Cost of Living Comparison Between Cambridge, MA and Hilversum Cost of Living Comparison Between Cambridge, MA and Hilversum

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,414 in Cambridge, MA versus $3,038 in Hilversum.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,700 in Cambridge, MA versus $4,445 in Hilversum.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,986 in Cambridge, MA versus $5,852 in Hilversum.

Living in Cambridge, MA is roughly 45% more expensive than Hilversum, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cambridge, MA 229% above, Hilversum 127% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 $17.08

$28.65 €24.64

-40.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.4 $98.4

$90.9 €78.2

8.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.10 $12.10

$16.48 €14.18

-26.58%

Cappuccino

$5.51 $5.51

$4.46 €3.83

23.54%

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

$3.07 $3.07

$3.90 €3.35

-21.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.08 €2.65

-23.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.12 $8.12

$5.86 €5.04

38.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.98 $7.98

$5.09 €4.38

56.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.35 €1.16

-19.26%

White Bread (500g)

$4.06 $4.06

$2.20 €1.89

84.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.53 $6.53

$3.78 €3.25

72.75%

Eggs

$4.80 $4.80

$4.90 €4.22

-2.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.30 $15.30

$12.96 €11.15

18.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.41 $13.41

$17.37 €14.94

-22.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.86 $20.86

$17.26 €14.84

20.86%

Apples (1kg)

$6.86 $6.86

$1.89 €1.62

262.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$2.55 €2.19

-26.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.36 $6.36

$1.86 €1.60

241.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$3.77 €3.24

67.11%

Potato (1kg)

$3.21 $3.21

$2.11 €1.82

52.13%

Onion (1kg)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.24 €1.93

54.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.17 €1.01

105.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$0.91 €0.78

179.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.50 $13.50

$12.37 €10.64

9.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.45 $16.45

$7.01 €6.03

134.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.56 €1.34

8.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.61 $5.61

$2.83 €2.44

98.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.41 $2.41

$4.69 €4.03

-48.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.8 $88.8

$95.7 €82.4

-7.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.57 $2.57

$5.67 €4.88

-54.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.04 €1.75

-13.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.63 $27.63

$29.48 €25.36

-6.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$2.30 €1.98

-60.00%

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

$30.0K $30.0K

$40.9K €35.2K

-26.53%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$40.5K €34.8K

-37.61%

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

$157 $157

$265 €228

-40.80%

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

$52.9 $52.9

$30.38 €26.13

74.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.9 $55.9

$58.3 €50.2

-4.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$101 $101

$70.4 €60.6

42.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.11 $30.11

$41.69 €35.86

-27.78%

Cinema Ticket

$15.36 $15.36

$17.20 €14.79

-10.70%

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

$2,743 $2,743

$663 €570

313.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.4K $27.4K

$7,633 €6,566

259.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 $65.4

$127 €109

-48.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.25 $44.25

$60.7 €52.2

-27.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$132 €113

-22.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 $145

$184 €158

-21.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,888 $2,888

$1,732 €1,490

66.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,827 $2,827

$1,532 €1,318

84.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,029 $5,029

$3,027 €2,604

66.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,551 $3,551

$2,394 €2,060

48.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,085 $5,085

$7,097 €6,105

-28.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,047 $5,047

$5,465 €4,701

-7.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,341 $6,341

$3,837 €3,301

65.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

4.5

42.89%

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

Last update for Cambridge, MA: May 31, 2026

Last update for Hilversum: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,888 in Cambridge, MA and $1,732 in Hilversum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cambridge, MA pays 65% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $98.0 in Cambridge, MA vs $91.0 in Hilversum for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $484 vs $353 per month, with Hilversum cheaper across the board.

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

Cambridge, MA vs Hilversum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hilversum wins on cost – living expenses run 45% lower than in Cambridge, MA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hilversum the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Cambridge, MA pays 65% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,888 in Cambridge, MA versus $1,732 in Hilversum. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Cambridge, MA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Hilversum – a meal for two runs $91.0 versus $98.0 in Cambridge, MA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Hilversum is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Hilversum delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,038 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Hilversum hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Cambridge, MA and Hilversum are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Hilversum gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Cambridge, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.