Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Drachten and Amsterdam

For one person, living is cheaper in Drachten: $2,483 a month against $3,465 in Amsterdam, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Drachten
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Drachten Living Index
168

Cost of Living Index in Amsterdam
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Amsterdam Living Index

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Drachten

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,483

/mo nomad

Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,465

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,483 per month in Drachten vs $3,465 in Amsterdam, rent included.

Drachten $2,483
Amsterdam $3,465

A couple spends around $3,657 per month in Drachten vs $4,929 in Amsterdam, rent included.

Drachten $3,657
Amsterdam $4,929

A family of three spends $4,831 per month in Drachten vs $6,393 in Amsterdam, rent included.

Drachten $4,831
Amsterdam $6,393

Drachten is about 28% cheaper than Amsterdam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Drachten and Amsterdam sit above the global median – Drachten by 84%, Amsterdam by 157%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.26 €21.58

$22.10 €19.66

9.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.3 €75.0

$90.0 €80.0

-6.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.55 €12.05

$15.32 €13.63

-11.55%

Cappuccino

$3.98 €3.54

$4.58 €4.07

-13.10%

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

$3.62 €3.22

$3.70 €3.29

-2.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 €2.75

$2.98 €2.65

4.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 €5.11

$7.38 €6.56

-22.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 €5.05

$5.73 €5.10

-0.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.03

$1.57 €1.40

-26.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 €1.19

$2.30 €2.04

-41.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 €1.41

$2.51 €2.23

-36.65%

Eggs

$5.00 €4.45

$5.07 €4.51

-1.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.45 €11.07

$16.73 €14.88

-25.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.26 €11.80

$13.11 €11.66

1.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.08 €10.74

$22.79 €20.28

-46.99%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$2.73 €2.43

-31.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.49 €2.22

$2.76 €2.46

-9.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

$2.74 €2.44

-31.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.14 €2.79

$3.78 €3.37

-16.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 €1.45

$2.38 €2.11

-31.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 €1.41

$1.61 €1.43

-1.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.46 €1.30

-12.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 €0.57

$1.77 €1.58

-63.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.96 €7.97

$14.52 €12.92

-38.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.86 €6.10

$9.10 €8.09

-24.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.79 €1.59

-17.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 €2.35

$2.43 €2.16

9.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.38 €3.00

$3.69 €3.29

-8.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.0 €80.1

$112 €100

-19.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.73

$4.51 €4.01

-7.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.05 €2.71

$3.44 €3.06

-11.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.31 €43.86

$39.71 €35.32

24.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 €2.01

$2.63 €2.34

-13.69%

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

$41.5K €36.9K

$41.3K €36.7K

0.54%

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

$37.3K €33.2K

$39.4K €35.1K

-5.42%

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

$276 €246

$295 €262

-6.27%

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

$24.01 €21.35

$22.26 €19.80

7.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.46 €44.00

$51.1 €45.46

-3.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.09 €36.55

$59.9 €53.3

-31.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.13 €19.68

$35.44 €31.52

-37.56%

Cinema Ticket

$16.02 €14.25

$16.82 €14.96

-4.76%

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

$2,305 €2,050

$2,826 €2,513

-18.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,889 €7,018

$17.1K €15.2K

-53.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.0 €52.5

$92.5 €82.3

-36.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.14 €39.26

$41.61 €37.01

6.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.4 €77.7

$97.6 €86.9

-10.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 €121

$132 €117

2.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,430 €1,272

$2,575 €2,290

-44.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 €1,027

$1,955 €1,739

-40.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,384 €2,120

$3,997 €3,555

-40.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,900 €1,690

$3,053 €2,716

-37.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,428 €4,829

$10.4K €9,222

-47.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,379 €3,895

$6,494 €5,776

-32.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,515 €2,237

$4,692 €4,174

-46.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.3

3.27

31.50%

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

Last update for Drachten: October 12, 2026

Last update for Amsterdam: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Drachten

$1.2K 46.5%

Amsterdam

$2K 56.4% 69.3% $800

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Drachten

$350 14.1%

Amsterdam

$368 10.6% 5.3% $18

Eating Out

Drachten

$349 14.1%

Amsterdam

$353 10.2% 1% $3.4

Groceries & Markets

Drachten

$286 11.5%

Amsterdam

$383 11% 33.8% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Drachten

$147 5.9%

Amsterdam

$164 4.7% 11.5% $17

Getting Around

Drachten

$123 5%

Amsterdam

$149 4.3% 21.2% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Drachten

$73 3%

Amsterdam

$94 2.7% 27.9% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,430 in Drachten 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 87% 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 $84.0 in Drachten versus $90.0 in Amsterdam. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $286 vs $383 – making Drachten the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Drachten

🇳🇱 Amsterdam

🕒 Local time

07:41 7:41 AM

Same time as Drachten

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

45,186

881,933 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Drachten vs Amsterdam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Amsterdam is pricier by about 40%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,725 per month in Drachten 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 Drachten, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 25% less in Drachten. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,305 per month in Drachten and $2,826 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 Drachten, where all-in costs run around $2,483, than in Amsterdam at $3,465. In Drachten it covers expenses comfortably, while in Amsterdam it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Drachten – 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 Drachten. 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.