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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,257 in Heerlen versus $2,842 in The Hague.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,459 in Heerlen versus $4,202 in The Hague.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,661 in Heerlen versus $5,562 in The Hague.

Living in Heerlen costs roughly 21% less than in The Hague, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Heerlen 68% above, The Hague 112% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.24 €19.99

$17.50 €15.06

32.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.4 €74.3

$91.2 €78.5

-5.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.15

$13.94 €11.99

1.36%

Cappuccino

$3.78 €3.25

$4.40 €3.79

-14.09%

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

$2.84 €2.44

$3.40 €2.92

-16.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.78 €2.39

-25.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.26 €5.39

$7.08 €6.09

-11.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 €3.33

$5.89 €5.07

-34.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 €1.04

$1.31 €1.13

-7.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.50 €2.15

$2.33 €2.00

7.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.93 €2.52

$2.94 €2.53

-0.34%

Eggs

$4.00 €3.44

$4.86 €4.18

-17.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.88 €10.22

$14.58 €12.54

-18.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.48 €12.46

$15.69 €13.50

-7.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.50 €15.06

$16.40 €14.11

6.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 €2.01

$2.38 €2.05

-1.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 €2.18

$2.46 €2.12

2.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.95 €1.68

2.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.50 €3.87

$4.66 €4.01

-3.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.99 €1.71

0.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 €1.79

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 €1.11

$1.25 €1.08

4.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 €0.67

$0.86 €0.74

-9.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.10 €12.13

$13.84 €11.91

1.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.03 €6.05

$5.87 €5.05

19.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 €1.28

$1.45 €1.25

2.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 €2.28

$2.38 €2.05

11.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.80 €3.27

$3.37 €2.90

12.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.3 €75.1

$117 €100

-25.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.65 €6.58

$4.87 €4.19

57.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.52 €2.17

$3.16 €2.72

-20.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$57.4 €49.37

$35.26 €30.33

62.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 €1.95

$2.21 €1.90

2.71%

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

$30.4K €26.2K

$42.3K €36.4K

-28.14%

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

$30.0K €25.8K

$35.0K €30.1K

-14.18%

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

$212 €183

$243 €209

-12.72%

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

$29.59 €25.45

$25.72 €22.13

15.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.4 €45.06

$45.73 €39.33

14.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.96 €31.79

$43.17 €37.13

-14.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.77 €24.75

$26.41 €22.72

8.94%

Cinema Ticket

$13.69 €11.78

$16.89 €14.53

-18.95%

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

$1,073 €923

$2,369 €2,037

-54.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K €10.0K

0.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.6

$127 €109

-18.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 €45.68

$48.38 €41.62

9.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.9 €84.2

$117 €101

-16.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 €137

$154 €133

2.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,031 €887

$1,692 €1,455

-39.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$891 €767

$1,484 €1,276

-39.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,974 €1,698

$3,068 €2,639

-35.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,680 €1,445

$2,431 €2,091

-30.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 €3,489

$6,528 €5,615

-37.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,943 €2,531

$4,719 €4,060

-37.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,338 €2,871

$4,597 €3,954

-27.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.32

8.00%

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

Last update for Heerlen: May 31, 2026

Last update for The Hague: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,031 in Heerlen and $1,692 in The Hague. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

The Hague pays 38% 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: $86.0 in Heerlen vs $91.0 in The Hague for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $334 vs $346 per month, with Heerlen cheaper across the board.

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 26% 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, The Hague earns 38% less. 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: $1,031 in Heerlen versus $1,692 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 34% less than in The Hague. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,073 in Heerlen versus $2,369 in The Hague. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,257 in Heerlen versus $2,842 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 $2,257 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 26% less than in The Hague. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.