Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lelystad and Amsterdam

For one person, living is cheaper in Lelystad: $1,716 a month against $3,465 in Amsterdam, rent and utilities included – about $21,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

83

Cost of Living Index in Lelystad
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Lelystad Living Index
168

Cost of Living Index in Amsterdam
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Amsterdam Living Index

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Lelystad

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$1,716

/mo nomad

Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,465

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,716 per month in Lelystad vs $3,465 in Amsterdam, rent included.

Lelystad $1,716
Amsterdam $3,465

A couple spends around $2,666 per month in Lelystad vs $4,929 in Amsterdam, rent included.

Lelystad $2,666
Amsterdam $4,929

A family of three spends $3,616 per month in Lelystad vs $6,393 in Amsterdam, rent included.

Lelystad $3,616
Amsterdam $6,393

Lelystad is about 50% cheaper than Amsterdam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lelystad and Amsterdam sit above the global median – Lelystad by 27%, Amsterdam by 157%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.35 €19.88

$22.10 €19.66

1.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.3 €75.9

$90.0 €80.0

-5.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.13 €11.68

$15.32 €13.63

-14.30%

Cappuccino

$4.23 €3.76

$4.58 €4.07

-7.64%

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

$2.61 €2.32

$3.70 €3.29

-29.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.07

$2.98 €2.65

-22.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.40 €4.80

$7.38 €6.56

-26.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 €4.01

$5.73 €5.10

-21.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.11

$1.57 €1.40

-20.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 €1.43

$2.30 €2.04

-30.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.43 €2.16

$2.51 €2.23

-3.19%

Eggs

$4.39 €3.91

$5.07 €4.51

-13.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.65 €5.91

$16.73 €14.88

-60.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.17 €12.61

$13.11 €11.66

8.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.69 €14.85

$22.79 €20.28

-26.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 €1.97

$2.73 €2.43

-18.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.49 €2.21

$2.76 €2.46

-9.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.65

$2.74 €2.44

-32.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.41 €3.03

$3.78 €3.37

-9.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 €1.49

$2.38 €2.11

-29.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 €1.55

$1.61 €1.43

8.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.46 €1.30

-13.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.71

$1.77 €1.58

-54.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.62 €8.56

$14.52 €12.92

-33.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.50 €5.78

$9.10 €8.09

-28.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.19

$1.79 €1.59

-25.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 €2.24

$2.43 €2.16

3.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.69 €3.29

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 €99.0

$112 €100

-1.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.43

$4.51 €4.01

-14.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.65 €2.36

$3.44 €3.06

-22.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.29 €23.38

$39.71 €35.32

-33.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 €1.92

$2.63 €2.34

-17.87%

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

$33.7K €30.0K

$41.3K €36.7K

-18.34%

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

$38.4K €34.1K

$39.4K €35.1K

-2.62%

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

$245 €218

$295 €262

-16.79%

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

$14.38 €12.79

$22.26 €19.80

-35.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.80 €29.17

$51.1 €45.46

-35.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.98 €37.34

$59.9 €53.3

-29.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 €31.52

Cinema Ticket

$13.57 €12.07

$16.82 €14.96

-19.32%

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

$2,772 €2,466

$2,826 €2,513

-1.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,022 €7,136

$17.1K €15.2K

-53.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.9 €85.3

$92.5 €82.3

3.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.95 €43.54

$41.61 €37.01

17.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 €83.1

$97.6 €86.9

-4.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €100

$132 €117

-14.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$674 €600

$2,575 €2,290

-73.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 €399

$1,955 €1,739

-77.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,337 €1,190

$3,997 €3,555

-66.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$775 €689

$3,053 €2,716

-74.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.4K €9,222

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,494 €5,776

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,390 €2,126

$4,692 €4,174

-49.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.23

3.27

-1.22%

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

Last update for Lelystad: October 12, 2026

Last update for Amsterdam: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lelystad

$448 26.1%

Amsterdam

$2K 56.4% 336% $1.5K

Eating Out

Lelystad

$325 18.9%

Amsterdam

$353 10.2% 8.7% $28

Groceries & Markets

Lelystad

$295 17.2%

Amsterdam

$383 11% 29.7% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lelystad

$292 17%

Amsterdam

$368 10.6% 25.9% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Lelystad

$158 9.2%

Amsterdam

$164 4.7% 3.6% $5.7

Getting Around

Lelystad

$128 * 7.5%

Amsterdam

$149 4.3% 16.1% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Lelystad

$69 4%

Amsterdam

$94 2.7% 35.3% $24

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $674 in Lelystad versus $2,575 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 96% 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 $85.0 in Lelystad versus $90.0 in Amsterdam. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $383 – making Lelystad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Lelystad

🇳🇱 Amsterdam

🕒 Local time

03:47 3:47 AM

Same time as Lelystad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

78,598

881,933 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Lelystad Amsterdam 43 km

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Lelystad
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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

Lelystad vs Amsterdam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Amsterdam is pricier by about 102%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,574 per month in Lelystad and $5,197 in Amsterdam. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lelystad, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 1% less in Lelystad. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,772 per month in Lelystad and $2,826 in Amsterdam. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lelystad, where all-in costs run around $1,716, than in Amsterdam at $3,465. In Lelystad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Amsterdam it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lelystad – 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 Lelystad. 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.