Cost of Living Comparison Between Canada and Netherlands Cost of Living Comparison Between Canada and Netherlands

Name: Netherlands
Address: NL

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,322 per month in Canada vs $2,550 in Netherlands, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,376 per month in Canada vs $3,702 in Netherlands, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,430 per month in Canada vs $4,854 in Netherlands, rent included.

Canada is roughly 9% cheaper than Netherlands on average — the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Canada and Netherlands are pricier than the global median – Canada by 73%, Netherlands by 90%.

Both countries show comparable internal variation: Canada spans $1,331–$3,130, Netherlands spans $1,820–$3,516. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.54 CA$25.41

$23.52 €20.08

-21.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.6 CA$99.4

$92.3 €78.8

-21.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.14 CA$15.26

$13.79 €11.78

-19.22%

Cappuccino

$3.78 CA$5.18

$4.21 €3.60

-10.21%

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

$2.09 CA$2.86

$3.41 €2.92

-38.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 CA$2.33

$2.90 €2.47

-41.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.78 CA$7.91

$7.10 €6.06

-18.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.05 CA$8.29

$5.62 €4.80

7.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CA$3.18

$1.30 €1.11

78.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 CA$3.72

$2.32 €1.98

17.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.79 CA$5.19

$3.08 €2.63

23.05%

Eggs

$3.58 CA$4.91

$4.82 €4.12

-25.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.69 CA$16.02

$13.79 €11.77

-15.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.11 CA$16.59

$16.11 €13.76

-24.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.21 CA$20.84

$17.14 €14.64

-11.26%

Apples (1kg)

$4.26 CA$5.84

$2.39 €2.04

78.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 CA$2.05

$2.50 €2.14

-40.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.84 CA$5.26

$1.91 €1.63

101.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.10 CA$5.62

$3.97 €3.39

3.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.66 CA$3.65

$2.07 €1.77

28.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.68 CA$3.67

$1.98 €1.69

35.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.66 CA$3.65

$1.27 €1.09

109.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 CA$2.50

$0.92 €0.78

98.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.89 CA$20.41

$13.92 €11.89

6.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.26 CA$18.16

$7.00 €5.98

89.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 CA$4.03

$1.48 €1.26

98.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 CA$4.53

$2.68 €2.29

23.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.64 CA$3.61

$3.89 €3.32

-32.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.8 CA$105

$93.1 €79.5

-17.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.36 CA$4.61

$4.26 €3.64

-21.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 CA$2.08

$2.59 €2.21

-41.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.96 CA$39.67

$35.38 €30.21

-18.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 CA$1.58

$2.18 €1.86

-46.79%

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

$25.5K CA$34.9K

$38.2K €32.6K

-33.29%

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

$21.1K CA$28.9K

$36.2K €30.9K

-41.89%

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

$155 CA$212

$257 €220

-39.77%

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

$46.72 CA$64.0

$25.97 €22.18

79.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.8 CA$87.5

$49.32 €42.12

29.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.41 CA$58.1

$41.78 €35.68

1.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.90 CA$24.52

$24.48 €20.91

-26.88%

Cinema Ticket

$11.50 CA$15.75

$16.15 €13.80

-28.79%

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

$822 CA$1,126

$2,182 €1,863

-62.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K CA$16.4K

$9,459 €8,078

26.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.9 CA$77.9

$95.7 €81.7

-40.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.82 CA$57.3

$45.72 €39.04

-8.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.1 CA$123

$106 €90.4

-14.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$151

$136 €116

-18.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,380 CA$1,890

$1,623 €1,386

-14.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 CA$1,654

$1,292 €1,103

-6.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,195 CA$3,007

$2,569 €2,194

-14.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,828 CA$2,504

$2,133 €1,821

-14.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,856 CA$6,653

$6,877 €5,873

-29.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,967 CA$5,435

$5,052 €4,314

-21.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,011 CA$4,124

$4,002 €3,418

-24.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.33

4.25

48.94%

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

Last update for Canada: April 21, 2026

Last update for Netherlands: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,281 in Canada vs $1,433 in Netherlands. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,479 in Ottawa and $2,372 in Amsterdam.

Average salary: $2,997 in Canada vs $3,686 in Netherlands. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 12% higher in Netherlands.

Dining out costs 26% more in Netherlands.

Public transport is 41% more expensive in Netherlands.

Salaries are 23% higher in Netherlands, giving Netherlands stronger purchasing power.

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

Canada vs Netherlands: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Canada is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 20% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Netherlands, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Netherlands consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Canada, contributing to the overall 20% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Canada, but in Netherlands it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Canada 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.