Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Amsterdam and London

For one person, living is cheaper in Amsterdam: $3,504 a month against $4,086 in London, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

169

Cost of Living Index in Amsterdam
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Amsterdam Living Index
196

Cost of Living Index in London
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London Living Index

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Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,504

/mo nomad

London

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$4,086

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Amsterdam and in London

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

A single person spends $3,504 per month in Amsterdam vs $4,086 in London, rent included.

Amsterdam $3,504
London $4,086

A couple spends around $5,010 per month in Amsterdam vs $5,816 in London, rent included.

Amsterdam $5,010
London $5,816

A family of three spends $6,516 per month in Amsterdam vs $7,546 in London, rent included.

Amsterdam $6,516
London $7,546

Amsterdam is about 14% cheaper than London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Amsterdam and London sit above the global median – Amsterdam by 161%, London by 205%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.37 €19.96

$26.62 £20.11

-15.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.0 €81.2

$108 £81.3

-15.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.36 €13.71

$10.39 £7.85

47.83%

Cappuccino

$4.60 €4.11

$5.79 £4.38

-20.55%

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

$3.74 €3.33

$3.01 £2.27

24.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 €2.70

$2.15 £1.63

40.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.41 €6.62

$9.35 £7.06

-20.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 €5.07

$7.84 £5.93

-27.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 €1.36

$1.79 £1.35

-15.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 €2.13

$2.06 £1.56

15.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.54 €2.26

$2.31 £1.74

9.96%

Eggs

$5.24 €4.68

$5.05 £3.82

3.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.95 €15.13

$12.57 £9.50

34.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.41 €11.97

$10.66 £8.05

25.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.00 €20.53

$17.13 £12.94

34.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.45

$3.03 £2.29

-9.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 €2.52

$1.41 £1.07

100.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 €2.35

$3.05 £2.31

-13.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.87 €3.45

$3.38 £2.56

14.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 €2.13

$1.67 £1.26

43.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 €1.53

$1.73 £1.31

-1.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 €1.28

$1.41 £1.07

1.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.59

$1.79 £1.35

-0.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.48 €12.92

$23.22 £17.55

-37.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.21 €8.22

$12.99 £9.82

-29.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.59

$3.18 £2.40

-44.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 €2.26

$4.41 £3.33

-42.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.72 €3.32

$3.87 £2.93

-3.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$116 €104

$250 £189

-53.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.70 €4.19

$5.71 £4.31

-17.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.40 €3.04

$3.33 £2.51

2.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.74 €34.57

$57.9 £43.76

-33.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.61 €2.33

$2.04 £1.54

27.94%

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

$41.7K €37.2K

$37.5K £28.4K

10.98%

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

$38.2K €34.1K

$40.9K £30.9K

-6.70%

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

$298 €266

$376 £284

-20.80%

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

$22.98 €20.51

$17.88 £13.51

28.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.0 €47.26

$40.01 £30.24

32.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 €53.9

$61.2 £46.22

-1.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.40 €31.59

$21.07 £15.93

68.01%

Cinema Ticket

$16.86 €15.05

$17.95 £13.57

-6.07%

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

$2,764 €2,466

$2,865 £2,165

-3.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €15.3K

$35.3K £26.7K

-51.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.3 €83.2

$116 £87.7

-19.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.20 €36.77

$54.1 £40.87

-23.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 €89.3

$127 £95.7

-20.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 €119

$159 £120

-16.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,605 €2,325

$2,853 £2,156

-8.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 €1,720

$2,301 £1,739

-16.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,903 €3,483

$5,201 £3,931

-24.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,115 €2,780

$3,723 £2,813

-16.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.3K €9,201

$19.0K £14.4K

-45.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,540 €5,836

$7,881 £5,955

-17.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,524 €4,038

$4,818 £3,641

-6.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.27

4.65

-29.68%

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

Last update for Amsterdam: October 3, 2026

Last update for London: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Amsterdam

$1.9K 55.8%

London

$2.3K 56.5% 19.4% $374

Groceries & Markets

Amsterdam

$388 11.2%

London

$349 8.6% 9.9% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Amsterdam

$374 10.8%

London

$434 10.7% 16.1% $60

Eating Out

Amsterdam

$356 10.3%

London

$397 9.7% 11.5% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Amsterdam

$165 4.8%

London

$205 5% 24.1% $40

Getting Around

Amsterdam

$153 4.4%

London

$288 7.1% 88.4% $135

Sport & Entertainment

Amsterdam

$94 2.7%

London

$97 2.4% 3.1% $2.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,605 in Amsterdam versus $2,853 in London. 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 6% higher in London, 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 $91.0 in Amsterdam versus $108 in London. Groceries tell a different story – $388 in Amsterdam vs $349 in London – so London wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Amsterdam

🇬🇧 London

🕒 Local time

12:22 12:22 PM

11:22 11:22 AM

1 h behind Amsterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

881,933 Capital

8,908,083 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 GBP = 1.32 USD

1 GBP = 1.18 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Amsterdam London 360 km

From you

Amsterdam
London

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 London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – London is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,255 per month in Amsterdam and $6,129 in London. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 115% less in Amsterdam. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,764 per month in Amsterdam and $2,865 in London. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,504 in Amsterdam and $4,086 in London. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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