Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Haarlem and Amsterdam

For one person, living is cheaper in Haarlem: $3,258 a month against $3,517 in Amsterdam, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Amsterdam outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

156

Cost of Living Index in Haarlem
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Haarlem Living Index
170

Cost of Living Index in Amsterdam
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Amsterdam Living Index

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Haarlem

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,258

/mo nomad

Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,517

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Haarlem 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 Haarlem and in Amsterdam actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,258 per month in Haarlem vs $3,517 in Amsterdam, rent included.

Haarlem $3,258
Amsterdam $3,517

A couple spends around $4,615 per month in Haarlem vs $5,063 in Amsterdam, rent included.

Haarlem $4,615
Amsterdam $5,063

A family of three spends $5,971 per month in Haarlem vs $6,608 in Amsterdam, rent included.

Haarlem $5,971
Amsterdam $6,608

Haarlem is about 7% cheaper than Amsterdam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Haarlem and Amsterdam sit above the global median – Haarlem by 139%, Amsterdam by 158%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.24 €26.19

$22.34 €20.01

30.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 €89.7

$88.6 €79.3

12.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.67 €12.24

$14.80 €13.25

-7.64%

Cappuccino

$4.14 €3.71

$4.65 €4.16

-10.97%

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

$4.08 €3.66

$3.69 €3.31

10.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 €3.02

$2.90 €2.59

16.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.03 €7.19

$7.92 €7.10

1.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.63 €5.04

$6.54 €5.85

-13.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 €1.31

$1.44 €1.29

1.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 €2.50

$2.40 €2.15

16.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 €2.36

$2.50 €2.24

5.60%

Eggs

$4.75 €4.26

$5.15 €4.62

-7.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.92 €12.46

$16.90 €15.14

-17.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.30 €11.91

$12.73 €11.40

4.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.49 €19.25

$22.87 €20.49

-6.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 €2.67

$2.75 €2.46

8.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 €2.27

$2.74 €2.45

-7.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 €1.62

$2.74 €2.46

-34.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 €4.46

$3.86 €3.46

29.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 €1.69

$2.52 €2.26

-25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 €2.03

$1.65 €1.48

37.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 €1.15

$1.51 €1.35

-14.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 €0.90

$1.69 €1.51

-40.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.88 €12.43

$14.52 €13.00

-4.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.73 €6.92

$8.60 €7.70

-10.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.34

$1.78 €1.60

-15.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.11

$2.51 €2.24

-5.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.84 €2.54

$3.70 €3.31

-23.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.0 €74.4

$117 €104

-28.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.19 €5.54

$4.69 €4.20

31.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 €2.24

$3.42 €3.07

-26.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.38 €23.63

$39.00 €34.93

-32.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.53 €2.26

$2.56 €2.29

-1.17%

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

$41.4K €37.1K

$40.6K €36.3K

2.12%

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

$39.6K €35.4K

$38.9K €34.8K

1.73%

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

$249 €223

$306 €274

-18.77%

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

$23.98 €21.48

$22.66 €20.29

5.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.9 €54.6

$52.8 €47.31

15.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 €47.76

$55.0 €49.23

-2.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.02 €25.10

$35.66 €31.94

-21.42%

Cinema Ticket

$16.09 €14.41

$16.48 €14.76

-2.37%

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

$2,598 €2,327

$2,778 €2,488

-6.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,587 €5,900

$17.0K €15.2K

-61.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.1 €76.2

$92.7 €83.0

-8.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.2 €56.6

$41.28 €36.97

53.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.7 €87.5

$101 €90.8

-3.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 €131

$134 €120

9.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,819

$2,642 €2,366

-23.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,781 €1,595

$1,989 €1,782

-10.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,215 €2,879

$4,165 €3,730

-22.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,603 €2,331

$3,251 €2,911

-19.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,820 €7,004

$10.6K €9,452

-25.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,830 €5,221

$6,734 €6,031

-13.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,219 €3,779

$4,625 €4,142

-8.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

3.3

15.15%

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

Last update for Haarlem: October 25, 2026

Last update for Amsterdam: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Haarlem

$1.8K 54.7%

Amsterdam

$2K 56.6% 11.7% $208

Eating Out

Haarlem

$406 12.5%

Amsterdam

$358 10.2% 11.8% $48

Groceries & Markets

Haarlem

$362 11.1%

Amsterdam

$381 10.8% 5.1% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Haarlem

$334 10.3%

Amsterdam

$382 10.9% 14.4% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Haarlem

$177 5.4%

Amsterdam

$166 4.7% 5.9% $10

Getting Around

Haarlem

$113 3.5%

Amsterdam

$153 4.4% 35.5% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Haarlem

$86 2.6%

Amsterdam

$88 2.5% 2.8% $2.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,031 in Haarlem versus $2,642 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 10% higher in Amsterdam. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $100 in Haarlem versus $89 in Amsterdam. Groceries tell a different story – $362 in Haarlem vs $381 in Amsterdam – so Haarlem wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Haarlem

🇳🇱 Amsterdam

🕒 Local time

22:23 10:23 PM

Same time as Haarlem

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

165,396

881,933 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Haarlem Amsterdam 17 km

From you

Haarlem
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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

Haarlem vs Amsterdam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Amsterdam is pricier by about 8%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,887 per month in Haarlem and $5,276 in Amsterdam. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Haarlem, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,031 there versus $2,642 in Amsterdam.

Public transport costs about 29% less in Haarlem. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,598 per month in Haarlem and $2,778 in Amsterdam. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,258 in Haarlem and $3,517 in Amsterdam. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Haarlem – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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