Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Heerlen and The Hague

For one person, living is cheaper in Heerlen: $2,255 a month against $2,727 in The Hague, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 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
132

Cost of Living Index in The Hague
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The Hague Living Index

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Heerlen

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,255

/mo nomad

The Hague

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,727

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,255 in Heerlen versus $2,727 in The Hague.

Heerlen $2,255
The Hague $2,727

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,463 in Heerlen versus $4,085 in The Hague.

Heerlen $3,463
The Hague $4,085

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,672 in Heerlen versus $5,443 in The Hague.

Heerlen $4,672
The Hague $5,443

Living in Heerlen costs roughly 17% less than in The Hague, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Heerlen 66% above, The Hague 101% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.76 €21.13

$22.22 €19.76

6.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.9 €87.0

$89.2 €79.4

9.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.01 €16.90

$15.04 €13.38

26.40%

Cappuccino

$4.09 €3.64

$4.35 €3.87

-5.98%

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

$3.24 €2.88

$4.15 €3.70

-21.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €2.03

$4.28 €3.81

-46.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.09 €5.42

$7.17 €6.38

-15.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.59 €4.97

$7.70 €6.85

-27.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 €1.19

$1.52 €1.35

-12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 €2.15

$2.21 €1.96

9.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.54 €2.26

$2.47 €2.20

2.83%

Eggs

$4.47 €3.97

$4.51 €4.01

-0.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.73 €10.43

$14.94 €13.29

-21.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.00 €12.45

$12.87 €11.45

8.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.89 €15.91

$19.53 €17.38

-8.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €2.03

$2.67 €2.37

-14.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.51 €2.23

$2.20 €1.95

14.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 €1.88

$2.06 €1.83

2.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.32 €3.84

$3.68 €3.27

17.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.65

$1.33 €1.18

39.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$1.34 €1.19

55.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 €1.24

$1.12 €1.00

24.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.74

$0.94 €0.84

-11.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.87 €12.34

$14.34 €12.76

-3.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.20 €6.41

$6.05 €5.38

19.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.26

$1.30 €1.15

8.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 €2.37

$1.97 €1.75

35.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.60 €3.20

$4.38 €3.90

-17.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.8 €53.2

$94.1 €83.7

-36.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.27 €5.58

$4.61 €4.10

36.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 €1.50

$3.34 €2.97

-49.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.38 €19.91

$33.19 €29.52

-32.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.46 €2.19

$2.53 €2.25

-2.77%

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

$29.7K €26.4K

$41.8K €37.2K

-29.12%

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

$35.0K €31.1K

$38.8K €34.5K

-9.81%

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

$191 €170

$283 €252

-32.34%

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

$26.36 €23.45

$28.32 €25.19

-6.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.0 €49.78

$54.1 €48.09

3.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.46 €31.54

$51.7 €45.96

-31.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.63 €24.58

$23.96 €21.31

15.32%

Cinema Ticket

$13.40 €11.92

$16.01 €14.24

-16.30%

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

$671 €597

$2,402 €2,137

-72.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,507 €4,898

$11.8K €10.5K

-53.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 €88.6

$96.5 €85.9

3.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.56 €44.08

$42.92 €38.18

15.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €90.1

$105 €93.8

-3.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$193 €172

$140 €125

37.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,120 €996

$1,655 €1,472

-32.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$938 €834

$1,281 €1,139

-26.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,913 €1,701

$2,769 €2,463

-30.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,587 €1,411

$2,244 €1,996

-29.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,938 €3,502

$6,171 €5,489

-36.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,810 €2,500

$4,415 €3,927

-36.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,947 €2,622

$4,128 €3,672

-28.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.35

3.4

27.94%

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

Last update for Heerlen: 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

Heerlen

$938 41.6%

The Hague

$1.3K 47% 36.5% $343

Eating Out

Heerlen

$360 16%

The Hague

$360 13.2% 0% $0.1

Groceries & Markets

Heerlen

$333 14.8%

The Hague

$331 12.1% 0.5% $1.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Heerlen

$274 12.1%

The Hague

$365 13.4% 33.5% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Heerlen

$200 8.9%

The Hague

$173 6.4% 13.1% $26

Getting Around

Heerlen

$89 3.9%

The Hague

$133 4.9% 49.5% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Heerlen

$62 2.8%

The Hague

$84 3.1% 34.4% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,120 in Heerlen and $1,655 in The Hague. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

The Hague pays 40% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $98.0 in Heerlen vs $89.0 in The Hague for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $331 per month, with The Hague cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Heerlen

🇳🇱 The Hague

🕒 Local time

23:52 11:52 PM

Same time as Heerlen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

87,086

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

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

Heerlen wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in The Hague. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Heerlen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 40% lower in The Hague. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,120 in Heerlen versus $1,655 in The Hague. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Heerlen runs roughly 57% less than in The Hague. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $671 in Heerlen versus $2,402 in The Hague. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,255 in Heerlen versus $2,727 in The Hague, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Heerlen but tight or insufficient in The Hague. The gap between the two cities makes Heerlen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Heerlen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,255 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Heerlen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Heerlen and The Hague are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Heerlen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in The Hague. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.