Cost of Living Comparison Between Letterkenny and Drachten Cost of Living Comparison Between Letterkenny and Drachten

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,068 in Letterkenny versus $2,104 in Drachten.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,155 in Letterkenny versus $3,052 in Drachten.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,242 in Letterkenny versus $4,000 in Drachten.

Living in Letterkenny costs roughly 2% less than in Drachten, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Letterkenny 50% above, Drachten 53% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.08 €17.33

$26.06 €22.49

-22.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €59.9

$88.4 €76.3

-21.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.90 €11.99

$13.88 €11.97

0.14%

Cappuccino

$4.82 €4.16

$4.10 €3.54

17.56%

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

$2.71 €2.33

$3.74 €3.22

-27.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.03

$3.38 €2.92

-30.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.44 €5.55

$5.83 €5.03

10.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.17 €6.19

$5.69 €4.91

26.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.23 €1.06

42.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 €1.63

$1.43 €1.23

32.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.59 €1.37

-4.40%

Eggs

$5.61 €4.84

$5.24 €4.52

7.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.77 €7.57

$13.26 €11.44

-33.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.28 €11.46

$13.72 €11.84

-3.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.37 €11.54

$12.70 €10.96

5.28%

Apples (1kg)

$4.34 €3.75

$1.99 €1.71

118.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 €2.33

$2.58 €2.23

4.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.95 €3.41

$1.94 €1.67

103.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.39 €3.79

$3.33 €2.87

31.83%

Potato (1kg)

$3.51 €3.03

$1.70 €1.47

106.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.65 €1.42

-28.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.17

$1.29 €1.11

4.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.08

$0.68 €0.58

254.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.93 €18.06

$9.79 €8.45

113.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.09 €12.16

$7.09 €6.12

98.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 €2.61

$1.50 €1.29

102.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 €3.46

$2.71 €2.34

47.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.13 €4.43

$4.17 €3.60

23.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.9 €66.4

$45.36 €39.14

69.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.70 €4.92

$10.35 €8.93

-44.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.37 €3.77

$3.30 €2.85

32.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.25 €21.79

$53.1 €45.85

-52.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.77

$2.43 €2.10

-15.23%

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

$40.8K €35.2K

$43.1K €37.2K

-5.31%

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

$35.5K €30.7K

$39.7K €34.2K

-10.41%

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

$169 €146

$291 €251

-42.07%

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

$21.71 €18.74

$24.76 €21.36

-12.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.76 €41.21

$51.5 €44.40

-7.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.6 €48.86

$57.6 €49.73

-1.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.04 €19.88

Cinema Ticket

$10.56 €9.11

$17.08 €14.74

-38.17%

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

$259 €224

$2,451 €2,115

-89.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K €9,157

$28.0K €24.2K

-62.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.0 €79.4

$60.1 €51.9

53.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.01 €31.94

$46.57 €40.18

-20.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.1 €80.3

$91.1 €78.6

2.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 €86.7

$141 €121

-28.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,094 €944

$915 €790

19.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$823 €710

$766 €661

7.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,405

$1,392 €1,202

16.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,427 €1,231

$1,061 €916

34.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,328 €2,009

$4,609 €3,977

-49.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,750 €1,510

$3,441 €2,969

-49.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,947 €1,680

$2,648 €2,285

-26.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.6

4.3

-16.28%

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

Last update for Letterkenny: August 31, 2026

Last update for Drachten: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,094 in Letterkenny and $915 in Drachten. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Drachten pays 36% 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: $69.0 in Letterkenny vs $88.0 in Drachten. Groceries flip the comparison at $372 vs $299, with Drachten cheaper for home cooking.

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

Letterkenny vs Drachten: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Letterkenny is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 36% lower in Drachten. 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: $1,094 in Letterkenny versus $915 in Drachten. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $259 in Letterkenny versus $2,451 in Drachten. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Drachten pay roughly 24% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,068 in Letterkenny versus $2,104 in Drachten, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Letterkenny but tight or insufficient in Drachten. The gap between the two cities makes Letterkenny the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Letterkenny and Drachten 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 Letterkenny gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Drachten. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.