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 $2,589 per month in Netherlands vs $2,547 in Australia, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,821 per month in Netherlands vs $3,678 in Australia, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,053 per month in Netherlands vs $4,808 in Australia, rent included.

The cost of living in Netherlands is about 2% 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 88%, Australia by 85%.

Cost ranges are similar: Netherlands spans $1,251–$3,523, Australia $1,218–$3,352. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.09 €19.85

$17.74 A$24.56

30.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.8 €80.6

$86.9 A$120

7.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.23 €12.24

$11.35 A$15.71

25.37%

Cappuccino

$4.27 €3.68

$3.99 A$5.53

7.02%

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

$3.85 €3.31

$2.97 A$4.11

29.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 €2.73

$2.51 A$3.47

26.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.13 €6.13

$7.75 A$10.73

-8.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 €4.93

$8.07 A$11.17

-28.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.76 A$2.44

-21.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.87 A$3.97

-17.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.04 €2.62

$2.37 A$3.28

28.27%

Eggs

$5.04 €4.34

$5.11 A$7.08

-1.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.25 €12.26

$10.13 A$14.03

40.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.87 €12.78

$9.57 A$13.25

55.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.61 €15.14

$15.59 A$21.59

12.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.34

$3.83 A$5.30

-28.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.49 €2.14

$3.13 A$4.33

-20.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$3.35 A$4.64

-36.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.39 €3.77

$4.88 A$6.75

-10.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.69

$2.92 A$4.04

-32.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.61

$2.36 A$3.27

-20.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 €1.14

$2.46 A$3.40

-45.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 €0.86

$1.70 A$2.36

-41.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.65 €12.59

$39.46 A$54.6

-62.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.17 €6.16

$14.69 A$20.34

-51.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.35

$5.07 A$7.02

-68.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 €2.35

$5.36 A$7.43

-48.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.85 €3.31

$2.84 A$3.93

35.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.9 €84.2

$97.3 A$135

0.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.88 €4.20

$3.56 A$4.93

37.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.00 €2.58

$1.68 A$2.33

78.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.12 €30.20

$40.94 A$56.7

-14.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.42 €2.08

$1.35 A$1.87

79.26%

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

$43.7K €37.6K

$29.1K A$40.2K

50.33%

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

$40.4K €34.8K

$29.5K A$40.8K

37.19%

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

$267 €229

$207 A$287

28.51%

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

$24.14 €20.76

$29.34 A$40.62

-17.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.4 €45.07

$60.0 A$83.1

-12.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.12 €37.08

$59.3 A$82.1

-27.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.57 €22.85

$20.28 A$28.07

31.02%

Cinema Ticket

$16.35 €14.05

$16.04 A$22.21

1.93%

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

$2,265 €1,948

$2,194 A$3,037

3.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,252 €7,955

$18.6K A$25.8K

-50.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$100 €86.3

$81.1 A$112

23.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.96 €37.80

$56.9 A$78.8

-22.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €91.1

$119 A$164

-10.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 €120

$126 A$175

10.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 €1,469

$1,637 A$2,266

4.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,322 €1,137

$1,306 A$1,808

1.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,639 €2,269

$2,589 A$3,584

1.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 €1,797

$1,963 A$2,717

6.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,811 €5,856

$8,394 A$11.6K

-18.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,959 €4,264

$6,140 A$8,500

-19.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,942 €3,389

$4,067 A$5,631

-3.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.86

5.93

-34.91%

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

Last update for Netherlands: September 7, 2026

Last update for Australia: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,448 in Netherlands vs $1,426 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,624 in Amsterdam and $1,845 in Canberra.

Average salary: $3,749 in Netherlands vs $3,945 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

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 4% 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 4% 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.