Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the Netherlands and China

Name: China
Address: CN

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $800 a month against $2,694 in the Netherlands, rent and utilities included – about $22,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in the Netherlands
Learn more

Netherlands Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in China
Learn more

China Living Index

Jump to prices

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,694

/mo nomad

🇨🇳 China

$800

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the Netherlands and in China

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,694 in the Netherlands versus $800 in China.

Netherlands $2,694
China $800

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,888 in the Netherlands versus $1,266 in China.

Netherlands $3,888
China $1,266

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,081 in the Netherlands versus $1,731 in China.

Netherlands $5,081
China $1,731

Internal cost variation is higher in the Netherlands: monthly costs span $1,207 to $3,496, compared to $462–$1,256 in China. City choice carries more weight in the Netherlands.

Living in the Netherlands is roughly 237% more expensive than in China on average.

The Netherlands (99% above) and China (41% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.27 €19.81

$2.92 ¥19.50

662.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.0 €79.2

$22.45 ¥150

296.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.79 €12.26

$5.33 ¥35.65

158.72%

Cappuccino

$4.16 €3.70

$3.04 ¥20.34

36.84%

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

$3.60 €3.20

$0.48 ¥3.23

650.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 €2.72

$0.30 ¥2.02

916.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.61 €5.88

$1.07 ¥7.12

517.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.72 €5.09

$2.26 ¥15.11

153.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.17

$1.75 ¥11.70

-24.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 €2.01

$1.62 ¥10.80

38.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.69 €2.39

$0.99 ¥6.63

171.72%

Eggs

$4.71 €4.19

$1.56 ¥10.44

201.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.73 €12.21

$13.25 ¥88.6

3.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.11 €12.55

$3.37 ¥22.50

318.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.27 €15.36

$11.39 ¥76.2

51.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 €2.36

$1.82 ¥12.19

46.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.49 €2.21

$1.25 ¥8.34

99.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.85

$1.55 ¥10.39

34.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 €3.63

$1.28 ¥8.55

218.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 €1.60

$0.71 ¥4.72

153.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.67

$0.86 ¥5.75

117.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 €1.14

$0.65 ¥4.36

96.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.78

$0.59 ¥3.97

49.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.16 €12.59

$3.76 ¥25.14

276.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.66 €5.92

$11.76 ¥78.6

-43.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.33

$0.91 ¥6.11

64.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 €2.27

$1.62 ¥10.86

57.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.75 €3.34

$0.31 ¥2.10

1109.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.2 €84.7

$22.75 ¥152

318.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.73 €4.21

$1.52 ¥10.17

211.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.00 €2.67

$0.37 ¥2.50

710.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.06 €30.30

$7.28 ¥48.66

367.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.43 €2.16

$1.25 ¥8.38

94.40%

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

$41.6K €37.0K

$19.4K ¥129.7K

114.68%

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

$38.8K €34.5K

$17.1K ¥114.4K

126.69%

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

$259 €230

$55.5 ¥371

366.75%

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

$22.93 €20.39

$8.29 ¥55.4

176.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.3 €44.74

$10.97 ¥73.3

358.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.07 €37.42

$40.38 ¥270

4.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.22 €23.33

$14.76 ¥98.7

77.64%

Cinema Ticket

$15.68 €13.94

$6.76 ¥45.18

131.95%

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

$2,185 €1,944

$465 ¥3,108

369.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,876 €7,896

$19.6K ¥131.2K

-54.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.7 €84.3

$46.32 ¥310

104.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.95 €38.20

$36.30 ¥243

18.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €90.8

$76.3 ¥510

33.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €117

$78.8 ¥527

67.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,648 €1,465

$396 ¥2,646

316.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,314 €1,169

$240 ¥1,604

447.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,547 €2,266

$822 ¥5,499

209.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,985 €1,766

$466 ¥3,116

325.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,600 €5,871

$4,544 ¥30.4K

45.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,779 €4,251

$2,282 ¥15.3K

109.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,787 €3,369

$1,075 ¥7,188

252.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.87

3.46

11.85%

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

Last update for the Netherlands: October 18, 2026

Last update for China: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Netherlands

$1.3K 48.8%

China

$240 30% 81.7% $1.1K

Eating Out

Netherlands

$341 12.6%

China

$89 11.1% 73.9% $252

Groceries & Markets

Netherlands

$337 12.5%

China

$209 26.1% 38% $128

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Netherlands

$332 12.3%

China

$75 9.3% 77.5% $257

Clothing & Footwear

Netherlands

$167 6.2%

China

$107 13.4% 36% $60

Getting Around

Netherlands

$130 4.8%

China

$27 3.4% 78.9% $103

Sport & Entertainment

Netherlands

$73 2.7%

China

$54 6.7% 26.6% $20

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,410 in the Netherlands, $299 in China. Capital cities: $2,654 in Amsterdam vs $945 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $3,603 in the Netherlands, $870 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 372% higher in the Netherlands.

Dining out costs 305% more in the Netherlands.

Public transport is 406% more expensive in the Netherlands.

Salaries are 314% higher in the Netherlands, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the Netherlands.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Netherlands

🇨🇳 China

🕒 Local time

08:16 8:16 AM

14:16 2:16 PM

6 h ahead of the Netherlands

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,100,715

1,442,965,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Netherlands China 7,820 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Netherlands
China

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

Netherlands vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $800 per month in China and $2,694 in the Netherlands, there's a 237% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is cheaper in China: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,410 in the Netherlands and $299 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in the Netherlands it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: China wins on affordability; the Netherlands may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.