Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Amsterdam and Rijswijk

For one person, living is cheaper in Rijswijk: $2,594 a month against $3,465 in Amsterdam, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Amsterdam
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$3,465
/mo nomad
Rijswijk
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$2,594
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Amsterdam and in Rijswijk

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

A single person spends $3,465 per month in Amsterdam vs $2,594 in Rijswijk, rent included.

  • Amsterdam $3,465
  • Rijswijk $2,594

A couple spends around $4,929 per month in Amsterdam vs $3,483 in Rijswijk, rent included.

  • Amsterdam $4,929
  • Rijswijk $3,483

A family of three spends $6,393 per month in Amsterdam vs $4,371 in Rijswijk, rent included.

  • Amsterdam $6,393
  • Rijswijk $4,371

Amsterdam costs about 34% more than Rijswijk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Amsterdam and Rijswijk sit above the global median – Amsterdam by 157%, Rijswijk by 92%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Amsterdam
Rijswijk
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.10 €19.66
$22.18 €19.73
-0.36%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$90.0 €80.0
$76.6 €68.1
17.43%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$15.32 €13.63
$8.77 €7.80
74.69%
Cappuccino
$4.58 €4.07
$3.55 €3.16
29.01%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.70 €3.29
$3.29 €2.92
12.46%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.98 €2.65
$3.14 €2.79
-5.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.38 €6.56
$6.86 €6.10
7.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.73 €5.10
$6.01 €5.35
-4.66%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Amsterdam
Rijswijk
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.57 €1.40
$1.30 €1.16
20.77%
White Bread (500g)
$2.30 €2.04
$1.65 €1.47
39.39%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.51 €2.23
$2.09 €1.86
20.10%
Eggs
$5.07 €4.51
$3.95 €3.52
28.35%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.73 €14.88
$13.52 €12.03
23.74%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.11 €11.66
$11.18 €9.95
17.26%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$22.79 €20.28
$16.71 €14.86
36.39%
Apples (1kg)
$2.73 €2.43
$1.98 €1.76
37.88%
Banana (1kg)
$2.76 €2.46
$1.99 €1.77
38.69%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.74 €2.44
$2.02 €1.80
35.64%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.78 €3.37
$2.27 €2.02
66.52%
Potato (1kg)
$2.38 €2.11
$1.25 €1.11
90.40%
Onion (1kg)
$1.61 €1.43
$1.28 €1.14
25.78%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 €1.30
$1.13 €1.00
29.20%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.77 €1.58
$0.94 €0.84
88.30%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.52 €12.92
$13.42 €11.93
8.20%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.10 €8.09
$5.54 €4.93
64.26%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.79 €1.59
$1.35 €1.20
32.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.43 €2.16
$1.76 €1.56
38.07%
🚌 Getting Around
Amsterdam
Rijswijk
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.69 €3.29
$5.09 €4.52
-27.50%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$112 €100
$72.8 €64.8
54.52%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.51 €4.01
$4.69 €4.17
-3.84%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.44 €3.06
$3.45 €3.07
-0.29%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$39.71 €35.32
$33.16 €29.49
19.75%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.63 €2.34
$2.47 €2.19
6.48%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$41.3K €36.7K
$41.2K €36.7K
0.17%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.4K €35.1K
$38.3K €34.1K
2.85%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Amsterdam
Rijswijk
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$295 €262
$281 €250
4.97%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.26 €19.80
$19.27 €17.14
15.52%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51.1 €45.46
$49.88 €44.37
2.47%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Amsterdam
Rijswijk
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$59.9 €53.3
$41.09 €36.55
45.80%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.44 €31.52
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$16.82 €14.96
$13.78 €12.26
22.06%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Amsterdam
Rijswijk
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,826 €2,513
$2,414 €2,148
17.03%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.1K €15.2K
$11.6K €10.4K
47.19%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Amsterdam
Rijswijk
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$92.5 €82.3
$96.1 €85.5
-3.71%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.61 €37.01
$42.35 €37.67
-1.75%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$97.6 €86.9
$105 €93.3
-6.90%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$132 €117
$135 €120
-2.11%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Amsterdam
Rijswijk
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,575 €2,290
$1,422 €1,265
81.02%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,955 €1,739
$1,287 €1,145
51.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,997 €3,555
$1,507 €1,341
165.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,053 €2,716
$1,541 €1,371
98.13%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$10.4K €9,222
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,494 €5,776
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Amsterdam
Rijswijk
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,692 €4,174
$3,777 €3,359
24.25%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.27
3.4
-3.82%

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

Last update for Amsterdam: October 12, 2026

Last update for Rijswijk: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Amsterdam
$2K
Rijswijk
$1.3K 34.2% $668
Groceries & Markets
Amsterdam
$383
Rijswijk
$285 25.5% $98
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Amsterdam
$368
Rijswijk
$350 4.9% $18
Eating Out
Amsterdam
$353
Rijswijk
$318 9.7% $34
Clothing & Footwear
Amsterdam
$164
Rijswijk
$170 4% $6.5
Getting Around
Amsterdam
$149
Rijswijk
$115 22.7% $34
Sport & Entertainment
Amsterdam
$94
Rijswijk
$69 26.6% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,575 in Amsterdam versus $1,422 in Rijswijk. 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 24% 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 $90.0 in Amsterdam versus $77.0 in Rijswijk. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $383 vs $285 – making Rijswijk the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇳🇱 Amsterdam
🇳🇱 Rijswijk
🕒 Local time
21:24 9:24 PM
21:24 9:24 PM
Same time as Amsterdam
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
881,933 Capital
51,027
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Amsterdam Rijswijk 53 km
From you
  • Amsterdam
  • Rijswijk

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 Rijswijk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Rijswijk cheaper than Amsterdam?
Yes – Amsterdam is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,197 per month in Amsterdam and $3,892 in Rijswijk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Rijswijk, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 55% less in Rijswijk. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $2,826 per month in Amsterdam and $2,414 in Rijswijk. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $3,000 a realistic budget for living in Amsterdam or in Rijswijk?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Rijswijk, where all-in costs run around $2,594, than in Amsterdam at $3,465. In Rijswijk it covers expenses comfortably, while in Amsterdam it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Amsterdam or Rijswijk more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Rijswijk – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Amsterdam or Rijswijk?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Rijswijk. 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.

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