Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bakersfield, CA and Amsterdam

For one person, living is cheaper in Bakersfield, CA: $3,159 a month against $3,465 in Amsterdam, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

153

Cost of Living Index in Bakersfield, CA
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Bakersfield, CA Living Index
168

Cost of Living Index in Amsterdam
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Amsterdam Living Index

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Bakersfield, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,159

/mo nomad

Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,465

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bakersfield, CA and in Amsterdam

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

A single person spends $3,159 per month in Bakersfield, CA vs $3,465 in Amsterdam, rent included.

Bakersfield, CA $3,159
Amsterdam $3,465

A couple spends around $4,362 per month in Bakersfield, CA vs $4,929 in Amsterdam, rent included.

Bakersfield, CA $4,362
Amsterdam $4,929

A family of three spends $5,565 per month in Bakersfield, CA vs $6,393 in Amsterdam, rent included.

Bakersfield, CA $5,565
Amsterdam $6,393

Bakersfield, CA is about 9% cheaper than Amsterdam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Bakersfield, CA and Amsterdam sit above the global median – Bakersfield, CA by 134%, Amsterdam by 157%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.66 $18.66

$22.10 €19.66

-15.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 $64.5

$90.0 €80.0

-28.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.90 $13.90

$15.32 €13.63

-9.27%

Cappuccino

$5.98 $5.98

$4.58 €4.07

30.57%

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

$2.71 $2.71

$3.70 €3.29

-26.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.98 €2.65

-33.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.15 $6.15

$7.38 €6.56

-16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 $5.69

$5.73 €5.10

-0.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.57 €1.40

-30.57%

White Bread (500g)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.30 €2.04

82.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.18 $5.18

$2.51 €2.23

106.37%

Eggs

$3.29 $3.29

$5.07 €4.51

-35.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.88 $12.88

$16.73 €14.88

-23.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.22 $13.22

$13.11 €11.66

0.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 $16.09

$22.79 €20.28

-29.40%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 $4.13

$2.73 €2.43

51.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.76 €2.46

-28.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.99 $3.99

$2.74 €2.44

45.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$3.78 €3.37

3.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.38 €2.11

-10.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.61 €1.43

45.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.46 €1.30

41.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.77 €1.58

38.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.06 $10.06

$14.52 €12.92

-30.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.36 $18.36

$9.10 €8.09

101.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.79 €1.59

6.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.83 $4.83

$2.43 €2.16

98.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.75 $1.75

$3.69 €3.29

-52.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.9 $55.9

$112 €100

-50.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 $3.07

$4.51 €4.01

-31.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 $2.07

$3.44 €3.06

-39.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.71 €35.32

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 $1.57

$2.63 €2.34

-40.30%

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

$37.0K $37.0K

$41.3K €36.7K

-10.44%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$39.4K €35.1K

-32.98%

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

$396 $396

$295 €262

34.22%

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

$58.7 $58.7

$22.26 €19.80

163.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.1 $73.1

$51.1 €45.46

43.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.78 $38.78

$59.9 €53.3

-35.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.52 $24.52

$35.44 €31.52

-30.81%

Cinema Ticket

$14.91 $14.91

$16.82 €14.96

-11.36%

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

$1,504 $1,504

$2,826 €2,513

-46.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €15.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.4 $60.4

$92.5 €82.3

-34.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.34 $47.34

$41.61 €37.01

13.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$97.6 €86.9

2.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$132 €117

-8.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,697 $1,697

$2,575 €2,290

-34.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,602 $1,602

$1,955 €1,739

-18.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,321 $2,321

$3,997 €3,555

-41.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,430 $2,430

$3,053 €2,716

-20.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,490 $2,490

$10.4K €9,222

-75.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,465 $2,465

$6,494 €5,776

-62.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,602 $3,602

$4,692 €4,174

-23.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

3.27

96.64%

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

Last update for Bakersfield, CA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Amsterdam: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bakersfield, CA

$1.6K 50.7%

Amsterdam

$2K 56.4% 22% $353

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bakersfield, CA

$527 16.7%

Amsterdam

$368 10.6% 30.2% $159

Groceries & Markets

Bakersfield, CA

$412 13.1%

Amsterdam

$383 11% 7.2% $30

Eating Out

Bakersfield, CA

$324 10.3%

Amsterdam

$353 10.2% 9% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Bakersfield, CA

$148 4.7%

Amsterdam

$164 4.7% 10.6% $16

Getting Around

Bakersfield, CA

$76 2.4%

Amsterdam

$149 4.3% 95.1% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Bakersfield, CA

$69 2.2%

Amsterdam

$94 2.7% 36.4% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,697 in Bakersfield, CA versus $2,575 in Amsterdam. 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 30% 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 $65.0 in Bakersfield, CA versus $90.0 in Amsterdam. Groceries tell a different story – $412 in Bakersfield, CA vs $383 in Amsterdam – so Amsterdam wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bakersfield, CA

🇳🇱 Amsterdam

🕒 Local time

21:16 9:16 PM

06:16 6:16 AM

9 h ahead of Bakersfield, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

373,640

881,933 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Bakersfield, CA Amsterdam 8,850 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Bakersfield, CA
Amsterdam

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

Bakersfield, CA vs Amsterdam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Amsterdam is pricier by about 10%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,738 per month in Bakersfield, CA and $5,197 in Amsterdam. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 101% less in Bakersfield, CA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,504 per month in Bakersfield, CA and $2,826 in Amsterdam. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,159 in Bakersfield, CA and $3,465 in Amsterdam. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Bakersfield, CA – 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 Bakersfield, CA. 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.