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 $2,550 per month in Netherlands vs $2,180 in Australia, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,702 per month in Netherlands vs $3,221 in Australia, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,854 per month in Netherlands vs $4,261 in Australia, rent included.

Netherlands costs about 17% more than Australia on average — the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Netherlands and Australia are pricier than the global median – Netherlands by 90%, Australia by 63%.

Netherlands has a wider regional cost range ($1,820–$3,516) than Australia ($1,570–$2,819), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Netherlands.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.52 €20.08

$16.16 A$22.63

45.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.3 €78.8

$79.0 A$111

16.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.79 €11.78

$9.63 A$13.48

43.20%

Cappuccino

$4.21 €3.60

$3.54 A$4.96

18.93%

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

$3.41 €2.92

$2.70 A$3.78

26.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.47

$2.19 A$3.07

32.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.10 €6.06

$6.37 A$8.92

11.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.62 €4.80

$7.00 A$9.81

-19.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.11

$1.50 A$2.10

-13.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.32 €1.98

$2.51 A$3.51

-7.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.08 €2.63

$2.09 A$2.92

47.37%

Eggs

$4.82 €4.12

$4.25 A$5.96

13.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.79 €11.77

$8.86 A$12.40

55.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.11 €13.76

$8.19 A$11.47

96.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.14 €14.64

$14.02 A$19.63

22.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$3.11 A$4.36

-23.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 €2.14

$2.72 A$3.81

-8.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 €1.63

$2.90 A$4.06

-34.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.97 €3.39

$4.34 A$6.08

-8.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 €1.77

$2.56 A$3.58

-19.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 €1.69

$2.20 A$3.08

-10.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 €1.09

$2.21 A$3.09

-42.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.78

$1.52 A$2.12

-39.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.92 €11.89

$31.34 A$43.87

-55.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.00 €5.98

$14.16 A$19.82

-50.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.26

$4.53 A$6.34

-67.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.29

$4.92 A$6.88

-45.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.89 €3.32

$2.86 A$4.01

36.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.1 €79.5

$96.9 A$136

-3.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 €3.64

$3.50 A$4.90

21.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.59 €2.21

$1.77 A$2.47

46.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.38 €30.21

$38.10 A$53.3

-7.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 €1.86

$1.16 A$1.63

87.93%

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

$38.2K €32.6K

$29.5K A$41.2K

29.77%

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

$36.2K €30.9K

$22.9K A$32.1K

58.22%

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

$257 €220

$176 A$247

46.02%

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

$25.97 €22.18

$26.54 A$37.15

-2.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.32 €42.12

$53.5 A$74.9

-7.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.78 €35.68

$47.58 A$66.6

-12.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.48 €20.91

$16.94 A$23.71

44.51%

Cinema Ticket

$16.15 €13.80

$13.45 A$18.83

20.07%

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

$2,182 €1,863

$1,605 A$2,247

35.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,459 €8,078

$12.5K A$17.5K

-24.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.7 €81.7

$71.8 A$101

33.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.72 €39.04

$50.9 A$71.3

-10.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €90.4

$100 A$140

5.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 €116

$108 A$151

25.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,623 €1,386

$1,395 A$1,953

16.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 €1,103

$1,096 A$1,534

17.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,569 €2,194

$2,320 A$3,248

10.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,133 €1,821

$1,746 A$2,445

22.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,877 €5,873

$7,516 A$10.5K

-8.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,052 €4,314

$5,564 A$7,790

-9.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,002 €3,418

$4,033 A$5,646

-0.75%

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Australia: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,433 in Netherlands vs $1,234 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,372 in Amsterdam and $1,569 in Canberra.

Average salary: $3,686 in Netherlands vs $3,866 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 16% 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 22% 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 22% 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.