Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Amsterdam and Wilmington, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in Wilmington, NC: $2,783 a month against $3,465 in Amsterdam, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Amsterdam outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

168

Cost of Living Index in Amsterdam
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Amsterdam Living Index
135

Cost of Living Index in Wilmington, NC
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Wilmington, NC Living Index

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Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,465

/mo nomad

Wilmington, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,783

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Amsterdam and in Wilmington, NC

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

A single person spends $3,465 per month in Amsterdam vs $2,783 in Wilmington, NC, rent included.

Amsterdam $3,465
Wilmington, NC $2,783

A couple spends around $4,929 per month in Amsterdam vs $4,102 in Wilmington, NC, rent included.

Amsterdam $4,929
Wilmington, NC $4,102

A family of three spends $6,393 per month in Amsterdam vs $5,421 in Wilmington, NC, rent included.

Amsterdam $6,393
Wilmington, NC $5,421

Amsterdam costs about 24% more than Wilmington, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Amsterdam and Wilmington, NC sit above the global median – Amsterdam by 157%, Wilmington, NC by 106%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.10 €19.66

$14.70 $14.70

50.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.0 €80.0

$78.8 $78.8

14.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.32 €13.63

$10.82 $10.82

41.59%

Cappuccino

$4.58 €4.07

$5.38 $5.38

-14.87%

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

$3.70 €3.29

$2.64 $2.64

40.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 €2.65

$2.38 $2.38

25.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.38 €6.56

$5.06 $5.06

45.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.73 €5.10

$7.13 $7.13

-19.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 €1.40

$1.01 $1.01

55.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 €2.04

$4.02 $4.02

-42.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 €2.23

$6.12 $6.12

-58.99%

Eggs

$5.07 €4.51

$5.34 $5.34

-5.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.73 €14.88

$11.75 $11.75

42.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.11 €11.66

$14.43 $14.43

-9.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.79 €20.28

$25.84 $25.84

-11.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.43

$6.69 $6.69

-59.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.76 €2.46

$1.70 $1.70

62.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 €2.44

$7.03 $7.03

-61.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.78 €3.37

$6.12 $6.12

-38.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 €2.11

$4.26 $4.26

-44.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 €1.43

$5.87 $5.87

-72.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.30

$2.34 $2.34

-37.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 €1.58

$3.14 $3.14

-43.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.52 €12.92

$8.21 $8.21

76.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.10 €8.09

$14.35 $14.35

-36.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 €1.59

$1.97 $1.97

-9.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 €2.16

$6.05 $6.05

-59.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.69 €3.29

$2.52 $2.52

46.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 €100

$78.4 $78.4

43.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 €4.01

$7.20 $7.20

-37.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.44 €3.06

$1.90 $1.90

81.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.71 €35.32

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.63 €2.34

$1.03 $1.03

155.34%

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

$41.3K €36.7K

$35.0K $35.0K

18.13%

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

$39.4K €35.1K

$25.5K $25.5K

54.46%

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

$295 €262

$291 $291

1.46%

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

$22.26 €19.80

$56.0 $56.0

-60.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.1 €45.46

$76.1 $76.1

-32.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.9 €53.3

$67.2 $67.2

-10.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 €31.52

$3.90 $3.90

808.72%

Cinema Ticket

$16.82 €14.96

$15.29 $15.29

10.01%

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

$2,826 €2,513

$1,333 $1,333

111.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €15.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.5 €82.3

$69.1 $69.1

33.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.61 €37.01

$42.64 $42.64

-2.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.6 €86.9

$101 $101

-3.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €117

$71.2 $71.2

85.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,575 €2,290

$1,562 $1,562

64.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,955 €1,739

$1,250 $1,250

56.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,997 €3,555

$2,330 $2,330

71.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,053 €2,716

$2,126 $2,126

43.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.4K €9,222

$2,794 $2,794

271.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,494 €5,776

$2,793 $2,793

132.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,692 €4,174

$3,937 $3,937

19.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.27

6.57

-50.23%

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

Last update for Amsterdam: October 12, 2026

Last update for Wilmington, NC: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Amsterdam

$2K 56.4%

Wilmington, NC

$1.3K 44.9% 36.1% $705

Groceries & Markets

Amsterdam

$383 11%

Wilmington, NC

$506 18.2% 32.1% $123

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Amsterdam

$368 10.6%

Wilmington, NC

$423 15.2% 14.8% $55

Eating Out

Amsterdam

$353 10.2%

Wilmington, NC

$274 9.9% 22.3% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Amsterdam

$164 4.7%

Wilmington, NC

$128 4.6% 22% $36

Getting Around

Amsterdam

$149 4.3%

Wilmington, NC

$105 3.8% 29.3% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Amsterdam

$94 2.7%

Wilmington, NC

$98 3.5% 4.6% $4.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,575 in Amsterdam versus $1,562 in Wilmington, NC. 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 19% 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 $79.0 in Wilmington, NC. Groceries tell a different story – $383 in Amsterdam vs $506 in Wilmington, NC – so Amsterdam wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Amsterdam

🇺🇸 Wilmington, NC

🕒 Local time

13:06 1:06 PM

07:06 7:06 AM

6 h behind Amsterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

881,933 Capital

72,826

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Amsterdam Wilmington, NC 6,610 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Amsterdam
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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 Wilmington, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Amsterdam is pricier by about 24%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,197 per month in Amsterdam and $4,175 in Wilmington, NC. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Wilmington, NC, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 43% less in Wilmington, NC. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,826 per month in Amsterdam and $1,333 in Wilmington, NC. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,465 in Amsterdam and $2,783 in Wilmington, NC. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Wilmington, NC – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Wilmington, NC. 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.