Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Leiden and Amsterdam

For one person, living is cheaper in Leiden: $2,807 a month against $3,517 in Amsterdam, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

136

Cost of Living Index in Leiden
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Leiden Living Index
170

Cost of Living Index in Amsterdam
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Amsterdam Living Index

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Leiden

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,807

/mo nomad

Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,517

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,807 per month in Leiden vs $3,517 in Amsterdam, rent included.

Leiden $2,807
Amsterdam $3,517

A couple spends around $4,042 per month in Leiden vs $5,063 in Amsterdam, rent included.

Leiden $4,042
Amsterdam $5,063

A family of three spends $5,276 per month in Leiden vs $6,608 in Amsterdam, rent included.

Leiden $5,276
Amsterdam $6,608

Leiden is about 20% cheaper than Amsterdam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Leiden and Amsterdam sit above the global median – Leiden by 106%, Amsterdam by 158%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.86 €17.78

$22.34 €20.01

-11.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 €79.9

$88.6 €79.3

0.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.25 €11.87

$14.80 €13.25

-10.47%

Cappuccino

$3.84 €3.44

$4.65 €4.16

-17.42%

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

$3.61 €3.23

$3.69 €3.31

-2.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 €2.72

$2.90 €2.59

4.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.59 €6.80

$7.92 €7.10

-4.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.08 €4.55

$6.54 €5.85

-22.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 €1.09

$1.44 €1.29

-15.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.94

$2.40 €2.15

-10.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 €2.16

$2.50 €2.24

-3.20%

Eggs

$4.78 €4.28

$5.15 €4.62

-7.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.70 €13.16

$16.90 €15.14

-13.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.41 €12.90

$12.73 €11.40

13.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €14.41

$22.87 €20.49

-29.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 €2.62

$2.75 €2.46

6.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.41 €2.16

$2.74 €2.45

-12.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 €1.75

$2.74 €2.46

-28.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.85 €4.34

$3.86 €3.46

25.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.60

$2.52 €2.26

-28.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 €1.74

$1.65 €1.48

17.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.51 €1.35

-12.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.68

$1.69 €1.51

-55.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.22 €11.84

$14.52 €13.00

-8.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.82 €6.11

$8.60 €7.70

-20.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 €1.33

$1.78 €1.60

-16.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 €2.37

$2.51 €2.24

5.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.84 €2.54

$3.70 €3.31

-23.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$128 €115

$117 €104

9.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.41 €3.05

$4.69 €4.20

-27.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.38 €3.02

$3.42 €3.07

-1.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.64 €20.27

$39.00 €34.93

-41.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.46 €2.20

$2.56 €2.29

-3.91%

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

$41.2K €36.9K

$40.6K €36.3K

1.53%

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

$39.8K €35.7K

$38.9K €34.8K

2.39%

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

$280 €251

$306 €274

-8.65%

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

$15.19 €13.61

$22.66 €20.29

-32.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.70 €44.51

$52.8 €47.31

-5.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.84 €39.26

$55.0 €49.23

-20.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.43 €10.24

$35.66 €31.94

-67.95%

Cinema Ticket

$14.57 €13.04

$16.48 €14.76

-11.59%

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

$2,842 €2,546

$2,778 €2,488

2.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K €11.5K

$17.0K €15.2K

-23.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$116 €104

$92.7 €83.0

24.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.35 €43.30

$41.28 €36.97

17.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 €106

$101 €90.8

16.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 €125

$134 €120

4.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,760 €1,576

$2,642 €2,366

-33.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,382 €1,238

$1,989 €1,782

-30.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,687 €2,407

$4,165 €3,730

-35.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 €1,904

$3,251 €2,911

-34.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,824 €7,007

$10.6K €9,452

-25.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,723 €5,125

$6,734 €6,031

-15.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,103 €3,675

$4,625 €4,142

-11.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.8

3.3

-15.15%

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

Last update for Leiden: October 26, 2026

Last update for Amsterdam: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Leiden

$1.4K 49.2%

Amsterdam

$2K 56.6% 44% $607

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Leiden

$345 12.3%

Amsterdam

$382 10.9% 10.8% $37

Groceries & Markets

Leiden

$338 12.1%

Amsterdam

$381 10.8% 12.6% $43

Eating Out

Leiden

$319 11.4%

Amsterdam

$358 10.2% 12.1% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Leiden

$190 6.8%

Amsterdam

$166 4.7% 12.5% $24

Getting Around

Leiden

$160 5.7%

Amsterdam

$153 4.4% 4.1% $6.6

Sport & Entertainment

Leiden

$73 2.6%

Amsterdam

$88 2.5% 20.5% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,760 in Leiden versus $2,642 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 13% 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 $89 in Leiden versus $89 in Amsterdam. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $338 vs $381 – making Leiden the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Leiden

🇳🇱 Amsterdam

🕒 Local time

10:40 10:40 AM

Same time as Leiden

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,089

881,933 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Leiden Amsterdam 36 km

From you

Leiden
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

Leiden vs Amsterdam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Amsterdam is pricier by about 25%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,210 per month in Leiden and $5,276 in Amsterdam. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Leiden, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,760 there versus $2,642 in Amsterdam.

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

Groceries cost about 13% more in Amsterdam, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,807 in Leiden and $3,517 in Amsterdam. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Leiden costs $2,807 versus $3,517 in Amsterdam. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Leiden. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Amsterdam makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.