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: $1,966 in Drachten versus $2,170 in Letterkenny.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,869 in Drachten versus $3,097 in Letterkenny.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,773 in Drachten versus $4,025 in Letterkenny.

Living in Drachten costs roughly 9% less than in Letterkenny, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Drachten 47% above, Letterkenny 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.87 €16.25

$20.05 €17.27

-5.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.2 €62.2

$72.7 €62.6

-0.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.74 €10.97

$10.52 €9.06

21.10%

Cappuccino

$3.50 €3.01

$4.93 €4.24

-29.01%

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

$3.13 €2.69

$2.18 €1.87

43.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 €2.09

$1.64 €1.41

48.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.77 €4.97

$6.25 €5.38

-7.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 €3.39

$5.75 €4.95

-31.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 €1.05

$1.66 €1.43

-27.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 €1.19

$2.16 €1.86

-35.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 €1.36

$1.49 €1.28

5.37%

Eggs

$4.78 €4.11

$4.57 €3.94

4.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.00 €12.05

$7.78 €6.70

79.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.93 €11.99

$9.71 €8.36

43.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.61 €10.86

$11.10 €9.56

13.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.06

$3.66 €3.15

-34.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.51 €2.16

$2.67 €2.30

-5.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$3.59 €3.09

-46.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.31 €2.85

$4.72 €4.06

-29.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 €1.53

$2.29 €1.98

-22.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 €1.42

$1.48 €1.28

11.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 €1.05

$1.27 €1.09

-3.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 €0.58

$2.35 €2.02

-71.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.27 €7.98

$18.70 €16.10

-50.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.18 €6.18

$13.82 €11.90

-48.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.17

$2.87 €2.47

-52.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 €2.33

$3.26 €2.80

-16.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.11 €3.54

$2.36 €2.03

74.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.34 €39.04

$56.9 €49.00

-20.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.30 €3.70

$5.82 €5.01

-26.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.62 €2.26

$2.14 €1.84

22.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.9 €44.72

$45.37 €39.07

14.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.87

$2.02 €1.74

7.43%

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

$44.6K €38.4K

$41.4K €35.6K

7.80%

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

$39.2K €33.8K

$34.6K €29.8K

13.36%

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

$267 €230

$184 €159

44.91%

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

$30.31 €26.10

$22.22 €19.14

36.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.1 €44.04

$49.33 €42.48

3.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.46

$45.03 €38.78

27.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.78 €19.62

$25.98 €22.37

-12.32%

Cinema Ticket

$15.15 €13.05

$10.49 €9.03

44.42%

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

$1,896 €1,633

$253 €218

649.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,148 €5,294

$10.6K €9,088

-41.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.3 €80.3

$79.4 €68.4

17.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.45 €39.14

$38.28 €32.96

18.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.6 €74.6

$90.2 €77.7

-3.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.8 €78.2

$74.2 €63.9

22.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 €788

$1,097 €945

-16.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$763 €657

$957 €824

-20.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,382 €1,190

$1,637 €1,409

-15.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 €908

$1,425 €1,227

-25.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,648 €4,003

$21.4K €18.4K

-78.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,550 €3,057

$1,759 €1,515

101.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,669 €2,298

$1,812 €1,560

47.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

4.16

-21.88%

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

Last update for Drachten: May 30, 2026

Last update for Letterkenny: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $915 in Drachten and $1,097 in Letterkenny. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Drachten pays 47% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $72.0 in Drachten vs $73.0 in Letterkenny for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $331 per month, with Drachten 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

Drachten vs Letterkenny: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Drachten is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Drachten pays 47% 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: $915 in Drachten versus $1,097 in Letterkenny. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,896 in Drachten versus $253 in Letterkenny. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Letterkenny. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,966 in Drachten versus $2,170 in Letterkenny, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Drachten but tight or insufficient in Letterkenny. The gap between the two cities makes Drachten 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 Drachten gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Letterkenny. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.