Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Germany and the Netherlands

Name: Netherlands
Address: NL

For one person, living is cheaper in Germany: $2,065 a month against $2,694 in the Netherlands, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in Germany
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Germany Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in the Netherlands
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Netherlands Living Index

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🇩🇪 Germany

$2,065

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🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,694

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Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Germany and in the Netherlands

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,065 in Germany versus $2,694 in the Netherlands.

Germany $2,065
Netherlands $2,694

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,136 in Germany versus $3,888 in the Netherlands.

Germany $3,136
Netherlands $3,888

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,208 in Germany versus $5,081 in the Netherlands.

Germany $4,208
Netherlands $5,081

Internal cost variation is higher in the Netherlands: monthly costs span $1,207 to $3,496, compared to $1,345–$2,663 in Germany. City choice carries more weight in the Netherlands.

Living in Germany costs about 23% less than in the Netherlands on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Germany 52% above, the Netherlands 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.61 €14.77

$22.27 €19.81

-25.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.4 €64.4

$89.0 €79.2

-18.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.15 €10.81

$13.79 €12.26

-11.89%

Cappuccino

$3.96 €3.52

$4.16 €3.70

-4.81%

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

$3.45 €3.07

$3.60 €3.20

-4.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 €2.72

$3.05 €2.72

0.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.19 €4.62

$6.61 €5.88

-21.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €4.08

$5.72 €5.09

-19.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.32 €1.17

-3.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.90

$2.25 €2.01

-5.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.56 €3.17

$2.69 €2.39

32.34%

Eggs

$3.79 €3.37

$4.71 €4.19

-19.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.65 €13.03

$13.73 €12.21

6.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.78 €10.48

$14.11 €12.55

-16.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.78 €18.48

$17.27 €15.36

20.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.82

$2.66 €2.36

19.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 €1.76

$2.49 €2.21

-20.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 €1.96

$2.08 €1.85

6.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.28 €3.81

$4.08 €3.63

4.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 €1.29

$1.80 €1.60

-19.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 €1.33

$1.87 €1.67

-20.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.67 €1.49

$1.28 €1.14

30.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.95

$0.88 €0.78

21.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.90 €8.81

$14.16 €12.59

-30.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.56 €5.83

$6.66 €5.92

-1.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 €0.97

$1.50 €1.33

-27.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 €1.43

$2.55 €2.27

-37.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 €3.42

$3.75 €3.34

2.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.9 €63.1

$95.2 €84.7

-25.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.52 €4.91

$4.73 €4.21

16.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.74 €2.44

$3.00 €2.67

-8.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.54 €34.28

$34.06 €30.30

13.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 €1.87

$2.43 €2.16

-13.17%

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

$33.0K €29.3K

$41.6K €37.0K

-20.81%

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

$38.7K €34.4K

$38.8K €34.5K

-0.17%

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

$338 €301

$259 €230

30.57%

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

$24.76 €22.02

$22.93 €20.39

7.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.37 €42.13

$50.3 €44.74

-5.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.14 €36.59

$42.07 €37.42

-2.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.41 €24.38

$26.22 €23.33

4.54%

Cinema Ticket

$14.31 €12.73

$15.68 €13.94

-8.74%

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

$573 €510

$2,185 €1,944

-73.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.6K

$8,876 €7,896

97.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.1 €79.3

$94.7 €84.3

-5.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.77 €38.04

$42.95 €38.20

-0.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.5 €88.5

$102 €90.8

-2.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €117

0.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$896 €797

$1,648 €1,465

-45.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$703 €625

$1,314 €1,169

-46.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,675 €1,490

$2,547 €2,266

-34.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,314 €1,169

$1,985 €1,766

-33.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,163 €5,482

$6,600 €5,871

-6.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,027 €3,582

$4,779 €4,251

-15.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,219 €2,864

$3,787 €3,369

-15.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.96

3.87

2.33%

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

Last update for Germany: October 19, 2026

Last update for the Netherlands: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Germany

$703 34%

Netherlands

$1.3K 48.8% 87% $611

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Germany

$410 19.9%

Netherlands

$332 12.3% 19% $78

Groceries & Markets

Germany

$335 16.2%

Netherlands

$337 12.5% 0.4% $1.4

Eating Out

Germany

$278 13.5%

Netherlands

$341 12.6% 22.5% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Germany

$163 7.9%

Netherlands

$167 6.2% 2.3% $3.8

Getting Around

Germany

$105 5.1%

Netherlands

$130 4.8% 23.2% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Germany

$70 3.4%

Netherlands

$73 2.7% 5.2% $3.7

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $800 in Germany, $1,410 in the Netherlands. Capital cities: $1,398 in Berlin vs $2,654 in Amsterdam.

National salary averages: $3,119 in Germany, $3,603 in the Netherlands. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 76% higher in the Netherlands.

Dining out costs 20% more in the Netherlands.

Public transport is 30% more expensive in the Netherlands.

Salaries are 16% higher in the Netherlands, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Germany.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Germany

🇳🇱 Netherlands

🕒 Local time

15:09 3:09 PM

Same time as Germany

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

84,358,845

17,100,715

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Germany Netherlands 580 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Germany
Netherlands

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

Germany vs Netherlands: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,065 per month in Germany and $2,694 in the Netherlands, there's a 30% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is cheaper in Germany: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,410 in the Netherlands and $800 in Germany. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In Germany, $3,000 covers most cities easily; in the Netherlands it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Germany wins on affordability; the Netherlands may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.