Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Amsterdam and Venlo

For one person, living is cheaper in Venlo: $2,433 a month against $3,517 in Amsterdam, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 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
117

Cost of Living Index in Venlo
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Venlo Living Index

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Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,517

/mo nomad

Venlo

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,433

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Amsterdam and in Venlo

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

A single person spends $3,517 per month in Amsterdam vs $2,433 in Venlo, rent included.

Amsterdam $3,517
Venlo $2,433

A couple spends around $5,063 per month in Amsterdam vs $3,469 in Venlo, rent included.

Amsterdam $5,063
Venlo $3,469

A family of three spends $6,608 per month in Amsterdam vs $4,506 in Venlo, rent included.

Amsterdam $6,608
Venlo $4,506

Amsterdam costs about 45% more than Venlo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Amsterdam and Venlo sit above the global median – Amsterdam by 158%, Venlo by 79%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.34 €19.93

$22.60 €20.16

-1.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 €79.0

$88.3 €78.8

0.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.80 €13.20

$13.04 €11.63

13.50%

Cappuccino

$4.65 €4.15

$3.46 €3.08

34.39%

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

$3.69 €3.29

$3.33 €2.97

10.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.58

$2.72 €2.43

6.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.92 €7.07

$6.80 €6.07

16.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.54 €5.83

$5.72 €5.10

14.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 €1.28

$1.33 €1.18

8.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 €2.14

$1.73 €1.55

38.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 €2.23

$2.53 €2.25

-1.19%

Eggs

$5.15 €4.60

$5.12 €4.57

0.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.90 €15.08

$13.50 €12.05

25.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.73 €11.36

$15.17 €13.53

-16.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.87 €20.41

$15.43 €13.77

48.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.45

$2.08 €1.85

32.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 €2.44

$2.18 €1.94

25.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 €2.45

$1.87 €1.67

46.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.86 €3.44

$4.48 €4.00

-13.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.25

$1.68 €1.50

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 €1.47

$1.84 €1.64

-10.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.34

$1.27 €1.13

18.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.51

$0.75 €0.67

125.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.52 €12.95

$13.83 €12.34

4.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.60 €7.67

$6.89 €6.15

24.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.59

$1.44 €1.28

23.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.24

$2.61 €2.33

-3.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.70 €3.30

$1.54 €1.37

140.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$117 €104

$136 €122

-14.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.69 €4.18

$4.08 €3.64

14.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.42 €3.05

$2.36 €2.10

44.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.00 €34.80

$32.73 €29.20

19.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.56 €2.28

$2.34 €2.09

9.40%

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

$40.6K €36.2K

$40.8K €36.4K

-0.53%

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

$38.9K €34.7K

$39.4K €35.1K

-1.20%

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

$306 €273

$181 €161

69.34%

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

$22.66 €20.22

$14.86 €13.26

52.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.8 €47.13

$55.6 €49.63

-5.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.0 €49.04

$21.84 €19.49

151.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.66 €31.82

$31.45 €28.06

13.39%

Cinema Ticket

$16.48 €14.71

$11.10 €9.90

48.47%

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

$2,778 €2,478

$2,254 €2,011

23.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €15.1K

$12.1K €10.8K

39.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.7 €82.7

$88.1 €78.6

5.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.28 €36.83

$28.50 €25.42

44.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €90.5

$113 €101

-10.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €120

$157 €140

-14.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,642 €2,357

$1,118 €997

136.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,989 €1,775

$1,148 €1,024

73.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,165 €3,716

$1,324 €1,181

214.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,251 €2,900

$1,530 €1,365

112.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.6K €9,416

$3,163 €2,822

233.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,734 €6,008

$2,837 €2,531

137.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,625 €4,126

$3,661 €3,266

26.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.3

3.83

-13.84%

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

Last update for Amsterdam: October 27, 2026

Last update for Venlo: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Amsterdam

$2K 56.6%

Venlo

$1.1K 47.2% 42.3% $841

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Amsterdam

$382 10.9%

Venlo

$251 10.3% 34.2% $130

Groceries & Markets

Amsterdam

$381 10.8%

Venlo

$326 13.4% 14.3% $55

Eating Out

Amsterdam

$358 10.2%

Venlo

$331 13.6% 7.5% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Amsterdam

$166 4.7%

Venlo

$174 7.2% 4.6% $7.7

Getting Around

Amsterdam

$153 4.4%

Venlo

$158 6.5% 3.3% $5.1

Sport & Entertainment

Amsterdam

$88 2.5%

Venlo

$44 1.8% 49.9% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,642 in Amsterdam versus $1,118 in Venlo. 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 26% 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 $88 in Venlo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $381 vs $326 – making Venlo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Venlo

🕒 Local time

22:59 10:59 PM

Same time as Amsterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

881,933 Capital

103,328

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Amsterdam Venlo 140 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 Venlo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Amsterdam is pricier by about 45%, 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 $3,649 in Venlo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Venlo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,118 there versus $2,642 in Amsterdam.

Public transport costs about 14% less in Amsterdam. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Amsterdam, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Venlo, where all-in costs run around $2,433, than in Amsterdam at $3,517. In Venlo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Amsterdam it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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