Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Best and Amsterdam

For one person, living is cheaper in Best: $2,198 a month against $3,517 in Amsterdam, rent and utilities included – about $15,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Best
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Best Living Index
170

Cost of Living Index in Amsterdam
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Amsterdam Living Index

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Best

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,198

/mo nomad

Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,517

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Best 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 Best and in Amsterdam actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,198 per month in Best vs $3,517 in Amsterdam, rent included.

Best $2,198
Amsterdam $3,517

A couple spends around $3,057 per month in Best vs $5,063 in Amsterdam, rent included.

Best $3,057
Amsterdam $5,063

A family of three spends $3,915 per month in Best vs $6,608 in Amsterdam, rent included.

Best $3,915
Amsterdam $6,608

Best is about 37% cheaper than Amsterdam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Best and Amsterdam sit above the global median – Best by 62%, Amsterdam by 158%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.20 €19.89

$22.34 €20.02

-0.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.9 €77.0

$88.6 €79.4

-3.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.39 €11.10

$14.80 €13.26

-16.28%

Cappuccino

$3.50 €3.14

$4.65 €4.17

-24.73%

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

$3.22 €2.89

$3.69 €3.31

-12.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 €2.31

$2.90 €2.60

-11.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.68 €5.09

$7.92 €7.10

-28.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.82 €4.32

$6.54 €5.86

-26.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.44 €1.29

-22.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 €1.72

$2.40 €2.15

-20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 €1.92

$2.50 €2.24

-14.40%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.85

$5.15 €4.62

-38.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.09 €9.94

$16.90 €15.15

-34.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.14 €9.98

$12.73 €11.41

-12.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.90 €13.35

$22.87 €20.50

-34.85%

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 €1.75

$2.75 €2.46

-28.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 €1.42

$2.74 €2.45

-42.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 €1.54

$2.74 €2.46

-37.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.12 €4.59

$3.86 €3.46

32.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 €1.03

$2.52 €2.26

-54.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 €1.05

$1.65 €1.48

-29.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 €0.94

$1.51 €1.35

-30.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 €0.70

$1.69 €1.51

-53.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.25 €10.09

$14.52 €13.01

-22.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.74 €5.14

$8.60 €7.71

-33.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.28

$1.78 €1.60

-19.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.36

$2.51 €2.25

4.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.49 €2.23

$3.70 €3.31

-32.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.7 €65.1

$117 €104

-37.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 €3.46

$4.69 €4.20

-17.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.84 €2.54

$3.42 €3.07

-16.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.53 €26.46

$39.00 €34.95

-24.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.41 €2.16

$2.56 €2.29

-5.86%

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

$26.5K €23.7K

$40.6K €36.4K

-34.76%

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

$38.7K €34.7K

$38.9K €34.8K

-0.41%

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

$184 €164

$306 €275

-40.10%

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

$14.85 €13.31

$22.66 €20.30

-34.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.38 €34.39

$52.8 €47.34

-27.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.88 €36.63

$55.0 €49.25

-25.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.29 €22.67

$35.66 €31.96

-29.08%

Cinema Ticket

$13.55 €12.14

$16.48 €14.77

-17.78%

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

$1,260 €1,129

$2,778 €2,489

-54.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,129 €4,596

$17.0K €15.2K

-69.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.1 €45.81

$92.7 €83.1

-44.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.16 €29.71

$41.28 €36.99

-19.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.5 €64.9

$101 €90.9

-28.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.8 €51.8

$134 €120

-56.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,375

$2,642 €2,368

-41.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 €984

$1,989 €1,783

-44.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,990 €1,783

$4,165 €3,732

-52.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,347 €1,207

$3,251 €2,913

-58.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,622 €5,038

$10.6K €9,457

-46.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,407 €3,949

$6,734 €6,034

-34.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,005 €3,589

$4,625 €4,145

-13.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.54

3.3

7.27%

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

Last update for Best: October 27, 2026

Last update for Amsterdam: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Best

$1.1K 50%

Amsterdam

$2K 56.6% 81.2% $891

Eating Out

Best

$318 14.5%

Amsterdam

$358 10.2% 12.5% $40

Groceries & Markets

Best

$280 12.8%

Amsterdam

$381 10.8% 35.8% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Best

$237 10.8%

Amsterdam

$382 10.9% 61.3% $145

Getting Around

Best

$101 4.6%

Amsterdam

$153 4.4% 52.1% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Best

$97 4.4%

Amsterdam

$166 4.7% 72.2% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Best

$68 3.1%

Amsterdam

$88 2.5% 29.3% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,534 in Best versus $2,642 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 15% 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 $86 in Best versus $89 in Amsterdam. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $280 vs $381 – making Best the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Best

🇳🇱 Amsterdam

🕒 Local time

15:44 3:44 PM

Same time as Best

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

29,988

881,933 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Best Amsterdam 100 km

From you

Best
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

Best vs Amsterdam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Amsterdam is pricier by about 60%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,298 per month in Best and $5,276 in Amsterdam. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Best, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,534 there versus $2,642 in Amsterdam.

Public transport costs about 38% less in Best. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,260 per month in Best and $2,778 in Amsterdam. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Best, where all-in costs run around $2,198, than in Amsterdam at $3,517. In Best it covers expenses comfortably, while in Amsterdam it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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