Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Amsterdam and Leeuwarden

For one person, living is cheaper in Leeuwarden: $2,588 a month against $3,496 in Amsterdam, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 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
125

Cost of Living Index in Leeuwarden
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Leeuwarden Living Index

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Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,496

/mo nomad

Leeuwarden

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,588

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Amsterdam and in Leeuwarden

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

A single person spends $3,496 per month in Amsterdam vs $2,588 in Leeuwarden, rent included.

Amsterdam $3,496
Leeuwarden $2,588

A couple spends around $5,012 per month in Amsterdam vs $3,825 in Leeuwarden, rent included.

Amsterdam $5,012
Leeuwarden $3,825

A family of three spends $6,528 per month in Amsterdam vs $5,063 in Leeuwarden, rent included.

Amsterdam $6,528
Leeuwarden $5,063

Amsterdam costs about 35% more than Leeuwarden, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Amsterdam and Leeuwarden sit above the global median – Amsterdam by 158%, Leeuwarden by 91%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.16 €19.71

$22.50 €20.01

-1.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.5 €79.6

$112 €99.2

-19.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.53 €12.93

$15.61 €13.88

-6.92%

Cappuccino

$4.56 €4.06

$3.86 €3.44

18.13%

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

$3.86 €3.43

$3.73 €3.32

3.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.69

$2.86 €2.54

5.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 €7.17

$6.88 €6.12

17.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.59 €5.87

$5.35 €4.75

23.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 €1.34

$1.16 €1.03

30.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 €2.10

$1.92 €1.71

22.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 €2.17

Eggs

$5.21 €4.63

$4.37 €3.89

19.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.77 €14.92

$12.73 €11.32

31.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.06 €11.61

$14.38 €12.79

-9.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.98 €20.44

$16.29 €14.49

41.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.40

$2.32 €2.07

16.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.87 €2.55

$2.40 €2.13

19.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 €2.39

$1.85 €1.65

45.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 €3.52

$5.25 €4.67

-24.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.23

$1.72 €1.53

45.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 €1.48

$1.93 €1.72

-13.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.34

$1.21 €1.08

24.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.48

$0.91 €0.81

83.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.36 €12.77

$14.20 €12.63

1.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.66 €7.71

$7.02 €6.24

23.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 €1.61

$1.88 €1.67

-3.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 €2.25

$1.69 €1.50

49.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 €3.33

$3.29 €2.92

13.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$117 €104

$127 €113

-7.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.62 €4.11

$8.78 €7.81

-47.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.38 €3.00

$3.98 €3.54

-15.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.70 €35.31

$51.0 €45.38

-22.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.67 €2.37

$2.41 €2.15

10.79%

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

$41.8K €37.2K

$41.7K €37.1K

0.27%

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

$38.6K €34.3K

$39.0K €34.7K

-0.97%

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

$303 €270

$369 €328

-17.90%

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

$22.97 €20.43

$43.01 €38.26

-46.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 €45.83

$45.83 €40.77

12.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 €52.0

$37.73 €33.56

54.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.86 €31.90

$19.00 €16.90

88.74%

Cinema Ticket

$16.86 €15.00

$16.54 €14.71

1.93%

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

$2,815 €2,504

$1,353 €1,204

108.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.6K

$22.5K €20.0K

-22.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.2 €82.0

$114 €102

-19.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.16 €37.50

$39.18 €34.85

7.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.3 €88.3

$130 €116

-23.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €119

$136 €121

-1.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,654 €2,361

$1,351 €1,202

96.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 €1,750

$1,028 €915

91.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,963 €3,525

$3,851 €3,425

2.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,158 €2,809

$1,612 €1,434

95.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.5K €9,354

$3,638 €3,236

189.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,700 €5,960

$3,248 €2,889

106.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,677 €4,160

$2,989 €2,658

56.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.3

4.38

-24.66%

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

Last update for Amsterdam: October 19, 2026

Last update for Leeuwarden: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Amsterdam

$2K 56.3%

Leeuwarden

$1K 39.7% 47.7% $939

Groceries & Markets

Amsterdam

$384 11%

Leeuwarden

$328 12.7% 14.4% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Amsterdam

$378 10.8%

Leeuwarden

$458 17.7% 21.3% $80

Eating Out

Amsterdam

$357 10.2%

Leeuwarden

$345 13.3% 3.4% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Amsterdam

$166 4.7%

Leeuwarden

$189 7.3% 14% $23

Getting Around

Amsterdam

$154 4.4%

Leeuwarden

$169 6.5% 10.1% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Amsterdam

$92 2.6%

Leeuwarden

$71 2.7% 23.2% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,654 in Amsterdam versus $1,351 in Leeuwarden. 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 56% 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 $112 in Leeuwarden. Groceries tell a different story – $384 in Amsterdam vs $328 in Leeuwarden – so Leeuwarden wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Leeuwarden

🕒 Local time

11:32 11:32 AM

Same time as Amsterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

881,933 Capital

91,992

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Amsterdam Leeuwarden 110 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 Leeuwarden: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Amsterdam is pricier by about 35%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,244 per month in Amsterdam and $3,882 in Leeuwarden. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 9% less in Leeuwarden. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,815 per month in Amsterdam and $1,353 in Leeuwarden. 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 $3,496 in Amsterdam and $2,588 in Leeuwarden. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Leeuwarden – 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 Leeuwarden. 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.