Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and the Netherlands

Name: Netherlands
Address: NL

For one person, living is cheaper in Australia: $2,539 a month against $2,694 in the Netherlands, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Australia
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Australia Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in the Netherlands
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Netherlands Living Index

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🇦🇺 Australia

$2,539

/mo nomad

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,694

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Australia and in the Netherlands

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Australia and in the Netherlands actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,539 per month in Australia vs $2,694 in the Netherlands, rent included.

Australia $2,539
Netherlands $2,694

A couple spends around $3,716 per month in Australia vs $3,888 in the Netherlands, rent included.

Australia $3,716
Netherlands $3,888

A family of three spends $4,892 per month in Australia vs $5,081 in the Netherlands, rent included.

Australia $4,892
Netherlands $5,081

The regional cost range is wider in the Netherlands ($1,207–$3,496) than in Australia ($1,635–$3,245), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Australia is roughly 6% lower than in the Netherlands on average.

Both Australia and the Netherlands are pricier than the global median – Australia by 87%, the Netherlands by 99%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.35 A$24.97

$22.27 €19.81

-22.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.5 A$122

$89.0 €79.2

-4.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.98 A$15.79

$13.79 €12.26

-20.38%

Cappuccino

$3.84 A$5.53

$4.16 €3.70

-7.69%

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

$2.89 A$4.16

$3.60 €3.20

-19.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 A$3.29

$3.05 €2.72

-24.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.79 A$11.21

$6.61 €5.88

17.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.42 A$12.12

$5.72 €5.09

47.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 A$2.52

$1.32 €1.17

32.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 A$4.00

$2.25 €2.01

23.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 A$3.33

$2.69 €2.39

-14.13%

Eggs

$4.89 A$7.04

$4.71 €4.19

3.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.95 A$14.32

$13.73 €12.21

-27.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.06 A$13.03

$14.11 €12.55

-35.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.92 A$21.46

$17.27 €15.36

-13.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.65 A$5.25

$2.66 €2.36

37.22%

Banana (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$2.49 €2.21

21.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.66

$2.08 €1.85

55.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.69 A$6.76

$4.08 €3.63

14.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.85 A$4.11

$1.80 €1.60

58.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.34

$1.87 €1.67

24.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 A$3.50

$1.28 €1.14

89.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 A$2.39

$0.88 €0.78

88.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.47 A$55.4

$14.16 €12.59

171.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.84 A$19.92

$6.66 €5.92

107.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.87 A$7.01

$1.50 €1.33

224.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.28 A$7.59

$2.55 €2.27

107.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.71 A$3.90

$3.75 €3.34

-27.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.0 A$135

$95.2 €84.7

-1.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 A$5.14

$4.73 €4.21

-24.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 A$2.35

$3.00 €2.67

-45.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.04 A$57.6

$34.06 €30.30

17.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 A$1.91

$2.43 €2.16

-45.27%

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

$29.1K A$41.9K

$41.6K €37.0K

-30.05%

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

$25.7K A$37.0K

$38.8K €34.5K

-33.71%

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

$205 A$296

$259 €230

-20.71%

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

$28.24 A$40.63

$22.93 €20.39

23.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 A$82.0

$50.3 €44.74

13.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.4 A$79.7

$42.07 €37.42

31.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.46 A$28.01

$26.22 €23.33

-25.78%

Cinema Ticket

$15.06 A$21.66

$15.68 €13.94

-3.95%

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

$2,097 A$3,017

$2,185 €1,944

-4.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K A$26.0K

$8,876 €7,896

103.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.0 A$112

$94.7 €84.3

-17.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 A$79.6

$42.95 €38.20

28.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 A$161

$102 €90.8

9.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 A$175

$132 €117

-7.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,559 A$2,244

$1,648 €1,465

-5.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 A$1,748

$1,314 €1,169

-7.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,435 A$3,504

$2,547 €2,266

-4.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,924 A$2,769

$1,985 €1,766

-3.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,175 A$11.8K

$6,600 €5,871

23.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,060 A$8,721

$4,779 €4,251

26.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,038 A$5,811

$3,787 €3,369

6.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.94

3.87

53.49%

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

Last update for Australia: October 19, 2026

Last update for the Netherlands: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Australia

$1.2K 47.8%

Netherlands

$1.3K 48.8% 8.2% $99

Groceries & Markets

Australia

$372 14.7%

Netherlands

$337 12.5% 9.6% $36

Eating Out

Australia

$294 11.6%

Netherlands

$341 12.6% 15.7% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Australia

$291 11.4%

Netherlands

$332 12.3% 14.3% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Australia

$165 6.5%

Netherlands

$167 6.2% 1.2% $2

Getting Around

Australia

$117 4.6%

Netherlands

$130 4.8% 11.5% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Australia

$85 3.4%

Netherlands

$73 2.7% 14.1% $12

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,364 in Australia vs $1,410 in the Netherlands. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,719 in Canberra and $2,654 in Amsterdam.

Average salary: $3,853 in Australia vs $3,603 in the Netherlands. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Public transport is 15% more expensive in the Netherlands.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Australia

🇳🇱 Netherlands

🕒 Local time

04:29 4:29 AM

19:29 7:29 PM

9 h behind Australia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,473,055

17,100,715

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Australia Netherlands 16,630 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Australia
Netherlands

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

Australia vs Netherlands: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Australia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 6% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the Netherlands: a central one-bedroom averages $1,410 versus $1,364 in Australia.

$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Australia, but in the 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.