Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Haarlem and The Hague

For one person, living is cheaper in The Hague: $2,727 a month against $3,178 in Haarlem, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

154

Cost of Living Index in Haarlem
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Haarlem Living Index
132

Cost of Living Index in The Hague
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The Hague Living Index

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Haarlem

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,178

/mo nomad

The Hague

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,727

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Haarlem and in The Hague

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 The Hague actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,178 per month in Haarlem vs $2,727 in The Hague, rent included.

Haarlem $3,178
The Hague $2,727

A couple spends around $4,420 per month in Haarlem vs $4,085 in The Hague, rent included.

Haarlem $4,420
The Hague $4,085

A family of three spends $5,662 per month in Haarlem vs $5,443 in The Hague, rent included.

Haarlem $5,662
The Hague $5,443

Haarlem costs about 17% more than The Hague, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Haarlem and The Hague sit above the global median – Haarlem by 135%, The Hague by 101%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.60 €25.44

$22.22 €19.76

28.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 €91.0

$89.2 €79.4

14.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €12.13

$15.04 €13.38

-9.31%

Cappuccino

$4.37 €3.89

$4.35 €3.87

0.46%

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

$3.96 €3.52

$4.15 €3.70

-4.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €3.02

$4.28 €3.81

-20.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.62 €6.77

$7.17 €6.38

6.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.45 €4.85

$7.70 €6.85

-29.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 €1.29

$1.52 €1.35

-4.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.80 €2.49

$2.21 €1.96

26.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.56 €2.28

$2.47 €2.20

3.64%

Eggs

$4.88 €4.34

$4.51 €4.01

8.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.01 €12.46

$14.94 €13.29

-6.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.36 €11.88

$12.87 €11.45

3.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.57 €19.18

$19.53 €17.38

10.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 €2.54

$2.67 €2.37

6.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 €2.15

$2.20 €1.95

10.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 €1.62

$2.06 €1.83

-11.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.13 €4.57

$3.68 €3.27

39.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.63

$1.33 €1.18

38.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 €1.96

$1.34 €1.19

64.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.12 €1.00

14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 €0.92

$0.94 €0.84

10.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.76 €12.24

$14.34 €12.76

-4.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.04 €7.15

$6.05 €5.38

32.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.39

$1.30 €1.15

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 €2.21

$1.97 €1.75

26.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 €2.51

$4.38 €3.90

-35.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.6 €72.6

$94.1 €83.7

-13.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 €5.72

$4.61 €4.10

39.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.43 €2.16

$3.34 €2.97

-27.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.48 €23.55

$33.19 €29.52

-20.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.57 €2.28

$2.53 €2.25

1.58%

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

$41.1K €36.5K

$41.8K €37.2K

-1.82%

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

$39.1K €34.8K

$38.8K €34.5K

0.79%

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

$251 €223

$283 €252

-11.37%

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

$23.86 €21.22

$28.32 €25.19

-15.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.8 €54.1

$54.1 €48.09

12.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 €51.0

$51.7 €45.96

10.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.95 €24.86

$23.96 €21.31

16.65%

Cinema Ticket

$16.25 €14.45

$16.01 €14.24

1.50%

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

$2,639 €2,347

$2,402 €2,137

9.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,634 €5,901

$11.8K €10.5K

-43.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.9 €75.5

$96.5 €85.9

-12.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.5 €55.6

$42.92 €38.18

45.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 €88.8

$105 €93.8

-5.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 €130

$140 €125

4.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,970 €1,752

$1,655 €1,472

19.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,700 €1,512

$1,281 €1,139

32.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,939 €2,614

$2,769 €2,463

6.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,282 €2,030

$2,244 €1,996

1.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,628 €6,785

$6,171 €5,489

23.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,792 €5,152

$4,415 €3,927

31.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,255 €3,785

$4,128 €3,672

3.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

3.4

11.76%

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

Last update for Haarlem: October 18, 2026

Last update for The Hague: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Haarlem

$1.7K 53.5%

The Hague

$1.3K 47% 24.7% $419

Eating Out

Haarlem

$401 12.6%

The Hague

$360 13.2% 10.1% $41

Groceries & Markets

Haarlem

$364 11.5%

The Hague

$331 12.1% 9% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Haarlem

$335 10.6%

The Hague

$365 13.4% 8.9% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Haarlem

$177 5.6%

The Hague

$173 6.4% 2% $3.6

Getting Around

Haarlem

$111 3.5%

The Hague

$133 4.9% 19.3% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Haarlem

$90 2.8%

The Hague

$84 3.1% 6.8% $6.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,970 in Haarlem versus $1,655 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 3% higher in Haarlem, 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 Haarlem versus $89.0 in The Hague. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $364 vs $331 – making The Hague the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Haarlem

🇳🇱 The Hague

🕒 Local time

13:37 1:37 PM

Same time as Haarlem

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

165,396

562,839

💱 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

Haarlem vs The Hague: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Haarlem costs about 17% more than The Hague, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,767 per month in Haarlem and $4,091 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 $102 in Haarlem and $89.0 in The Hague. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,178 in Haarlem and $2,727 in The Hague. That's a gap of about 17%.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,178 in Haarlem and $2,727 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 $2,727 versus $3,178 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.