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 $2,186 per month in Australia vs $2,547 in Netherlands, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,219 per month in Australia vs $3,701 in Netherlands, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,252 per month in Australia vs $4,854 in Netherlands, rent included.

The cost of living in Australia is roughly 14% lower than in Netherlands on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Australia and Netherlands are pricier than the global median – Australia by 64%, Netherlands by 91%.

The regional cost range is wider in Netherlands ($1,775–$3,445) than in Australia ($1,580–$2,807), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.37 A$23.44

$23.41 €20.58

-30.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.7 A$111

$91.8 €80.7

-15.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.59 A$13.74

$13.76 €12.09

-30.31%

Cappuccino

$3.45 A$4.94

$4.06 €3.57

-15.02%

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

$2.63 A$3.77

$3.42 €3.00

-23.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 A$3.06

$2.84 €2.50

-24.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.34 A$9.08

$6.74 €5.92

-5.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.03 A$10.07

$5.70 €5.01

23.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 A$2.18

$1.33 €1.17

14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.50 A$3.58

$2.22 €1.95

12.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 A$2.95

$3.07 €2.70

-32.90%

Eggs

$4.22 A$6.04

$4.81 €4.23

-12.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.96 A$12.83

$13.97 €12.28

-35.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 A$11.96

$15.92 €13.99

-47.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 A$19.67

$17.35 €15.26

-20.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 A$4.50

$2.44 €2.15

28.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.73 A$3.91

$2.59 €2.28

5.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 A$4.20

$1.99 €1.75

47.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.43 A$6.34

$3.80 €3.34

16.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 A$3.67

$2.12 €1.86

20.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 A$3.04

$2.03 €1.79

4.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 A$3.12

$1.28 €1.13

70.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 A$2.24

$0.86 €0.76

82.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.82 A$44.14

$13.82 €12.15

123.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.17 A$20.29

$6.69 €5.88

111.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.60 A$6.58

$1.54 €1.35

198.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 A$6.98

$2.62 €2.30

85.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.99 A$4.28

$3.91 €3.44

-23.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.7 A$138

$91.3 €80.3

5.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.53 A$5.05

$4.24 €3.73

-16.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 A$2.60

$2.59 €2.27

-30.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.32 A$53.5

$34.68 €30.49

7.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 A$1.66

$2.30 €2.03

-49.57%

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

$29.4K A$42.2K

$38.3K €33.7K

-23.19%

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

$22.6K A$32.3K

$36.3K €31.9K

-37.82%

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

$176 A$252

$261 €229

-32.60%

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

$26.75 A$38.30

$25.24 €22.19

5.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.9 A$77.1

$49.61 €43.61

8.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.11 A$67.5

$41.66 €36.62

13.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.57 A$23.73

$24.52 €21.56

-32.42%

Cinema Ticket

$13.42 A$19.22

$16.40 €14.41

-18.17%

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

$1,572 A$2,251

$2,165 €1,903

-27.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$18.2K

$9,248 €8,130

37.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 A$101

$95.4 €83.9

-25.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.0 A$71.6

$45.60 €40.09

9.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 A$145

$109 €95.4

-6.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 A$159

$136 €120

-18.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,372 A$1,965

$1,592 €1,400

-13.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,077 A$1,542

$1,276 €1,122

-15.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,353 A$3,370

$2,594 €2,281

-9.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,747 A$2,502

$2,130 €1,873

-17.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,882 A$11.3K

$6,841 €6,014

15.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,906 A$8,457

$4,894 €4,302

20.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,960 A$5,671

$3,800 €3,340

4.21%

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: July 22, 2026

Last update for Netherlands: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,230 in Australia vs $1,441 in Netherlands. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,556 in Canberra and $2,411 in Amsterdam.

Average salary: $3,824 in Australia vs $3,631 in Netherlands. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 17% 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 19% 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 19% 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.