Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Amsterdam and Purmerend

For one person, living is cheaper in Purmerend: $2,481 a month against $3,592 in Amsterdam, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 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
120

Cost of Living Index in Purmerend
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Purmerend Living Index

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Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,592

/mo nomad

Purmerend

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,481

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Amsterdam and in Purmerend

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

A single person spends $3,592 per month in Amsterdam vs $2,481 in Purmerend, rent included.

Amsterdam $3,592
Purmerend $2,481

A couple spends around $5,063 per month in Amsterdam vs $3,542 in Purmerend, rent included.

Amsterdam $5,063
Purmerend $3,542

A family of three spends $6,533 per month in Amsterdam vs $4,603 in Purmerend, rent included.

Amsterdam $6,533
Purmerend $4,603

Amsterdam costs about 45% more than Purmerend, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Amsterdam and Purmerend sit above the global median – Amsterdam by 166%, Purmerend by 84%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.72 €20.24

$16.48 €14.68

37.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.7 €79.9

$49.53 €44.12

81.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.38 €12.81

$12.88 €11.47

11.65%

Cappuccino

$4.65 €4.14

$4.11 €3.66

13.14%

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

$3.88 €3.46

$3.58 €3.19

8.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.65

$2.58 €2.30

15.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.68 €6.84

$5.99 €5.34

28.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.80 €6.06

$5.72 €5.09

18.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 €1.35

$1.37 €1.22

10.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 €2.11

$2.18 €1.94

8.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 €2.23

$2.51 €2.24

-0.40%

Eggs

$5.39 €4.80

$4.85 €4.32

11.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.70 €14.88

$13.68 €12.19

22.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.89 €11.48

$13.71 €12.21

-5.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.63 €21.05

$17.15 €15.27

37.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 €2.46

$2.59 €2.31

6.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 €2.51

$2.40 €2.14

17.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 €2.46

$1.95 €1.74

41.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.89 €3.47

$4.27 €3.80

-8.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.16

$1.79 €1.60

35.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 €1.52

$1.90 €1.69

-10.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.24 €1.10

18.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.50

$0.91 €0.81

84.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.38 €12.81

$14.05 €12.52

2.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.52 €7.59

$7.00 €6.23

21.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.54

$1.45 €1.29

19.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.34

$2.64 €2.35

-0.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.71 €3.31

$3.59 €3.20

3.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$118 €105

$91.1 €81.2

29.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.71 €4.19

$4.18 €3.72

12.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.44 €3.06

$2.70 €2.40

27.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.6 €53.1

$28.99 €25.82

105.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.66 €2.37

$2.39 €2.13

11.30%

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

$41.4K €36.8K

$40.5K €36.1K

2.04%

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

$38.6K €34.4K

0.04%

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

$298 €265

$261 €233

14.08%

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

$23.21 €20.67

$22.37 €19.93

3.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.9 €47.16

$50.8 €45.22

4.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 €47.56

$41.26 €36.76

29.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.92 €32.00

$23.41 €20.85

53.44%

Cinema Ticket

$16.96 €15.10

$15.29 €13.62

10.92%

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

$2,797 €2,492

$2,578 €2,296

8.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.0K €20.5K

$8,039 €7,161

186.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.8 €83.6

$91.8 €81.8

2.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.27 €37.65

$43.92 €39.12

-3.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.3 €87.5

$103 €91.6

-4.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 €118

$136 €122

-2.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,678 €2,386

$1,441 €1,283

85.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,065 €1,840

$1,163 €1,036

77.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,084 €3,638

$2,340 €2,085

74.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,160 €2,815

$1,842 €1,641

71.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.4K €9,308

$5,646 €5,029

85.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,719 €5,985

$4,415 €3,933

52.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,789 €4,266

$3,977 €3,543

20.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.3

4.03

-18.11%

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

Last update for Amsterdam: November 1, 2026

Last update for Purmerend: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Amsterdam

$2.1K 57.5%

Purmerend

$1.2K 46.9% 43.7% $902

Groceries & Markets

Amsterdam

$385 10.7%

Purmerend

$334 13.5% 13.2% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Amsterdam

$374 10.4%

Purmerend

$334 13.5% 10.6% $40

Eating Out

Amsterdam

$360 10%

Purmerend

$286 11.5% 20.6% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Amsterdam

$165 4.6%

Purmerend

$169 6.8% 2.1% $3.5

Getting Around

Amsterdam

$155 4.3%

Purmerend

$123 5% 20.6% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Amsterdam

$87 2.4%

Purmerend

$72 2.9% 17.7% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,678 in Amsterdam versus $1,441 in Purmerend. 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 20% 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 $90 in Amsterdam versus $50 in Purmerend. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $385 vs $334 – making Purmerend the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Purmerend

🕒 Local time

23:25 11:25 PM

Same time as Amsterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

881,933 Capital

79,915

💱 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 Purmerend: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Amsterdam is pricier by about 45%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,388 per month in Amsterdam and $3,722 in Purmerend. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Purmerend, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,441 there versus $2,678 in Amsterdam.

Public transport costs about 23% less in Purmerend. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,797 per month in Amsterdam and $2,578 in Purmerend. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Purmerend, where all-in costs run around $2,481, than in Amsterdam at $3,592. In Purmerend it covers expenses comfortably, while in Amsterdam it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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