Cost of Living Comparison Between Cambridge and Alkmaar Cost of Living Comparison Between Cambridge and Alkmaar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,308 in Cambridge versus $2,509 in Alkmaar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,557 in Cambridge versus $3,682 in Alkmaar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,805 in Cambridge versus $4,855 in Alkmaar.

Living in Cambridge is roughly 32% more expensive than in Alkmaar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cambridge 141% above, Alkmaar 83% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.32 £16.51

$31.09 €26.75

-28.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 £67.5

$91.2 €78.4

0.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.85 £8.03

$15.35 €13.21

-29.32%

Cappuccino

$4.66 £3.45

$4.06 €3.49

14.78%

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

$2.87 £2.13

$3.33 €2.87

-13.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 £1.39

$2.61 €2.24

-28.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.93 £5.86

$5.85 €5.03

35.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.56 £5.59

$4.56 €3.92

65.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 £1.22

$1.43 €1.23

14.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 £1.34

$2.41 €2.07

-24.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 £1.97

$3.55 €3.06

-25.07%

Eggs

$4.71 £3.49

$5.02 €4.32

-6.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.24 £7.57

$14.74 €12.68

-30.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.64 £7.13

$15.61 €13.43

-38.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.91 £11.77

$17.56 €15.11

-9.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 £2.31

$2.68 €2.30

16.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 £1.27

$2.60 €2.23

-33.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.65 £2.70

$1.93 €1.66

89.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.51 £2.59

$4.24 €3.65

-17.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 £1.34

$2.02 €1.74

-10.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 £1.35

$2.21 €1.91

-17.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 £0.95

$1.32 €1.14

-3.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 £1.46

$0.89 €0.76

121.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.07 £17.07

$13.33 €11.47

73.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.41 £8.44

$7.46 €6.42

52.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.37 £2.49

$1.35 €1.16

149.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 £2.97

$2.37 €2.04

69.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.68 £2.72

$2.30 €1.98

60.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.3 £71.2

$60.3 €51.9

59.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.00 £5.92

$2.99 €2.57

167.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.68 £1.98

$1.70 €1.46

57.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$52.0 £38.46

$25.80 €22.20

101.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 £1.53

$2.36 €2.03

-12.29%

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

$39.4K £29.2K

$43.1K €37.1K

-8.47%

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

$42.0K £31.1K

$40.8K €35.1K

2.93%

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

$344 £254

$256 €220

34.34%

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

$19.34 £14.30

$21.60 €18.59

-10.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.48 £32.90

$47.30 €40.70

-5.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 £50.2

$47.42 €40.81

43.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.38 £15.82

$6.31 €5.43

238.83%

Cinema Ticket

$17.77 £13.15

$15.68 €13.49

13.33%

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

$2,574 £1,905

$756 €650

240.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K £22.4K

$2,487 €2,140

1115.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 £67.5

$119 €103

-23.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.47 £35.86

$46.75 €40.22

3.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.4 £69.8

$115 €98.6

-17.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 £97.3

$123 €106

7.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,134 £1,578

$799 €688

167.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,793 £1,326

$1,034 €890

73.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,280 £2,426

$2,921 €2,514

12.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,691 £1,991

$1,653 €1,422

62.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,088 £6,723

$5,206 €4,480

74.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,091 £4,506

$4,312 €3,710

41.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,436 £3,282

$3,370 €2,900

31.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.04

26.00%

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

Last update for Cambridge: August 31, 2026

Last update for Alkmaar: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,134 in Cambridge and $799 in Alkmaar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cambridge pays 32% 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: $91.0 in Cambridge vs $91.0 in Alkmaar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $334 vs $358 per month, with Cambridge 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 vs Alkmaar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alkmaar wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Cambridge. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Alkmaar the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 32% higher in Cambridge, 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: $2,134 in Cambridge versus $799 in Alkmaar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Alkmaar runs roughly 60% less than in Cambridge. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,574 in Cambridge versus $756 in Alkmaar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,509 in Alkmaar versus $3,308 in Cambridge, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Alkmaar but tight or insufficient in Cambridge. The gap between the two cities makes Alkmaar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Alkmaar delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,509 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Alkmaar hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Cambridge and Alkmaar 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 Alkmaar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Cambridge. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.