Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Amsterdam and Valkenburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Valkenburg: $2,563 a month against $3,517 in Amsterdam, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 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
123

Cost of Living Index in Valkenburg
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Valkenburg Living Index

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Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,517

/mo nomad

Valkenburg

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,563

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Amsterdam and in Valkenburg

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

A single person spends $3,517 per month in Amsterdam vs $2,563 in Valkenburg, rent included.

Amsterdam $3,517
Valkenburg $2,563

A couple spends around $5,063 per month in Amsterdam vs $3,756 in Valkenburg, rent included.

Amsterdam $5,063
Valkenburg $3,756

A family of three spends $6,608 per month in Amsterdam vs $4,950 in Valkenburg, rent included.

Amsterdam $6,608
Valkenburg $4,950

Amsterdam costs about 37% more than Valkenburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Amsterdam and Valkenburg sit above the global median – Amsterdam by 158%, Valkenburg by 88%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.34 €20.07

$20.39 €18.31

9.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 €79.6

$89.2 €80.1

-0.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.80 €13.29

$12.23 €10.99

21.01%

Cappuccino

$4.65 €4.18

$4.32 €3.88

7.64%

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

$3.69 €3.32

$3.92 €3.52

-5.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.60

$2.97 €2.67

-2.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.92 €7.12

$6.89 €6.19

14.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.54 €5.87

$6.31 €5.67

3.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 €1.29

$1.28 €1.15

12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 €2.15

$2.38 €2.14

0.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 €2.25

$2.35 €2.11

6.38%

Eggs

$5.15 €4.63

$4.51 €4.05

14.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.90 €15.18

$13.24 €11.89

27.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.73 €11.44

$13.98 €12.56

-8.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.87 €20.55

$16.82 €15.11

35.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.47

$2.65 €2.38

3.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 €2.46

$2.53 €2.27

8.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 €2.46

$1.89 €1.70

44.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.86 €3.47

$4.30 €3.87

-10.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.26

$1.94 €1.74

29.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 €1.48

$2.26 €2.03

-26.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.35

$1.25 €1.12

20.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.52

$0.79 €0.71

113.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.52 €13.04

$14.10 €12.67

2.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.60 €7.73

$6.67 €5.99

28.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.60

$1.48 €1.33

20.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.25

$2.65 €2.38

-5.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.70 €3.32

$3.55 €3.19

4.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$117 €105

$88.5 €79.5

31.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.69 €4.21

$3.99 €3.58

17.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.42 €3.08

$3.09 €2.78

10.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.00 €35.04

$28.05 €25.20

39.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.56 €2.30

$2.33 €2.09

9.87%

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

$40.6K €36.5K

$41.1K €36.9K

-1.26%

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

$38.9K €34.9K

$39.1K €35.1K

-0.49%

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

$306 €275

$281 €252

9.22%

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

$22.66 €20.35

$16.82 €15.11

34.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.8 €47.45

$42.04 €37.76

25.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.0 €49.37

$37.65 €33.82

45.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.66 €32.04

$25.11 €22.56

42.02%

Cinema Ticket

$16.48 €14.81

$15.08 €13.54

9.28%

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

$2,778 €2,495

$1,265 €1,137

119.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €15.2K

$11.3K €10.2K

49.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.7 €83.3

$93.3 €83.8

-0.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.28 €37.08

$43.90 €39.43

-5.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €91.1

$107 €96.6

-5.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €120

$170 €153

-21.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,642 €2,373

$1,406 €1,263

87.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,989 €1,787

$1,188 €1,067

67.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,165 €3,741

$2,349 €2,110

77.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,251 €2,920

$1,877 €1,686

73.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.6K €9,480

$6,197 €5,567

70.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,734 €6,049

$4,839 €4,347

39.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,625 €4,155

$2,300 €2,067

101.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.3

-17.50%

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

Last update for Amsterdam: October 27, 2026

Last update for Valkenburg: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Amsterdam

$2K 56.6%

Valkenburg

$1.2K 46.4% 40.3% $802

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Amsterdam

$382 10.9%

Valkenburg

$339 13.3% 11.1% $43

Groceries & Markets

Amsterdam

$381 10.8%

Valkenburg

$332 13% 12.7% $48

Eating Out

Amsterdam

$358 10.2%

Valkenburg

$326 12.7% 8.8% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Amsterdam

$166 4.7%

Valkenburg

$187 7.3% 12.3% $20

Getting Around

Amsterdam

$153 4.4%

Valkenburg

$122 4.8% 20.3% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Amsterdam

$88 2.5%

Valkenburg

$68 2.7% 22.9% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,642 in Amsterdam versus $1,406 in Valkenburg. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Amsterdam are about 2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Amsterdam versus $89 in Valkenburg. Groceries tell a different story – $381 in Amsterdam vs $332 in Valkenburg – so Valkenburg wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Valkenburg

🕒 Local time

21:25 9:25 PM

Same time as Amsterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

881,933 Capital

16,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Amsterdam Valkenburg 180 km

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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 Valkenburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Amsterdam is pricier by about 37%, 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 $3,844 in Valkenburg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Valkenburg, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,406 there versus $2,642 in Amsterdam.

Public transport costs about 24% less in Valkenburg. 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.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Valkenburg, where all-in costs run around $2,563, than in Amsterdam at $3,517. In Valkenburg it covers expenses comfortably, while in Amsterdam it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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