Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Groningen and Amsterdam

For one person, living is cheaper in Groningen: $2,282 a month against $3,465 in Amsterdam, rent and utilities included – about $14,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Groningen
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Groningen Living Index
168

Cost of Living Index in Amsterdam
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Amsterdam Living Index

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Groningen

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,282

/mo nomad

Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,465

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Groningen and in Amsterdam

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

A single person spends $2,282 per month in Groningen vs $3,465 in Amsterdam, rent included.

Groningen $2,282
Amsterdam $3,465

A couple spends around $3,443 per month in Groningen vs $4,929 in Amsterdam, rent included.

Groningen $3,443
Amsterdam $4,929

A family of three spends $4,603 per month in Groningen vs $6,393 in Amsterdam, rent included.

Groningen $4,603
Amsterdam $6,393

Groningen is about 34% cheaper than Amsterdam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Groningen and Amsterdam sit above the global median – Groningen by 69%, Amsterdam by 157%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.82 €17.63

$22.10 €19.66

-10.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 €91.0

$90.0 €80.0

13.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.34 €13.65

$15.32 €13.63

0.13%

Cappuccino

$4.60 €4.10

$4.58 €4.07

0.44%

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

$3.94 €3.50

$3.70 €3.29

6.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 €2.83

$2.98 €2.65

6.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €5.06

$7.38 €6.56

-22.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.47 €4.87

$5.73 €5.10

-4.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 €1.32

$1.57 €1.40

-5.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 €2.34

$2.30 €2.04

14.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.61 €2.32

$2.51 €2.23

3.98%

Eggs

$4.55 €4.05

$5.07 €4.51

-10.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.72 €11.31

$16.73 €14.88

-23.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.16 €11.71

$13.11 €11.66

0.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.17 €16.16

$22.79 €20.28

-20.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 €2.66

$2.73 €2.43

9.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 €2.13

$2.76 €2.46

-13.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 €2.22

$2.74 €2.44

-8.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 €4.23

$3.78 €3.37

25.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.82

$2.38 €2.11

-14.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 €1.40

$1.61 €1.43

-2.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 €1.16

$1.46 €1.30

-10.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.77 €1.58

-28.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.45 €12.86

$14.52 €12.92

-0.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.54 €5.82

$9.10 €8.09

-28.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.22

$1.79 €1.59

-22.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.23

$2.43 €2.16

3.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.14 €3.68

$3.69 €3.29

12.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.5 €60.0

$112 €100

-40.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.78 €6.03

$4.51 €4.01

50.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.73 €2.43

$3.44 €3.06

-20.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.38 €25.24

$39.71 €35.32

-28.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.52 €2.24

$2.63 €2.34

-4.18%

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

$42.0K €37.3K

$41.3K €36.7K

1.56%

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

$39.1K €34.7K

$39.4K €35.1K

-0.91%

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

$230 €204

$295 €262

-22.15%

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

$20.48 €18.21

$22.26 €19.80

-8.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.87 €43.47

$51.1 €45.46

-4.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.10 €34.78

$59.9 €53.3

-34.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.07 €13.40

$35.44 €31.52

-57.48%

Cinema Ticket

$16.69 €14.84

$16.82 €14.96

-0.77%

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

$1,756 €1,562

$2,826 €2,513

-37.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,621 €6,779

$17.1K €15.2K

-55.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €93.3

$92.5 €82.3

13.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.13 €39.25

$41.61 €37.01

6.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €91.8

$97.6 €86.9

5.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$196 €174

$132 €117

48.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,342 €1,194

$2,575 €2,290

-47.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$931 €828

$1,955 €1,739

-52.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,965 €1,748

$3,997 €3,555

-50.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,473 €1,310

$3,053 €2,716

-51.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,191 €4,618

$10.4K €9,222

-49.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,906 €3,474

$6,494 €5,776

-39.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,025 €2,691

$4,692 €4,174

-35.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.43

3.27

4.89%

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

Last update for Groningen: October 12, 2026

Last update for Amsterdam: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Groningen

$931 40.8%

Amsterdam

$2K 56.4% 110% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Groningen

$346 15.2%

Amsterdam

$383 11% 10.6% $37

Eating Out

Groningen

$328 14.4%

Amsterdam

$353 10.2% 7.7% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Groningen

$299 13.1%

Amsterdam

$368 10.6% 23.2% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Groningen

$202 8.8%

Amsterdam

$164 4.7% 18.8% $38

Getting Around

Groningen

$104 4.6%

Amsterdam

$149 4.3% 42.6% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Groningen

$72 3.2%

Amsterdam

$94 2.7% 29.1% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,342 in Groningen versus $2,575 in Amsterdam. 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 55% higher in Amsterdam, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $102 in Groningen versus $90.0 in Amsterdam. Groceries tell a different story – $346 in Groningen vs $383 in Amsterdam – so Groningen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Groningen

🇳🇱 Amsterdam

🕒 Local time

20:14 8:14 PM

Same time as Groningen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

201,242

881,933 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Groningen vs Amsterdam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Amsterdam is pricier by about 52%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,423 per month in Groningen and $5,197 in Amsterdam. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Groningen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 67% less in Groningen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,756 per month in Groningen and $2,826 in Amsterdam. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Groningen, where all-in costs run around $2,282, than in Amsterdam at $3,465. In Groningen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Amsterdam it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Groningen – 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.

If budget matters most, go with Groningen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Amsterdam makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.