Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hilversum and Cambridge, MA

For one person, living is cheaper in Hilversum: $2,915 a month against $4,661 in Cambridge, MA, rent and utilities included – about $21,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

140

Cost of Living Index in Hilversum
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Hilversum Living Index
223

Cost of Living Index in Cambridge, MA
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Cambridge, MA Living Index

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Hilversum

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,915

/mo nomad

Cambridge, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,661

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hilversum and in Cambridge, MA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Hilversum and in Cambridge, MA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,915 in Hilversum versus $4,661 in Cambridge, MA.

Hilversum $2,915
Cambridge, MA $4,661

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,247 in Hilversum versus $6,329 in Cambridge, MA.

Hilversum $4,247
Cambridge, MA $6,329

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,579 in Hilversum versus $7,997 in Cambridge, MA.

Hilversum $5,579
Cambridge, MA $7,997

Living in Hilversum costs roughly 37% less than in Cambridge, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hilversum 114% above, Cambridge, MA 242% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.34 €25.39

$19.72 $19.72

43.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.5 €69.4

$99.9 $99.9

-22.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.08 €15.31

$11.91 $11.91

43.41%

Cappuccino

$4.29 €3.84

$5.18 $5.18

-17.18%

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

$4.02 €3.60

$3.10 $3.10

29.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 €2.69

$2.30 $2.30

30.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.48 €4.91

$7.97 $7.97

-31.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.61 €5.03

$7.81 $7.81

-28.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 €1.51

$1.16 $1.16

44.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 €1.96

$4.58 $4.58

-52.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.10 €2.78

$6.94 $6.94

-55.33%

Eggs

$5.06 €4.53

$4.86 $4.86

4.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.89 €12.45

$15.87 $15.87

-12.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.50 €12.99

$14.36 $14.36

0.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.70 €14.97

$19.52 $19.52

-14.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 €2.20

$6.46 $6.46

-62.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 €2.48

$1.64 $1.64

68.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.81

$6.13 $6.13

-67.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.44 €3.98

$7.08 $7.08

-37.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 €1.59

$4.56 $4.56

-60.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.80

$3.64 $3.64

-44.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 €1.35

$2.90 $2.90

-48.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 €1.00

$2.51 $2.51

-55.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.17 €10.90

$13.18 $13.18

-7.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.72 €6.02

$15.64 $15.64

-57.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.28

$1.95 $1.95

-26.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 €2.33

$4.50 $4.50

-42.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.61 €3.23

$2.47 $2.47

46.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.8 €60.8

$90.8 $90.8

-25.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.57 €4.99

$2.01 $2.01

177.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.42 €3.07

$1.57 $1.57

117.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.70 €20.34

$10.86 $10.86

109.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.46 €2.20

$1.11 $1.11

121.62%

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

$41.9K €37.6K

$27.9K $27.9K

50.39%

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

$42.2K €37.8K

$26.5K $26.5K

59.40%

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

$262 €234

$227 $227

15.31%

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

$29.44 €26.38

$54.2 $54.2

-45.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.6 €57.0

$78.8 $78.8

-19.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 €60.5

$73.5 $73.5

-8.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.64 €31.04

$29.77 $29.77

16.36%

Cinema Ticket

$16.51 €14.79

$15.02 $15.02

9.92%

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

$700 €627

$2,664 $2,664

-73.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K €13.9K

$36.3K $36.3K

-57.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 €100

$75.0 $75.0

49.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.96 €42.98

$50.6 $50.6

-5.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €82.6

$103 $103

-10.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 €130

$142 $142

2.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,667 €1,494

$3,759 $3,759

-55.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,430 €1,282

$3,090 $3,090

-53.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,731 €2,447

$5,380 $5,380

-49.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,323 €2,082

$4,441 $4,441

-47.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,907 €6,190

$7,645 $7,645

-9.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,695

$6,058 $6,058

-13.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,008 €3,592

$6,467 $6,467

-38.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.3

6.5

-33.85%

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

Last update for Hilversum: October 24, 2026

Last update for Cambridge, MA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hilversum

$1.4K 49.1%

Cambridge, MA

$3.1K 66.3% 116% $1.7K

Eating Out

Hilversum

$396 13.6%

Cambridge, MA

$333 7.1% 16% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hilversum

$355 12.2%

Cambridge, MA

$360 7.7% 1.5% $5.2

Groceries & Markets

Hilversum

$349 12%

Cambridge, MA

$497 10.7% 42.4% $148

Clothing & Footwear

Hilversum

$179 6.1%

Cambridge, MA

$167 3.6% 6.7% $12

Getting Around

Hilversum

$105 3.6%

Cambridge, MA

$111 2.4% 5.3% $5.6

Sport & Entertainment

Hilversum

$101 3.5%

Cambridge, MA

$104 2.2% 3% $3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,667 in Hilversum and $3,759 in Cambridge, MA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cambridge, MA pays 61% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $77 in Hilversum vs $100 in Cambridge, MA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $349 vs $497 per month, with Hilversum cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Hilversum

🇺🇸 Cambridge, MA

🕒 Local time

11:07 11:07 AM

05:07 5:07 AM

6 h behind Hilversum

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

93,345

105,162

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Hilversum Cambridge, MA 5,580 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Hilversum
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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

Hilversum vs Cambridge, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hilversum wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Cambridge, MA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Hilversum the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 38% lower in Hilversum. 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: $1,667 in Hilversum versus $3,759 in Cambridge, MA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Cambridge, MA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Hilversum – a meal for two runs $77 versus $100 in Cambridge, MA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Hilversum and Cambridge, MA are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Hilversum gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Cambridge, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.