Cost of Living Comparison Between Netherlands and Australia Cost of Living Comparison Between Netherlands and Australia

Name: Australia
Address: AU

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,547 per month in Netherlands vs $2,186 in Australia, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,701 per month in Netherlands vs $3,219 in Australia, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,854 per month in Netherlands vs $4,252 in Australia, rent included.

The cost of living in Netherlands is about 17% higher than in Australia on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Netherlands and Australia are pricier than the global median – Netherlands by 91%, Australia by 64%.

The regional cost range is wider in Netherlands ($1,775–$3,445) than in Australia ($1,580–$2,807), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.41 €20.58

$16.37 A$23.44

43.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.8 €80.7

$77.7 A$111

18.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.76 €12.09

$9.59 A$13.74

43.48%

Cappuccino

$4.06 €3.57

$3.45 A$4.94

17.68%

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

$3.42 €3.00

$2.63 A$3.77

30.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 €2.50

$2.14 A$3.06

32.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.74 €5.92

$6.34 A$9.08

6.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 €5.01

$7.03 A$10.07

-18.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.52 A$2.18

-12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 €1.95

$2.50 A$3.58

-11.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.07 €2.70

$2.06 A$2.95

49.03%

Eggs

$4.81 €4.23

$4.22 A$6.04

13.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.97 €12.28

$8.96 A$12.83

55.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.92 €13.99

$8.35 A$11.96

90.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.35 €15.26

$13.74 A$19.67

26.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.44 €2.15

$3.14 A$4.50

-22.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.59 €2.28

$2.73 A$3.91

-5.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 €1.75

$2.93 A$4.20

-32.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.80 €3.34

$4.43 A$6.34

-14.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 €1.86

$2.56 A$3.67

-17.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.79

$2.12 A$3.04

-4.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 €1.13

$2.18 A$3.12

-41.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.76

$1.57 A$2.24

-45.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 €12.15

$30.82 A$44.14

-55.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.69 €5.88

$14.17 A$20.29

-52.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$4.60 A$6.58

-66.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 €2.30

$4.87 A$6.98

-46.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.91 €3.44

$2.99 A$4.28

30.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.3 €80.3

$96.7 A$138

-5.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.24 €3.73

$3.53 A$5.05

20.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.59 €2.27

$1.81 A$2.60

43.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.68 €30.49

$37.32 A$53.5

-7.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.30 €2.03

$1.16 A$1.66

98.28%

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

$38.3K €33.7K

$29.4K A$42.2K

30.19%

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

$36.3K €31.9K

$22.6K A$32.3K

60.81%

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

$261 €229

$176 A$252

48.37%

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

$25.24 €22.19

$26.75 A$38.30

-5.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.61 €43.61

$53.9 A$77.1

-7.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.66 €36.62

$47.11 A$67.5

-11.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.52 €21.56

$16.57 A$23.73

47.98%

Cinema Ticket

$16.40 €14.41

$13.42 A$19.22

22.21%

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

$2,165 €1,903

$1,572 A$2,251

37.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,248 €8,130

$12.7K A$18.2K

-27.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.4 €83.9

$70.8 A$101

34.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.60 €40.09

$50.0 A$71.6

-8.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €95.4

$101 A$145

7.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 €120

$111 A$159

22.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,592 €1,400

$1,372 A$1,965

16.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 €1,122

$1,077 A$1,542

18.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,594 €2,281

$2,353 A$3,370

10.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,130 €1,873

$1,747 A$2,502

21.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,841 €6,014

$7,882 A$11.3K

-13.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,894 €4,302

$5,906 A$8,457

-17.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,800 €3,340

$3,960 A$5,671

-4.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.25

6.35

-33.07%

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

Last update for Netherlands: July 19, 2026

Last update for Australia: July 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,441 in Netherlands vs $1,230 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,411 in Amsterdam and $1,556 in Canberra.

Average salary: $3,631 in Netherlands vs $3,824 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 17% higher in Netherlands.

Dining out costs 12% more in Netherlands.

Public transport is 39% more expensive in Netherlands.

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

Netherlands vs Australia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Australia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 19% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Netherlands, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Netherlands consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Australia, contributing to the overall 19% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Australia, but in Netherlands it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Australia is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.