Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Amsterdam and Maastricht

For one person, living is cheaper in Maastricht: $2,656 a month against $3,592 in Amsterdam, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 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
128

Cost of Living Index in Maastricht
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Maastricht Living Index

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Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,592

/mo nomad

Maastricht

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,656

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Amsterdam and in Maastricht

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

A single person spends $3,592 per month in Amsterdam vs $2,656 in Maastricht, rent included.

Amsterdam $3,592
Maastricht $2,656

A couple spends around $5,063 per month in Amsterdam vs $3,753 in Maastricht, rent included.

Amsterdam $5,063
Maastricht $3,753

A family of three spends $6,533 per month in Amsterdam vs $4,850 in Maastricht, rent included.

Amsterdam $6,533
Maastricht $4,850

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

Both Amsterdam and Maastricht sit above the global median – Amsterdam by 166%, Maastricht by 96%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.72 €20.29

$19.73 €17.62

15.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.7 €80.2

$89.9 €80.3

-0.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.38 €12.85

$12.41 €11.08

15.87%

Cappuccino

$4.65 €4.15

$4.36 €3.89

6.65%

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

$3.88 €3.47

$3.84 €3.43

1.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.66

$3.05 €2.73

-2.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.68 €6.86

$8.57 €7.65

-10.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.80 €6.07

$5.57 €4.98

22.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 €1.35

$1.28 €1.15

17.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 €2.11

$2.41 €2.15

-2.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 €2.23

$2.60 €2.33

-3.85%

Eggs

$5.39 €4.81

$4.56 €4.07

18.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.70 €14.92

$14.84 €13.25

12.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.89 €11.52

$13.95 €12.46

-7.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.63 €21.11

$15.63 €13.96

51.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 €2.47

$2.66 €2.37

3.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 €2.51

$2.52 €2.25

11.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 €2.47

$1.88 €1.68

46.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.89 €3.48

$4.47 €4.00

-12.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.17

$1.96 €1.75

23.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 €1.52

$2.30 €2.05

-25.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.34 €1.20

9.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.50

$0.78 €0.70

115.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.38 €12.84

$13.84 €12.37

3.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.52 €7.61

$6.79 €6.07

25.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.55

$1.47 €1.31

17.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.35

$2.70 €2.41

-2.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.71 €3.32

$4.00 €3.57

-7.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$118 €106

$89.6 €80.0

32.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.71 €4.21

$4.94 €4.42

-4.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.44 €3.07

$3.51 €3.13

-1.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.6 €53.2

$67.7 €60.5

-12.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.66 €2.38

$2.36 €2.11

12.71%

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

$41.4K €36.9K

$41.9K €37.4K

-1.28%

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

$38.6K €34.5K

$39.2K €35.0K

-1.36%

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

$298 €266

$292 €261

1.88%

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

$23.21 €20.73

$16.83 €15.03

37.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.9 €47.28

$49.19 €43.94

7.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 €47.68

$41.95 €37.47

27.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.92 €32.09

$27.89 €24.91

28.79%

Cinema Ticket

$16.96 €15.14

$15.55 €13.89

9.07%

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

$2,797 €2,499

$1,232 €1,100

127.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.0K €20.6K

$13.2K €11.8K

74.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.8 €83.8

$80.8 €72.2

16.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.27 €37.76

$38.07 €34.00

11.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.3 €87.8

$112 €99.7

-11.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 €119

$129 €115

2.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,678 €2,392

$1,445 €1,291

85.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,065 €1,845

$1,269 €1,133

62.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,084 €3,648

$2,312 €2,065

76.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,160 €2,822

$1,776 €1,586

77.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.4K €9,333

$5,381 €4,806

94.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,719 €6,001

$3,770 €3,367

78.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,789 €4,278

$3,369 €3,009

42.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.3

4.42

-25.34%

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

Last update for Amsterdam: November 1, 2026

Last update for Maastricht: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Amsterdam

$2.1K 57.5%

Maastricht

$1.3K 47.8% 38.6% $797

Groceries & Markets

Amsterdam

$385 10.7%

Maastricht

$337 12.7% 12.5% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Amsterdam

$374 10.4%

Maastricht

$358 13.5% 4.2% $16

Eating Out

Amsterdam

$360 10%

Maastricht

$329 12.4% 8.6% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Amsterdam

$165 4.6%

Maastricht

$162 6.1% 2.1% $3.5

Getting Around

Amsterdam

$155 4.3%

Maastricht

$128 4.8% 17.5% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Amsterdam

$87 2.4%

Maastricht

$73 2.8% 16.3% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,678 in Amsterdam versus $1,445 in Maastricht. 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 42% higher in Amsterdam. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90 in Amsterdam versus $90 in Maastricht. Groceries tell a different story – $385 in Amsterdam vs $337 in Maastricht – so Maastricht wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Maastricht

🕒 Local time

17:55 5:55 PM

Same time as Amsterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

881,933 Capital

120,105

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Maastricht: 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 $5,388 per month in Amsterdam and $3,983 in Maastricht. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Maastricht, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,445 there versus $2,678 in Amsterdam.

Public transport costs about 24% less in Maastricht. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 14% more in Amsterdam, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,592 in Amsterdam and $2,656 in Maastricht. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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