Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Heerlen and Amsterdam

For one person, living is cheaper in Heerlen: $2,255 a month against $3,496 in Amsterdam, rent and utilities included – about $14,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Heerlen
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Heerlen Living Index
168

Cost of Living Index in Amsterdam
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Amsterdam Living Index

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Heerlen

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,255

/mo nomad

Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,496

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,255 per month in Heerlen vs $3,496 in Amsterdam, rent included.

Heerlen $2,255
Amsterdam $3,496

A couple spends around $3,463 per month in Heerlen vs $5,012 in Amsterdam, rent included.

Heerlen $3,463
Amsterdam $5,012

A family of three spends $4,672 per month in Heerlen vs $6,528 in Amsterdam, rent included.

Heerlen $4,672
Amsterdam $6,528

Heerlen is about 35% cheaper than Amsterdam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Heerlen and Amsterdam sit above the global median – Heerlen by 66%, Amsterdam by 158%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.76 €21.13

$22.16 €19.71

7.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.9 €87.0

$89.5 €79.6

9.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.01 €16.90

$14.53 €12.93

30.83%

Cappuccino

$4.09 €3.64

$4.56 €4.06

-10.31%

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

$3.24 €2.88

$3.86 €3.43

-16.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €2.03

$3.02 €2.69

-24.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.09 €5.42

$8.06 €7.17

-24.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.59 €4.97

$6.59 €5.87

-15.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 €1.19

$1.51 €1.34

-11.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 €2.15

$2.36 €2.10

2.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.54 €2.26

$2.44 €2.17

4.10%

Eggs

$4.47 €3.97

$5.21 €4.63

-14.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.73 €10.43

$16.77 €14.92

-30.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.00 €12.45

$13.06 €11.61

7.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.89 €15.91

$22.98 €20.44

-22.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €2.03

$2.70 €2.40

-15.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.51 €2.23

$2.87 €2.55

-12.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 €1.88

$2.69 €2.39

-21.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.32 €3.84

$3.96 €3.52

9.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.65

$2.51 €2.23

-26.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$1.66 €1.48

25.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 €1.24

$1.51 €1.34

-7.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.74

$1.67 €1.48

-50.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.87 €12.34

$14.36 €12.77

-3.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.20 €6.41

$8.66 €7.71

-16.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.26

$1.81 €1.61

-22.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 €2.37

$2.53 €2.25

5.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.60 €3.20

$3.74 €3.33

-3.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.8 €53.2

$117 €104

-48.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.27 €5.58

$4.62 €4.11

35.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 €1.50

$3.38 €3.00

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.38 €19.91

$39.70 €35.31

-43.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.46 €2.19

$2.67 €2.37

-7.87%

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

$29.7K €26.4K

$41.8K €37.2K

-29.01%

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

$35.0K €31.1K

$38.6K €34.3K

-9.35%

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

$191 €170

$303 €270

-36.86%

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

$26.36 €23.45

$22.97 €20.43

14.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.0 €49.78

$51.5 €45.83

8.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.46 €31.54

$58.4 €52.0

-39.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.63 €24.58

$35.86 €31.90

-22.95%

Cinema Ticket

$13.40 €11.92

$16.86 €15.00

-20.52%

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

$671 €597

$2,815 €2,504

-76.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,507 €4,898

$17.5K €15.6K

-68.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 €88.6

$92.2 €82.0

8.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.56 €44.08

$42.16 €37.50

17.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €90.1

$99.3 €88.3

1.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$193 €172

$134 €119

43.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,120 €996

$2,654 €2,361

-57.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$938 €834

$1,967 €1,750

-52.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,913 €1,701

$3,963 €3,525

-51.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,587 €1,411

$3,158 €2,809

-49.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,938 €3,502

$10.5K €9,354

-62.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,810 €2,500

$6,700 €5,960

-58.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,947 €2,622

$4,677 €4,160

-36.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.35

3.3

31.82%

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

Last update for Heerlen: October 18, 2026

Last update for Amsterdam: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Heerlen

$938 41.6%

Amsterdam

$2K 56.3% 110% $1K

Eating Out

Heerlen

$360 16%

Amsterdam

$357 10.2% 0.9% $3.3

Groceries & Markets

Heerlen

$333 14.8%

Amsterdam

$384 11% 15.2% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Heerlen

$274 12.1%

Amsterdam

$378 10.8% 38% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Heerlen

$200 8.9%

Amsterdam

$166 4.7% 17% $34

Getting Around

Heerlen

$89 3.9%

Amsterdam

$154 4.4% 72.7% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Heerlen

$62 2.8%

Amsterdam

$92 2.6% 48% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,120 in Heerlen versus $2,654 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 59% 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 $98.0 in Heerlen versus $89.0 in Amsterdam. Groceries tell a different story – $333 in Heerlen vs $384 in Amsterdam – so Heerlen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Heerlen

🇳🇱 Amsterdam

🕒 Local time

23:03 11:03 PM

Same time as Heerlen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

87,086

881,933 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Heerlen
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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

Heerlen vs Amsterdam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Amsterdam is pricier by about 55%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,383 per month in Heerlen and $5,244 in Amsterdam. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 96% less in Heerlen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $671 per month in Heerlen and $2,815 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 Heerlen, where all-in costs run around $2,255, than in Amsterdam at $3,496. In Heerlen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Amsterdam it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Heerlen – 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 Heerlen. 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.