Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madison, WI and The Hague

For one person, living is cheaper in The Hague: $2,748 a month against $2,931 in Madison, WI, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

140

Cost of Living Index in Madison, WI
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Madison, WI Living Index
132

Cost of Living Index in The Hague
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The Hague Living Index

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Madison, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,931

/mo nomad

The Hague

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,748

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madison, WI and in The Hague

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

A single person spends $2,931 per month in Madison, WI vs $2,748 in The Hague, rent included.

Madison, WI $2,931
The Hague $2,748

A couple spends around $4,224 per month in Madison, WI vs $4,149 in The Hague, rent included.

Madison, WI $4,224
The Hague $4,149

A family of three spends $5,517 per month in Madison, WI vs $5,549 in The Hague, rent included.

Madison, WI $5,517
The Hague $5,549

Madison, WI costs about 7% more than The Hague, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Madison, WI and The Hague sit above the global median – Madison, WI by 117%, The Hague by 103%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.92 $19.92

$22.25 €19.80

-10.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.0 $65.0

$88.9 €79.1

-26.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.17 $13.17

$15.18 €13.51

-13.24%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$4.28 €3.81

32.24%

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

$3.02 $3.02

$4.26 €3.79

-29.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$4.12 €3.66

-40.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.62 $6.62

$7.48 €6.66

-11.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.72 $7.72

$7.72 €6.87

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.46 €1.30

-34.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.19 €1.95

44.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.18 $4.18

$2.48 €2.21

68.55%

Eggs

$3.72 $3.72

$4.74 €4.21

-21.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.49 $14.49

$14.60 €12.99

-0.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.15 $12.15

$13.22 €11.76

-8.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.36 $20.36

$19.64 €17.48

3.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$2.58 €2.30

77.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$2.17 €1.93

-25.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.95 $4.95

$2.04 €1.81

142.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.67 $4.67

$3.70 €3.29

26.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.61 $2.61

$1.32 €1.17

97.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.83 $2.83

$1.34 €1.19

111.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.11 €0.99

87.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 $2.24

$0.94 €0.84

138.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.89 $10.89

$14.56 €12.96

-25.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.73 $15.73

$5.80 €5.16

171.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 $2.68

$1.28 €1.14

109.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 $4.40

$1.97 €1.76

123.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$4.97 €4.42

-60.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 $65.5

$85.0 €75.7

-22.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.91 $3.91

$4.50 €4.01

-13.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 $1.96

$3.49 €3.11

-43.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.61 $44.61

$45.45 €40.45

-1.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$2.60 €2.31

-58.85%

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

$30.3K $30.3K

$41.7K €37.1K

-27.28%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$39.6K €35.2K

-35.58%

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

$266 $266

$274 €244

-3.07%

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

$45.57 $45.57

$28.66 €25.50

59.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.5 $80.5

$54.9 €48.85

46.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 $51.6

$46.88 €41.72

10.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.12 $10.12

$24.56 €21.85

-58.79%

Cinema Ticket

$14.70 $14.70

$16.03 €14.27

-8.30%

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

$1,594 $1,594

$2,645 €2,354

-39.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.6K $21.6K

$15.9K €14.1K

36.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 $63.4

$96.6 €85.9

-34.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.65 $46.65

$42.91 €38.19

8.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 $108

$106 €94.6

1.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$140 €124

-13.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,723 $1,723

$1,653 €1,471

4.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,465 $1,465

$1,319 €1,174

11.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,146 $3,146

$2,989 €2,660

5.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,438 $2,438

$2,376 €2,115

2.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,429 $4,429

$6,216 €5,532

-28.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,478 $2,478

$4,582 €4,078

-45.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,430 $4,430

$4,094 €3,643

8.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

3.4

100.29%

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

Last update for Madison, WI: November 2, 2026

Last update for The Hague: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Madison, WI

$1.5K 50%

The Hague

$1.3K 48% 10% $146

Groceries & Markets

Madison, WI

$416 14.2%

The Hague

$331 12.1% 20.5% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madison, WI

$392 13.4%

The Hague

$358 13% 8.7% $34

Eating Out

Madison, WI

$337 11.5%

The Hague

$361 13.1% 7.1% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Madison, WI

$152 5.2%

The Hague

$173 6.3% 13.7% $21

Getting Around

Madison, WI

$87 3%

The Hague

$127 4.6% 45.8% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Madison, WI

$81 2.8%

The Hague

$79 2.9% 2.5% $2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,723 in Madison, WI versus $1,653 in The Hague. 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 8% higher in Madison, WI. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65 in Madison, WI versus $89 in The Hague. Groceries tell a different story – $416 in Madison, WI vs $331 in The Hague – so The Hague wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Madison, WI

🇳🇱 The Hague

🕒 Local time

08:43 8:43 AM

15:43 3:43 PM

7 h ahead of Madison, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

248,951

562,839

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Madison, WI The Hague 6,600 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Madison, WI
The Hague

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

Madison, WI vs The Hague: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,931 in Madison, WI, $2,748 in The Hague – The Hague comes out roughly 6% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,396 per month in Madison, WI and $4,122 in The Hague. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,723 in Madison, WI and $1,653 in The Hague. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Public transport costs about 23% less in Madison, WI. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,594 per month in Madison, WI and $2,645 in The Hague. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. The Hague costs $2,748 versus $2,931 in Madison, WI. 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 The Hague. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Madison, WI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.