Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Netherlands Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Netherlands

Name: Netherlands
Address: NL

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,180 per month in Australia vs $2,550 in Netherlands, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,221 per month in Australia vs $3,702 in Netherlands, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,261 per month in Australia vs $4,854 in Netherlands, rent included.

Australia is roughly 15% cheaper than Netherlands on average — the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Australia and Netherlands are pricier than the global median – Australia by 63%, Netherlands by 90%.

Netherlands has a wider regional cost range ($1,820–$3,516) than Australia ($1,570–$2,819), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Netherlands.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.16 A$22.63

$23.52 €20.08

-31.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.0 A$111

$92.3 €78.8

-14.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.63 A$13.48

$13.79 €11.78

-30.17%

Cappuccino

$3.54 A$4.96

$4.21 €3.60

-15.91%

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

$2.70 A$3.78

$3.41 €2.92

-20.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 A$3.07

$2.90 €2.47

-24.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.37 A$8.92

$7.10 €6.06

-10.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.00 A$9.81

$5.62 €4.80

24.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.10

$1.30 €1.11

15.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 A$3.51

$2.32 €1.98

8.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 A$2.92

$3.08 €2.63

-32.14%

Eggs

$4.25 A$5.96

$4.82 €4.12

-11.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.86 A$12.40

$13.79 €11.77

-35.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.19 A$11.47

$16.11 €13.76

-49.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.02 A$19.63

$17.14 €14.64

-18.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 A$4.36

$2.39 €2.04

30.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 A$3.81

$2.50 €2.14

8.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 A$4.06

$1.91 €1.63

51.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 A$6.08

$3.97 €3.39

9.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 A$3.58

$2.07 €1.77

23.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 A$3.08

$1.98 €1.69

11.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 A$3.09

$1.27 €1.09

74.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 A$2.12

$0.92 €0.78

65.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.34 A$43.87

$13.92 €11.89

125.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.16 A$19.82

$7.00 €5.98

102.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.53 A$6.34

$1.48 €1.26

206.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.92 A$6.88

$2.68 €2.29

83.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.86 A$4.01

$3.89 €3.32

-26.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.9 A$136

$93.1 €79.5

4.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 A$4.90

$4.26 €3.64

-17.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 A$2.47

$2.59 €2.21

-31.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.10 A$53.3

$35.38 €30.21

7.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 A$1.63

$2.18 €1.86

-46.79%

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

$29.5K A$41.2K

$38.2K €32.6K

-22.94%

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

$22.9K A$32.1K

$36.2K €30.9K

-36.80%

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

$176 A$247

$257 €220

-31.52%

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

$26.54 A$37.15

$25.97 €22.18

2.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.5 A$74.9

$49.32 €42.12

8.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.58 A$66.6

$41.78 €35.68

13.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.94 A$23.71

$24.48 €20.91

-30.80%

Cinema Ticket

$13.45 A$18.83

$16.15 €13.80

-16.72%

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

$1,605 A$2,247

$2,182 €1,863

-26.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K A$17.5K

$9,459 €8,078

32.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.8 A$101

$95.7 €81.7

-24.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.9 A$71.3

$45.72 €39.04

11.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 A$140

$106 €90.4

-5.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 A$151

$136 €116

-20.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,395 A$1,953

$1,623 €1,386

-14.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 A$1,534

$1,292 €1,103

-15.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,320 A$3,248

$2,569 €2,194

-9.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,746 A$2,445

$2,133 €1,821

-18.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,516 A$10.5K

$6,877 €5,873

9.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,564 A$7,790

$5,052 €4,314

10.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,033 A$5,646

$4,002 €3,418

0.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.35

4.25

49.41%

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

Last update for Australia: April 19, 2026

Last update for Netherlands: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,234 in Australia vs $1,433 in Netherlands. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,569 in Canberra and $2,372 in Amsterdam.

Average salary: $3,866 in Australia vs $3,686 in Netherlands. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 16% higher in Netherlands.

Dining out costs 12% more in Netherlands.

Public transport is 39% more expensive in Netherlands.

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

Australia vs Netherlands: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Australia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 22% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Netherlands, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Netherlands consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Australia, contributing to the overall 22% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Australia, but in Netherlands it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Australia is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.