Cost of Living Comparison Between Germany and Netherlands Cost of Living Comparison Between Germany and Netherlands

Name: Netherlands
Address: NL

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,011 in Germany versus $2,550 in Netherlands.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,047 in Germany versus $3,702 in Netherlands.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,082 in Germany versus $4,854 in Netherlands.

Living in Germany costs about 21% less than in Netherlands on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Germany 50% above, Netherlands 90% above.

Germany ($1,333–$2,774) and Netherlands ($1,820–$3,516) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.54 €14.98

$23.52 €20.08

-25.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.4 €65.2

$92.3 €78.8

-17.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.59 €9.90

$13.79 €11.78

-15.95%

Cappuccino

$4.14 €3.53

$4.21 €3.60

-1.66%

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

$3.33 €2.85

$3.41 €2.92

-2.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 €2.58

$2.90 €2.47

4.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.09 €4.35

$7.10 €6.06

-28.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.72 €4.03

$5.62 €4.80

-16.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.11

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 €1.87

$2.32 €1.98

-5.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.36 €2.87

$3.08 €2.63

9.09%

Eggs

$3.74 €3.20

$4.82 €4.12

-22.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.72 €12.57

$13.79 €11.77

6.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.95 €11.91

$16.11 €13.76

-13.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.08 €17.14

$17.14 €14.64

17.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 €2.80

$2.39 €2.04

37.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$2.50 €2.14

-28.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 €1.91

$1.91 €1.63

17.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.78 €4.08

$3.97 €3.39

20.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 €1.36

$2.07 €1.77

-23.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.98 €1.69

-18.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 €1.57

$1.27 €1.09

44.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.95

$0.92 €0.78

20.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.86 €8.42

$13.92 €11.89

-29.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.48 €5.53

$7.00 €5.98

-7.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 €0.90

$1.48 €1.26

-28.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.68 €2.29

-36.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.62 €3.09

$3.89 €3.32

-6.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.4 €56.7

$93.1 €79.5

-28.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.71 €4.87

$4.26 €3.64

34.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 €1.93

$2.59 €2.21

-12.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.84 €33.17

$35.38 €30.21

9.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 €1.67

$2.18 €1.86

-10.09%

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

$30.8K €26.3K

$38.2K €32.6K

-19.32%

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

$37.7K €32.2K

$36.2K €30.9K

4.10%

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

$346 €296

$257 €220

34.40%

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

$27.75 €23.70

$25.97 €22.18

6.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.8 €45.07

$49.32 €42.12

7.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.27 €35.24

$41.78 €35.68

-1.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.91 €21.27

$24.48 €20.91

1.76%

Cinema Ticket

$13.74 €11.74

$16.15 €13.80

-14.92%

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

$471 €403

$2,182 €1,863

-78.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.6K

$9,459 €8,078

56.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.9 €78.5

$95.7 €81.7

-3.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.65 €38.13

$45.72 €39.04

-2.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €88.9

$106 €90.4

-1.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 €115

$136 €116

-0.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,034 €883

$1,623 €1,386

-36.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$785 €670

$1,292 €1,103

-39.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,896 €1,620

$2,569 €2,194

-26.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,448 €1,237

$2,133 €1,821

-32.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,417 €5,480

$6,877 €5,873

-6.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,206 €3,592

$5,052 €4,314

-16.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,483 €2,975

$4,002 €3,418

-12.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.98

4.25

-6.35%

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

Last update for Germany: April 22, 2026

Last update for Netherlands: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $847 in Germany, $1,433 in Netherlands. Capital cities: $1,415 in Berlin vs $2,372 in Amsterdam.

National salary averages: $3,242 in Germany, $3,686 in Netherlands. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 69% higher in Netherlands.

Dining out costs 19% more in Netherlands.

Public transport is 50% more expensive in Netherlands.

Salaries are 14% higher in Netherlands, giving Germany stronger purchasing power.

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 $2,054 per month in Germany and $2,668 in 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.

Germany is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Netherlands beats Germany across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Germany, $3,000 covers most cities easily. In Netherlands, it works in regional areas but 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; Netherlands may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.