Cost of Living Comparison Between Haarlem and The Hague Cost of Living Comparison Between Haarlem and The Hague

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,853 per month in Haarlem vs $2,842 in The Hague, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,192 per month in Haarlem vs $4,202 in The Hague, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,531 per month in Haarlem vs $5,562 in The Hague, rent included.

Haarlem and The Hague have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Haarlem and The Hague sit above the global median – Haarlem by 113%, The Hague by 112%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.12 €25.05

$17.50 €15.06

66.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$104 €89.0

$91.2 €78.5

13.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.69 €11.78

$13.94 €11.99

-1.79%

Cappuccino

$4.33 €3.72

$4.40 €3.79

-1.59%

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

$4.00 €3.44

$3.40 €2.92

17.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 €2.86

$2.78 €2.39

19.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 €5.92

$7.08 €6.09

-2.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 €5.11

$5.89 €5.07

0.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 €1.21

$1.31 €1.13

6.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 €2.29

$2.33 €2.00

14.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 €2.57

$2.94 €2.53

1.70%

Eggs

$4.73 €4.06

$4.86 €4.18

-2.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.34 €12.34

$14.58 €12.54

-1.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.42 €13.27

$15.69 €13.50

-1.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.60 €16.00

$16.40 €14.11

13.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.53 €2.18

$2.38 €2.05

6.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.56 €2.20

$2.46 €2.12

4.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 €1.68

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 €3.43

$4.66 €4.01

-14.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.99 €1.71

2.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.61

$2.08 €1.79

-10.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 €1.03

$1.25 €1.08

-4.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.81

$0.86 €0.74

9.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.49 €12.47

$13.84 €11.91

4.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.36 €7.19

$5.87 €5.05

42.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.33

$1.45 €1.25

6.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.07

$2.38 €2.05

0.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.09 €2.66

$3.37 €2.90

-8.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$114 €98.1

$117 €100

-2.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.76 €4.95

$4.87 €4.19

18.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.62 €2.25

$3.16 €2.72

-17.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.33 €23.51

$35.26 €30.33

-22.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 €1.95

$2.21 €1.90

2.71%

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

$39.9K €34.4K

$42.3K €36.4K

-5.63%

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

$39.2K €33.7K

$35.0K €30.1K

11.93%

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

$243 €209

-0.10%

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

$28.02 €24.10

$25.72 €22.13

8.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.9 €49.81

$45.73 €39.33

26.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.29 €35.52

$43.17 €37.13

-4.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.02 €20.66

$26.41 €22.72

-9.05%

Cinema Ticket

$16.70 €14.37

$16.89 €14.53

-1.12%

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

$2,716 €2,336

$2,369 €2,037

14.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,256 €5,382

$11.7K €10.0K

-46.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €87.1

$127 €109

-20.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.5 €45.98

$48.38 €41.62

10.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 €100

$117 €101

-0.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 €137

$154 €133

3.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,734 €1,492

$1,692 €1,455

2.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,378 €1,185

$1,484 €1,276

-7.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,534 €2,179

$3,068 €2,639

-17.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,129 €1,832

$2,431 €2,091

-12.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,318 €7,155

$6,528 €5,615

27.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,393 €5,499

$4,719 €4,060

35.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,929 €3,380

$4,597 €3,954

-14.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

7.00%

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

Last update for Haarlem: June 2, 2026

Last update for The Hague: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,734 in Haarlem versus $1,692 in The Hague. 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 17% higher in The Hague. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $104 in Haarlem versus $91.0 in The Hague. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $358 vs $346 – making The Hague the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 The Hague: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,280 per month in Haarlem and $4,262 in The Hague. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $104 in Haarlem and $91.0 in The Hague. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 2% less in The Hague. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,853 in Haarlem and $2,842 in The Hague. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. The Hague costs $2,842 versus $2,853 in Haarlem. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 The Hague. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Haarlem makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.