Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Leeuwarden and Amsterdam

For one person, living is cheaper in Leeuwarden: $2,588 a month against $3,496 in Amsterdam, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Leeuwarden
Learn more

Leeuwarden Living Index
168

Cost of Living Index in Amsterdam
Learn more

Amsterdam Living Index

Jump to prices

Leeuwarden

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,588

/mo nomad

Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,496

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,588 per month in Leeuwarden vs $3,496 in Amsterdam, rent included.

Leeuwarden $2,588
Amsterdam $3,496

A couple spends around $3,825 per month in Leeuwarden vs $5,012 in Amsterdam, rent included.

Leeuwarden $3,825
Amsterdam $5,012

A family of three spends $5,063 per month in Leeuwarden vs $6,528 in Amsterdam, rent included.

Leeuwarden $5,063
Amsterdam $6,528

Leeuwarden is about 26% cheaper than Amsterdam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Leeuwarden and Amsterdam sit above the global median – Leeuwarden by 91%, Amsterdam by 158%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.50 €20.01

$22.16 €19.71

1.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$112 €99.2

$89.5 €79.6

24.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.61 €13.88

$14.53 €12.93

7.43%

Cappuccino

$3.86 €3.44

$4.56 €4.06

-15.35%

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

$3.73 €3.32

$3.86 €3.43

-3.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 €2.54

$3.02 €2.69

-5.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 €6.12

$8.06 €7.17

-14.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.35 €4.75

$6.59 €5.87

-18.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.03

$1.51 €1.34

-23.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 €1.71

$2.36 €2.10

-18.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 €2.17

Eggs

$4.37 €3.89

$5.21 €4.63

-16.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.73 €11.32

$16.77 €14.92

-24.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.38 €12.79

$13.06 €11.61

10.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.29 €14.49

$22.98 €20.44

-29.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.07

$2.70 €2.40

-14.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.13

$2.87 €2.55

-16.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.65

$2.69 €2.39

-31.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.25 €4.67

$3.96 €3.52

32.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 €1.53

$2.51 €2.23

-31.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 €1.72

$1.66 €1.48

16.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 €1.08

$1.51 €1.34

-19.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.81

$1.67 €1.48

-45.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.20 €12.63

$14.36 €12.77

-1.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.02 €6.24

$8.66 €7.71

-18.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.67

$1.81 €1.61

3.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.50

$2.53 €2.25

-33.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.29 €2.92

$3.74 €3.33

-12.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$127 €113

$117 €104

8.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.78 €7.81

$4.62 €4.11

90.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.98 €3.54

$3.38 €3.00

17.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.0 €45.38

$39.70 €35.31

28.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.41 €2.15

$2.67 €2.37

-9.74%

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

$41.7K €37.1K

$41.8K €37.2K

-0.27%

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

$39.0K €34.7K

$38.6K €34.3K

0.98%

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

$369 €328

$303 €270

21.80%

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

$43.01 €38.26

$22.97 €20.43

87.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.83 €40.77

$51.5 €45.83

-11.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.73 €33.56

$58.4 €52.0

-35.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 €16.90

$35.86 €31.90

-47.02%

Cinema Ticket

$16.54 €14.71

$16.86 €15.00

-1.90%

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

$1,353 €1,204

$2,815 €2,504

-51.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K €20.0K

$17.5K €15.6K

28.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 €102

$92.2 €82.0

24.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.18 €34.85

$42.16 €37.50

-7.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 €116

$99.3 €88.3

30.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 €121

$134 €119

1.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,351 €1,202

$2,654 €2,361

-49.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 €915

$1,967 €1,750

-47.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,851 €3,425

$3,963 €3,525

-2.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,434

$3,158 €2,809

-48.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,638 €3,236

$10.5K €9,354

-65.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,248 €2,889

$6,700 €5,960

-51.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,989 €2,658

$4,677 €4,160

-36.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.38

3.3

32.73%

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

Last update for Leeuwarden: October 20, 2026

Last update for Amsterdam: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Leeuwarden

$1K 39.7%

Amsterdam

$2K 56.3% 91.3% $939

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Leeuwarden

$458 17.7%

Amsterdam

$378 10.8% 17.6% $80

Eating Out

Leeuwarden

$345 13.3%

Amsterdam

$357 10.2% 3.5% $12

Groceries & Markets

Leeuwarden

$328 12.7%

Amsterdam

$384 11% 16.8% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Leeuwarden

$189 7.3%

Amsterdam

$166 4.7% 12.3% $23

Getting Around

Leeuwarden

$169 6.5%

Amsterdam

$154 4.4% 9.2% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Leeuwarden

$71 2.7%

Amsterdam

$92 2.6% 30.2% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,351 in Leeuwarden 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 56% 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 $112 in Leeuwarden versus $89.0 in Amsterdam. Groceries tell a different story – $328 in Leeuwarden vs $384 in Amsterdam – so Leeuwarden wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Leeuwarden

🇳🇱 Amsterdam

🕒 Local time

09:36 9:36 AM

Same time as Leeuwarden

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

91,992

881,933 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Leeuwarden Amsterdam 110 km

From you

Leeuwarden
Amsterdam

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Leeuwarden vs Amsterdam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Amsterdam is pricier by about 35%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,882 per month in Leeuwarden 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 Leeuwarden, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 9% less in Leeuwarden. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,353 per month in Leeuwarden and $2,815 in Amsterdam. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,588 in Leeuwarden and $3,496 in Amsterdam. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Leeuwarden – 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 Leeuwarden. 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.