Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Amsterdam and Lelystad

For one person, living is cheaper in Lelystad: $1,710 a month against $3,517 in Amsterdam, rent and utilities included – about $21,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

170

Cost of Living Index in Amsterdam
Learn more

Amsterdam Living Index
82

Cost of Living Index in Lelystad
Learn more

Lelystad Living Index

Jump to prices

Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,517

/mo nomad

Lelystad

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$1,710

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Amsterdam and in Lelystad

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

A single person spends $3,517 per month in Amsterdam vs $1,710 in Lelystad, rent included.

Amsterdam $3,517
Lelystad $1,710

A couple spends around $5,063 per month in Amsterdam vs $2,651 in Lelystad, rent included.

Amsterdam $5,063
Lelystad $2,651

A family of three spends $6,608 per month in Amsterdam vs $3,592 in Lelystad, rent included.

Amsterdam $6,608
Lelystad $3,592

Amsterdam costs about 106% more than Lelystad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Amsterdam and Lelystad sit above the global median – Amsterdam by 158%, Lelystad by 26%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.34 €20.02

$22.27 €19.95

0.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 €79.4

$82.4 €73.8

7.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.80 €13.26

$13.37 €11.99

10.70%

Cappuccino

$4.65 €4.17

$4.10 €3.68

13.41%

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

$3.69 €3.31

$2.60 €2.33

41.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.60

$2.33 €2.09

24.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.92 €7.10

$5.20 €4.66

52.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.54 €5.86

$4.51 €4.04

45.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 €1.29

$1.26 €1.13

14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 €2.15

$1.63 €1.46

47.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 €2.24

$2.40 €2.15

4.17%

Eggs

$5.15 €4.62

$4.60 €4.12

11.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.90 €15.15

$6.80 €6.09

148.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.73 €11.41

$14.20 €12.72

-10.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.87 €20.50

$16.57 €14.85

38.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.46

$2.11 €1.89

30.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 €2.45

$2.46 €2.21

11.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 €2.46

$1.83 €1.64

49.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.86 €3.46

$3.53 €3.17

9.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.26

$1.74 €1.56

44.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 €1.48

$1.74 €1.56

-5.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.35

$1.28 €1.14

17.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.51

$0.81 €0.72

108.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.52 €13.01

$9.44 €8.46

53.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.60 €7.71

$6.85 €6.14

25.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.60

$1.28 €1.15

39.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.25

$2.42 €2.17

3.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.70 €3.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$117 €104

$111 €99.2

5.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.69 €4.20

$3.72 €3.33

26.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.42 €3.07

$2.63 €2.35

30.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.00 €34.95

$26.07 €23.36

49.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.56 €2.29

$2.18 €1.95

17.43%

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

$40.6K €36.4K

$33.6K €30.1K

20.96%

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

$38.9K €34.8K

$39.4K €35.3K

-1.21%

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

$306 €275

$242 €217

26.80%

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

$22.66 €20.30

$14.72 €13.19

53.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.8 €47.34

$32.30 €28.94

63.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.0 €49.25

$42.75 €38.31

28.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.66 €31.96

Cinema Ticket

$16.48 €14.77

$13.62 €12.21

21.00%

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

$2,778 €2,489

$2,725 €2,442

1.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €15.2K

$8,152 €7,305

107.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.7 €83.1

$92.9 €83.3

-0.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.28 €36.99

$48.39 €43.37

-14.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €90.9

$93.7 €84.0

8.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €120

$115 €103

16.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,642 €2,368

$668 €599

295.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,989 €1,783

$447 €401

344.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,165 €3,732

$1,330 €1,192

213.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,251 €2,913

$770 €690

322.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.6K €9,457

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,734 €6,034

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,625 €4,145

$2,420 €2,168

91.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.3

3.23

2.17%

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

Last update for Amsterdam: October 27, 2026

Last update for Lelystad: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Amsterdam

$2K 56.6%

Lelystad

$447 26.2% 77.5% $1.5K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Amsterdam

$382 10.9%

Lelystad

$289 16.9% 24.4% $93

Groceries & Markets

Amsterdam

$381 10.8%

Lelystad

$297 17.4% 22% $84

Eating Out

Amsterdam

$358 10.2%

Lelystad

$322 18.8% 10% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Amsterdam

$166 4.7%

Lelystad

$158 9.2% 5.2% $8.6

Getting Around

Amsterdam

$153 4.4%

Lelystad

$128 * 7.5% 16.7% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Amsterdam

$88 2.5%

Lelystad

$70 4.1% 20.4% $18

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,642 in Amsterdam versus $668 in Lelystad. 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 91% 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 $82 in Lelystad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $381 vs $297 – making Lelystad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Lelystad

🕒 Local time

05:02 5:02 AM

Same time as Amsterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

881,933 Capital

78,598

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Amsterdam Lelystad 43 km

From you

Amsterdam
Lelystad

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 Lelystad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Amsterdam is pricier by about 106%, 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 $2,565 in Lelystad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lelystad, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $668 there versus $2,642 in Amsterdam.

Public transport costs about 5% less in Lelystad. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,778 per month in Amsterdam and $2,725 in Lelystad. 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 Lelystad, where all-in costs run around $1,710, than in Amsterdam at $3,517. In Lelystad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Amsterdam it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Amsterdam has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,710 in Lelystad to $3,517 in Amsterdam. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Lelystad. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Amsterdam makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.