Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Amsterdam and The Hague

For one person, living is cheaper in The Hague: $2,766 a month against $3,517 in Amsterdam, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 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
133

Cost of Living Index in The Hague
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The Hague Living Index

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Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,517

/mo nomad

The Hague

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,766

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Amsterdam and in The Hague

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

A single person spends $3,517 per month in Amsterdam vs $2,766 in The Hague, rent included.

Amsterdam $3,517
The Hague $2,766

A couple spends around $5,063 per month in Amsterdam vs $4,187 in The Hague, rent included.

Amsterdam $5,063
The Hague $4,187

A family of three spends $6,608 per month in Amsterdam vs $5,609 in The Hague, rent included.

Amsterdam $6,608
The Hague $5,609

Amsterdam costs about 27% more than The Hague, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Amsterdam and The Hague sit above the global median – Amsterdam by 158%, The Hague by 103%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.34 €20.07

$22.36 €20.09

-0.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 €79.6

$91.0 €81.8

-2.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.80 €13.30

$14.95 €13.43

-1.00%

Cappuccino

$4.65 €4.18

$4.24 €3.81

9.67%

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

$3.69 €3.32

$4.11 €3.69

-10.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.60

$4.25 €3.82

-31.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.92 €7.12

$7.36 €6.61

7.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.54 €5.87

$7.91 €7.11

-17.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 €1.29

$1.44 €1.30

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 €2.15

$2.30 €2.06

4.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 €2.25

$2.56 €2.30

-2.34%

Eggs

$5.15 €4.63

$4.57 €4.10

12.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.90 €15.19

$14.50 €13.03

16.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.73 €11.44

$13.06 €11.74

-2.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.87 €20.55

$19.31 €17.35

18.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.47

$2.66 €2.39

3.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 €2.46

$2.18 €1.96

25.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 €2.47

$2.02 €1.81

35.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.86 €3.47

$3.64 €3.27

6.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.27

$1.36 €1.22

85.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 €1.49

$1.26 €1.13

30.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.35

$1.13 €1.01

33.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.52

$0.93 €0.83

81.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.52 €13.04

$14.77 €13.27

-1.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.60 €7.73

$5.98 €5.37

43.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.60

$1.34 €1.20

32.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.25

$1.97 €1.77

27.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.70 €3.32

$4.87 €4.38

-24.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$117 €105

$83.4 €75.0

39.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.69 €4.21

$4.75 €4.27

-1.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.42 €3.08

$3.48 €3.12

-1.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.00 €35.04

$33.87 €30.43

15.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.56 €2.30

$2.54 €2.29

0.79%

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

$40.6K €36.5K

$40.5K €36.4K

0.11%

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

$38.9K €34.9K

$39.2K €35.2K

-0.80%

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

$306 €275

$283 €254

8.22%

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

$22.66 €20.36

$28.00 €25.16

-19.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.8 €47.47

$55.8 €50.1

-5.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.0 €49.38

$46.86 €42.10

17.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.66 €32.04

$24.12 €21.68

47.84%

Cinema Ticket

$16.48 €14.81

$15.92 €14.30

3.52%

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

$2,778 €2,496

$2,577 €2,316

7.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €15.2K

$11.8K €10.6K

43.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.7 €83.3

$95.9 €86.1

-3.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.28 €37.09

$44.00 €39.53

-6.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €91.1

$105 €94.4

-3.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €120

$137 €123

-2.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,642 €2,374

$1,708 €1,535

54.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,989 €1,787

$1,332 €1,197

49.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,165 €3,742

$2,907 €2,612

43.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,251 €2,921

$2,430 €2,183

33.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.6K €9,482

$6,313 €5,672

67.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,734 €6,050

$4,515 €4,057

49.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,625 €4,156

$4,042 €3,632

14.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.3

3.4

-2.94%

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

Last update for Amsterdam: October 27, 2026

Last update for The Hague: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Amsterdam

$2K 56.6%

The Hague

$1.3K 48.2% 33% $657

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Amsterdam

$382 10.9%

The Hague

$367 13.3% 3.9% $15

Groceries & Markets

Amsterdam

$381 10.8%

The Hague

$330 11.9% 13.3% $51

Eating Out

Amsterdam

$358 10.2%

The Hague

$361 13% 0.8% $2.8

Clothing & Footwear

Amsterdam

$166 4.7%

The Hague

$172 6.2% 3.3% $5.5

Getting Around

Amsterdam

$153 4.4%

The Hague

$125 4.5% 18.3% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Amsterdam

$88 2.5%

The Hague

$79 2.9% 10.5% $9.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,642 in Amsterdam versus $1,708 in The Hague. 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 14% 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 $91 in The Hague. Groceries tell a different story – $381 in Amsterdam vs $330 in The Hague – so The Hague wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Amsterdam

🇳🇱 The Hague

🕒 Local time

14:03 2:03 PM

Same time as Amsterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

881,933 Capital

562,839

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Amsterdam The Hague 54 km

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Amsterdam
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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 The Hague: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Amsterdam is pricier by about 27%, 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 $4,149 in The Hague. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in The Hague, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,708 there versus $2,642 in Amsterdam.

Public transport costs about 28% less in The Hague. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 15% more in Amsterdam, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. The Hague costs $2,766 versus $3,517 in Amsterdam. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 The Hague. 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.