Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Amsterdam and Zwolle

For one person, living is cheaper in Zwolle: $2,327 a month against $3,517 in Amsterdam, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 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
111

Cost of Living Index in Zwolle
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Zwolle Living Index

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Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,517

/mo nomad

Zwolle

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,327

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Amsterdam and in Zwolle

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

A single person spends $3,517 per month in Amsterdam vs $2,327 in Zwolle, rent included.

Amsterdam $3,517
Zwolle $2,327

A couple spends around $5,063 per month in Amsterdam vs $3,375 in Zwolle, rent included.

Amsterdam $5,063
Zwolle $3,375

A family of three spends $6,608 per month in Amsterdam vs $4,423 in Zwolle, rent included.

Amsterdam $6,608
Zwolle $4,423

Amsterdam costs about 51% more than Zwolle, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Amsterdam and Zwolle sit above the global median – Amsterdam by 158%, Zwolle by 71%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.34 €20.07

$20.71 €18.61

7.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 €79.6

$82.4 €74.0

7.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.80 €13.29

$11.86 €10.65

24.79%

Cappuccino

$4.65 €4.18

$4.06 €3.65

14.53%

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

$3.69 €3.32

$3.44 €3.09

7.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.60

$2.55 €2.29

13.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.92 €7.12

$6.82 €6.13

16.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.54 €5.87

$5.67 €5.09

15.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 €1.29

$1.15 €1.04

25.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 €2.15

$2.36 €2.12

1.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 €2.25

$2.47 €2.22

1.21%

Eggs

$5.15 €4.63

$4.60 €4.13

11.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.90 €15.18

$13.17 €11.83

28.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.73 €11.44

$14.07 €12.64

-9.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.87 €20.55

$16.68 €14.99

37.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.47

$1.89 €1.70

45.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 €2.46

$2.41 €2.17

13.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 €2.46

$1.86 €1.67

47.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.86 €3.47

$3.58 €3.21

7.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.26

$1.71 €1.54

47.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 €1.48

$1.93 €1.74

-14.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.35

$1.19 €1.07

26.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.52

$0.70 €0.63

141.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.52 €13.04

$13.70 €12.31

5.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.60 €7.73

$6.59 €5.92

30.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.60

$1.41 €1.27

26.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.25

$2.66 €2.39

-5.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.70 €3.32

$5.90 €5.30

-37.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$117 €105

$89.5 €80.4

30.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.69 €4.21

$3.85 €3.46

21.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.42 €3.08

$2.73 €2.45

25.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.00 €35.04

$45.75 €41.10

-14.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.56 €2.30

$2.12 €1.91

20.75%

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

$40.6K €36.5K

$41.9K €37.6K

-3.05%

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

$38.9K €34.9K

$38.8K €34.9K

0.19%

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

$306 €275

$243 €218

26.00%

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

$22.66 €20.35

$21.82 €19.60

3.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.8 €47.45

$44.37 €39.86

19.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.0 €49.37

$40.81 €36.66

34.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.66 €32.04

$24.31 €21.83

46.69%

Cinema Ticket

$16.48 €14.81

$15.26 €13.70

7.99%

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

$2,778 €2,495

$1,592 €1,430

74.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €15.2K

$8,090 €7,267

109.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.7 €83.3

$94.0 €84.5

-1.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.28 €37.08

$52.0 €46.75

-20.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €91.1

$88.1 €79.2

15.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €120

$126 €113

6.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,642 €2,373

$991 €890

166.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,989 €1,787

$1,015 €911

96.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,165 €3,741

$1,796 €1,613

131.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,251 €2,920

$1,477 €1,327

120.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.6K €9,480

$5,798 €5,209

82.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,734 €6,049

$4,444 €3,992

51.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,625 €4,155

$2,965 €2,663

56.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.3

3.23

2.17%

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

Last update for Amsterdam: October 27, 2026

Last update for Zwolle: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Amsterdam

$2K 56.6%

Zwolle

$1K 43.6% 49% $975

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Amsterdam

$382 10.9%

Zwolle

$309 13.3% 19% $73

Groceries & Markets

Amsterdam

$381 10.8%

Zwolle

$320 13.8% 15.9% $60

Eating Out

Amsterdam

$358 10.2%

Zwolle

$319 13.7% 10.8% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Amsterdam

$166 4.7%

Zwolle

$162 7% 2.6% $4.3

Getting Around

Amsterdam

$153 4.4%

Zwolle

$131 5.6% 14.7% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Amsterdam

$88 2.5%

Zwolle

$71 3.1% 18.9% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,642 in Amsterdam versus $991 in Zwolle. 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 56% higher in Amsterdam. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Amsterdam versus $82 in Zwolle. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $381 vs $320 – making Zwolle the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Zwolle

🕒 Local time

23:58 11:58 PM

Same time as Amsterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

881,933 Capital

132,411

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Zwolle: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Amsterdam is pricier by about 51%, 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 $3,491 in Zwolle. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zwolle, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $991 there versus $2,642 in Amsterdam.

Public transport costs about 23% less in Zwolle. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,778 per month in Amsterdam and $1,592 in Zwolle. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

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