Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Enschede and The Hague

For one person, living is cheaper in Enschede: $2,363 a month against $2,727 in The Hague, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Enschede
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$2,363
/mo nomad
The Hague
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$2,727
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Enschede and in The Hague

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,363 in Enschede versus $2,727 in The Hague.

  • Enschede $2,363
  • The Hague $2,727

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,680 in Enschede versus $4,085 in The Hague.

  • Enschede $3,680
  • The Hague $4,085

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,996 in Enschede versus $5,443 in The Hague.

  • Enschede $4,996
  • The Hague $5,443

Living in Enschede costs roughly 13% less than in The Hague, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Enschede 74% above, The Hague 101% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Enschede
The Hague
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.35 €18.99
$22.22 €19.76
-3.92%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.9 €71.1
$89.2 €79.4
-10.43%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$15.56 €13.84
$15.04 €13.38
3.46%
Cappuccino
$4.06 €3.62
$4.35 €3.87
-6.67%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.55 €3.16
$4.15 €3.70
-14.46%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 €2.57
$4.28 €3.81
-32.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.02 €5.35
$7.17 €6.38
-16.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.31 €5.61
$7.70 €6.85
-18.05%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Enschede
The Hague
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.35 €1.20
$1.52 €1.35
-11.18%
White Bread (500g)
$2.50 €2.22
$2.21 €1.96
13.12%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.64 €2.35
$2.47 €2.20
6.88%
Eggs
$4.39 €3.91
$4.51 €4.01
-2.66%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.75 €12.23
$14.94 €13.29
-7.97%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.53 €12.92
$12.87 €11.45
12.90%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.76 €13.13
$19.53 €17.38
-24.42%
Apples (1kg)
$2.69 €2.39
$2.67 €2.37
0.75%
Banana (1kg)
$2.19 €1.95
$2.20 €1.95
-0.45%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 €1.95
$2.06 €1.83
6.31%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.77 €4.24
$3.68 €3.27
29.62%
Potato (1kg)
$3.12 €2.77
$1.33 €1.18
134.59%
Onion (1kg)
$2.13 €1.90
$1.34 €1.19
58.96%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.20 €1.06
$1.12 €1.00
7.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.76 €0.67
$0.94 €0.84
-19.15%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.10 €12.54
$14.34 €12.76
-1.67%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.65 €5.91
$6.05 €5.38
9.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.44 €1.28
$1.30 €1.15
10.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 €2.64
$1.97 €1.75
50.76%
🚌 Getting Around
Enschede
The Hague
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.96 €2.64
$4.38 €3.90
-32.42%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$113 €101
$94.1 €83.7
20.19%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.76 €3.34
$4.61 €4.10
-18.44%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.56 €2.28
$3.34 €2.97
-23.35%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.53 €24.49
$33.19 €29.52
-17.05%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.54 €2.26
$2.53 €2.25
0.40%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$41.9K €37.2K
$41.8K €37.2K
0.08%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.9K €34.6K
$38.8K €34.5K
0.26%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Enschede
The Hague
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$262 €233
$283 €252
-7.34%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.36 €19.00
$28.32 €25.19
-24.58%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$44.78 €39.83
$54.1 €48.09
-17.17%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Enschede
The Hague
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.20 €30.42
$51.7 €45.96
-33.80%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.17 €21.50
$23.96 €21.31
0.88%
Cinema Ticket
$19.13 €17.02
$16.01 €14.24
19.49%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Enschede
The Hague
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,198 €1,065
$2,402 €2,137
-50.13%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,959 €7,079
$11.8K €10.5K
-32.52%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Enschede
The Hague
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$93.5 €83.1
$96.5 €85.9
-3.17%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.39 €33.26
$42.92 €38.18
-12.88%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.6 €81.5
$105 €93.8
-13.14%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$101 €89.7
$140 €125
-28.19%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Enschede
The Hague
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,334 €1,187
$1,655 €1,472
-19.37%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,002 €892
$1,281 €1,139
-21.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,509 €2,232
$2,769 €2,463
-9.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,994 €1,774
$2,244 €1,996
-11.13%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,629 €4,118
$6,171 €5,489
-24.98%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,233 €2,876
$4,415 €3,927
-26.77%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Enschede
The Hague
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,857 €2,541
$4,128 €3,672
-30.81%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.6
3.4
35.29%

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

Last update for Enschede: October 17, 2026

Last update for The Hague: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Enschede
$1K
The Hague
$1.3K 27.8% $278
Groceries & Markets
Enschede
$338
The Hague
$331 2% $6.7
Eating Out
Enschede
$335
The Hague
$360 7.6% $25
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Enschede
$328
The Hague
$365 11.3% $37
Clothing & Footwear
Enschede
$145
The Hague
$173 19.2% $28
Getting Around
Enschede
$141
The Hague
$133 6.1% $8.6
Sport & Entertainment
Enschede
$72
The Hague
$84 15.5% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,334 in Enschede and $1,655 in The Hague. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

The Hague pays 45% 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: $80.0 in Enschede vs $89.0 in The Hague. Groceries flip the comparison at $338 vs $331, with The Hague cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇳🇱 Enschede
🇳🇱 The Hague
🕒 Local time
00:51 12:51 AM
00:51 12:51 AM
Same time as Enschede
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
161,235
562,839
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Enschede The Hague 180 km
From you
  • Enschede
  • The Hague

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
Enschede vs The Hague: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Enschede and in The Hague?
Enschede and The Hague differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($2,363 vs $2,727 including rent). Enschede is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 45% lower in The Hague. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Enschede and in The Hague?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,334 in Enschede versus $1,655 in The Hague. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city is more expensive overall: Enschede or The Hague?
All in, you'll spend $2,363 per month in Enschede versus $2,727 in The Hague – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How do commuting costs compare in Enschede and in The Hague?
A monthly transit pass in Enschede runs roughly 20% less than in The Hague. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $2,363 in Enschede versus $2,727 in The Hague, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Enschede but tight or insufficient in The Hague. The gap between the two cities makes Enschede the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Enschede and The Hague?
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.
Is Enschede or The Hague safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Enschede and The Hague are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Enschede or The Hague?
Expats usually find Enschede gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in The Hague. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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