Cost of Living Comparison Between Netherlands and Canada Cost of Living Comparison Between Netherlands and Canada

Name: Canada
Address: CA

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,589 per month in Netherlands vs $2,217 in Canada, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,821 per month in Netherlands vs $3,254 in Canada, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,053 per month in Netherlands vs $4,291 in Canada, rent included.

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

Both Netherlands and Canada are pricier than the global median – Netherlands by 88%, Canada by 61%.

Cost ranges are similar: Netherlands spans $1,251–$3,523, Canada $912–$3,779. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.09 €19.85

$18.28 CA$25.23

26.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.8 €80.6

$71.2 CA$98.3

31.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.23 €12.24

$10.96 CA$15.13

29.84%

Cappuccino

$4.27 €3.68

$3.95 CA$5.45

8.10%

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

$3.85 €3.31

$2.07 CA$2.86

85.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 €2.73

$1.74 CA$2.41

82.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.13 €6.13

$5.93 CA$8.19

20.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 €4.93

$5.69 CA$7.85

0.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 €1.19

$2.23 CA$3.08

-38.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.71 CA$3.75

-12.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.04 €2.62

$3.72 CA$5.14

-18.28%

Eggs

$5.04 €4.34

$3.61 CA$4.99

39.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.25 €12.26

$10.81 CA$14.92

31.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.87 €12.78

$12.22 CA$16.87

21.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.61 €15.14

$15.68 CA$21.65

12.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.34

$4.25 CA$5.86

-36.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.49 €2.14

$1.43 CA$1.97

74.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$4.02 CA$5.55

-47.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.39 €3.77

$4.09 CA$5.65

7.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.69

$2.68 CA$3.70

-26.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.61

$2.45 CA$3.39

-23.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 €1.14

$2.67 CA$3.68

-50.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 €0.86

$1.80 CA$2.49

-45.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.65 €12.59

$14.46 CA$19.96

1.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.17 €6.16

$13.58 CA$18.75

-47.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.35

$2.84 CA$3.92

-44.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 €2.35

$3.26 CA$4.50

-15.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.85 €3.31

$2.46 CA$3.39

56.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.9 €84.2

$75.2 CA$104

30.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.88 €4.20

$3.15 CA$4.35

54.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.00 €2.58

$1.54 CA$2.13

94.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.12 €30.20

$27.55 CA$38.03

27.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.42 €2.08

$1.16 CA$1.60

108.62%

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

$43.7K €37.6K

$28.4K CA$39.2K

54.01%

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

$40.4K €34.8K

$19.5K CA$26.9K

107.76%

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

$267 €229

$155 CA$214

72.14%

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

$24.14 €20.76

$43.47 CA$60.0

-44.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.4 €45.07

$60.4 CA$83.4

-13.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.12 €37.08

$41.15 CA$56.8

4.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.57 €22.85

$19.79 CA$27.32

34.26%

Cinema Ticket

$16.35 €14.05

$11.53 CA$15.91

41.80%

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

$2,265 €1,948

$786 CA$1,084

188.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,252 €7,955

$14.8K CA$20.5K

-37.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$100 €86.3

$55.0 CA$75.9

82.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.96 €37.80

$41.25 CA$56.9

6.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €91.1

$88.1 CA$122

20.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 €120

$106 CA$146

31.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 €1,469

$1,295 CA$1,788

31.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,322 €1,137

$1,168 CA$1,612

13.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,639 €2,269

$2,044 CA$2,822

29.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 €1,797

$1,779 CA$2,456

17.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,811 €5,856

$4,786 CA$6,607

42.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,959 €4,264

$3,973 CA$5,485

24.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,942 €3,389

$3,078 CA$4,250

28.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.86

4.86

-20.58%

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

Last update for Netherlands: September 7, 2026

Last update for Canada: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,448 in Netherlands vs $1,228 in Canada. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,624 in Amsterdam and $1,496 in Ottawa.

Average salary: $3,749 in Netherlands vs $2,981 in Canada. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 18% higher in Netherlands.

Dining out costs 33% more in Netherlands.

Public transport is 48% more expensive in Netherlands.

Salaries are 26% higher in Netherlands, and purchasing power comes out stronger 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 Canada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Canada is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 2% 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 Canada, contributing to the overall 2% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

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

Canada 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.