Cost of Living Comparison Between Drachten and Letterkenny Cost of Living Comparison Between Drachten and Letterkenny

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,104 in Drachten versus $2,068 in Letterkenny.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,052 in Drachten versus $3,155 in Letterkenny.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,000 in Drachten versus $4,242 in Letterkenny.

Living in Drachten is roughly 2% more expensive than in Letterkenny, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Drachten 53% above, Letterkenny 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.06 €22.49

$20.08 €17.33

29.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.4 €76.3

$69.5 €59.9

27.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.88 €11.97

$13.90 €11.99

-0.14%

Cappuccino

$4.10 €3.54

$4.82 €4.16

-14.94%

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

$3.74 €3.22

$2.71 €2.33

38.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 €2.92

$2.35 €2.03

43.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.83 €5.03

$6.44 €5.55

-9.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 €4.91

$7.17 €6.19

-20.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.06

$1.75 €1.51

-29.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.89 €1.63

-24.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 €1.37

$1.52 €1.31

4.61%

Eggs

$5.24 €4.52

$5.61 €4.84

-6.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.26 €11.44

$8.77 €7.57

51.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.72 €11.84

$13.28 €11.46

3.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.70 €10.96

$13.37 €11.54

-5.01%

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$4.34 €3.75

-54.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.58 €2.23

$2.70 €2.33

-4.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$3.95 €3.41

-50.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.33 €2.87

$4.39 €3.79

-24.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$3.51 €3.03

-51.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 €1.42

$1.18 €1.02

39.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.35 €1.17

-4.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 €0.58

$2.41 €2.08

-71.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.79 €8.45

$20.93 €18.06

-53.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.09 €6.12

$14.09 €12.16

-49.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$3.03 €2.61

-50.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 €2.34

$4.01 €3.46

-32.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.17 €3.60

$5.13 €4.43

-18.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.36 €39.14

$76.9 €66.4

-41.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.35 €8.93

$5.70 €4.92

81.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.30 €2.85

$4.37 €3.77

-24.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$53.1 €45.85

$25.25 €21.79

110.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.43 €2.10

$2.06 €1.77

17.96%

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

$43.1K €37.2K

$40.8K €35.2K

5.61%

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

$39.7K €34.2K

$35.5K €30.7K

11.62%

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

$291 €251

$169 €146

72.62%

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

$24.76 €21.36

$21.71 €18.74

14.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 €44.40

$47.76 €41.21

7.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €49.73

$56.6 €48.86

1.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.04 €19.88

Cinema Ticket

$17.08 €14.74

$10.56 €9.11

61.74%

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

$2,451 €2,115

$259 €224

844.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.0K €24.2K

$10.6K €9,157

164.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.1 €51.9

$92.0 €79.4

-34.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.57 €40.18

$37.01 €31.94

25.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.1 €78.6

$93.1 €80.3

-2.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €121

$101 €86.7

39.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 €790

$1,094 €944

-16.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$766 €661

$823 €710

-6.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,392 €1,202

$1,628 €1,405

-14.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 €916

$1,427 €1,231

-25.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,609 €3,977

$2,328 €2,009

98.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,441 €2,969

$1,750 €1,510

96.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,648 €2,285

$1,947 €1,680

35.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.3

3.6

19.44%

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

Last update for Drachten: August 31, 2026

Last update for Letterkenny: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $915 in Drachten and $1,094 in Letterkenny. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Drachten pays 36% 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: $88.0 in Drachten vs $69.0 in Letterkenny. Groceries flip the comparison at $299 vs $372, with Drachten cheaper for home cooking.

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

Drachten vs Letterkenny: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Letterkenny is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 36% higher in Drachten, 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: $915 in Drachten versus $1,094 in Letterkenny. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,451 in Drachten versus $259 in Letterkenny. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Drachten pay roughly 24% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,068 in Letterkenny versus $2,104 in Drachten, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Letterkenny but tight or insufficient in Drachten. The gap between the two cities makes Letterkenny the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Drachten and Letterkenny 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 Letterkenny gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Drachten. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.