Heerlen. Groceries tell a different story – $384 in Amsterdam vs $333 in Heerlen – so Heerlen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Heerlen

🕒 Local time

22:50 10:50 PM

Same time as Amsterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

881,933 Capital

87,086

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Amsterdam Heerlen 180 km

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Amsterdam
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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 Heerlen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Amsterdam is pricier by about 55%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,244 per month in Amsterdam and $3,383 in Heerlen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Heerlen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 96% less in Heerlen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,815 per month in Amsterdam and $671 in Heerlen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Heerlen, where all-in costs run around $2,255, than in Amsterdam at $3,496. In Heerlen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Amsterdam it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Heerlen – 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 Heerlen. 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.