Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Eindhoven and Zaandam

For one person, living is cheaper in Zaandam: $1,346 a month against $2,799 in Eindhoven, rent and utilities included – about $17,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

133

Cost of Living Index in Eindhoven
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Eindhoven Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Zaandam
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Zaandam Living Index

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Eindhoven

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,799

/mo nomad

Zaandam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$1,346

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Eindhoven and in Zaandam

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Eindhoven and in Zaandam actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,799 per month in Eindhoven vs $1,346 in Zaandam, rent included.

Eindhoven $2,799
Zaandam $1,346

A couple spends around $3,903 per month in Eindhoven vs $3,401 in Zaandam, rent included.

Eindhoven $3,903
Zaandam $3,401

A family of three spends $5,006 per month in Eindhoven vs $5,457 in Zaandam, rent included.

Eindhoven $5,006
Zaandam $5,457

Eindhoven costs about 108% more than Zaandam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.48 €19.30

$21.36 €19.18

0.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.1 €69.3

$80.5 €72.3

-4.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.71 €12.31

$13.43 €12.07

2.08%

Cappuccino

$4.53 €4.07

$4.18 €3.76

8.37%

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

$3.73 €3.35

$3.91 €3.51

-4.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 €3.13

$3.24 €2.91

7.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.01 €5.40

$5.69 €5.11

5.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 €5.16

$5.29 €4.75

8.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 €1.25

$1.34 €1.20

3.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 €2.22

$2.84 €2.55

-13.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 €2.25

$2.74 €2.46

-8.39%

Eggs

$4.31 €3.87

$4.74 €4.26

-9.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.53 €12.15

$13.67 €12.28

-1.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.63 €11.35

$12.83 €11.52

-1.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.51 €14.83

$16.85 €15.14

-2.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 €2.75

$2.57 €2.31

19.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.46 €2.21

$2.36 €2.12

4.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.06 €1.85

$1.89 €1.70

8.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 €2.91

$4.42 €3.97

-26.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 €1.32

$1.90 €1.71

-22.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 €1.23

$2.28 €2.05

-39.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 €1.24

$1.19 €1.07

15.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 €0.92

$1.05 €0.94

-2.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.18 €12.74

$14.13 €12.69

0.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.84 €6.14

$6.90 €6.20

-0.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.56

$1.45 €1.30

19.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 €2.34

$2.37 €2.13

10.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.58 €4.12

$3.38 €3.03

35.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 €124

$82.9 €74.5

66.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 €3.20

$6.24 €5.60

-42.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.02 €2.72

$2.27 €2.04

33.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.90 €34.94

$25.45 €22.86

52.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.55 €2.29

$2.48 €2.23

2.82%

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

$40.9K €36.8K

$41.5K €37.2K

-1.30%

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

$40.0K €35.9K

$39.5K €35.5K

1.22%

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

$205 €184

$260 €234

-21.35%

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

$22.89 €20.57

$23.77 €21.35

-3.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.63 €39.19

$56.4 €50.7

-22.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.52 €35.50

$45.34 €40.73

-12.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.94 €19.71

$27.64 €24.83

-20.62%

Cinema Ticket

$15.17 €13.63

$16.41 €14.74

-7.56%

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

$2,903 €2,608

$2,665 €2,394

8.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,579 €7,707

$6,619 €5,946

29.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.6 €87.6

$86.4 €77.6

12.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.71 €41.96

$40.70 €36.56

14.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €96.8

$97.8 €87.8

10.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 €122

$102 €91.9

32.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,753 €1,574

$1,336 €1,200

31.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,445 €1,298

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,641 €2,372

$1,701 €1,528

55.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,970 €1,770

$2,484 €2,231

-20.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,442 €5,787

$5,349 €4,805

20.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,786 €4,299

$4,318 €3,879

10.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,979 €3,574

$4,636 €4,165

-14.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.55

3.8

-6.58%

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

Last update for Eindhoven: October 25, 2026

Last update for Zaandam: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Eindhoven

$1.4K 51.6%

Zaandam

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Eindhoven

$338 12.1%

Zaandam

$329 24.4% 2.6% $8.9

Groceries & Markets

Eindhoven

$326 11.7%

Zaandam

$337 25.1% 3.4% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Eindhoven

$271 9.7%

Zaandam

$340 25.3% 25.5% $69

Getting Around

Eindhoven

$175 6.3%

Zaandam

$114 8.5% 35% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Eindhoven

$174 6.2%

Zaandam

$147 10.9% 15.5% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Eindhoven

$70 2.5%

Zaandam

$78 5.8% 11.9% $8.3

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,753 in Eindhoven versus $1,336 in Zaandam. 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 17% higher in Zaandam, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77 in Eindhoven versus $80 in Zaandam. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $326 vs $337 – making Eindhoven the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Eindhoven

🇳🇱 Zaandam

🕒 Local time

19:47 7:47 PM

Same time as Eindhoven

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

243,730

76,804

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Eindhoven Zaandam 120 km

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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Eindhoven vs Zaandam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,799 in Eindhoven, $1,346 in Zaandam – roughly 108% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,199 per month in Eindhoven and $2,019 in Zaandam. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zaandam, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,336 there versus $1,753 in Eindhoven.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77 in Eindhoven and $80 in Zaandam. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,799 in Eindhoven and $1,346 in Zaandam. That’s a gap of about 108%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Zaandam, where all-in costs run around $1,346, than in Eindhoven at $2,799. In Zaandam it covers expenses comfortably, while in Eindhoven it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zaandam – 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.