Cost of Living Comparison Between Netherlands and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Netherlands and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,589 in Netherlands versus $720 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,821 in Netherlands versus $1,148 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,053 in Netherlands versus $1,576 in China.

Living in Netherlands is roughly 260% more expensive than in China on average.

Netherlands (88% above) and China (48% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Netherlands: monthly costs span $1,251 to $3,523, compared to $468–$1,236 in China. City choice carries more weight in Netherlands.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.09 €19.85

$2.93 ¥19.61

688.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.8 €80.6

$22.72 ¥152

312.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.23 €12.24

$5.07 ¥33.97

180.67%

Cappuccino

$4.27 €3.68

$2.94 ¥19.71

45.24%

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

$3.85 €3.31

$0.48 ¥3.21

702.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 €2.73

$0.30 ¥2.02

956.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.13 €6.13

$1.06 ¥7.10

572.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 €4.93

$2.25 ¥15.08

155.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.79 ¥12.00

-22.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.70 ¥11.36

39.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.04 €2.62

$0.96 ¥6.46

216.67%

Eggs

$5.04 €4.34

$1.61 ¥10.80

213.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.25 €12.26

$13.60 ¥91.2

4.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.87 €12.78

$3.41 ¥22.85

336.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.61 €15.14

$11.07 ¥74.2

59.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.34

$1.81 ¥12.10

50.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.49 €2.14

$1.30 ¥8.74

91.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.48 ¥9.91

43.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.39 €3.77

$1.30 ¥8.73

237.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.72 ¥4.82

172.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.61

$0.94 ¥6.31

98.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 €1.14

$0.61 ¥4.09

118.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 €0.86

$0.56 ¥3.74

76.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.65 €12.59

$3.67 ¥24.59

299.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.17 €6.16

$11.90 ¥79.8

-39.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.35

$0.83 ¥5.56

90.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 €2.35

$1.65 ¥11.08

66.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.85 €3.31

$0.29 ¥1.92

1227.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.9 €84.2

$22.61 ¥152

332.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.88 €4.20

$1.45 ¥9.72

236.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.00 €2.58

$0.34 ¥2.31

782.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.12 €30.20

$7.27 ¥48.74

383.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.42 €2.08

$1.23 ¥8.27

96.75%

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

$43.7K €37.6K

$19.5K ¥130.9K

123.59%

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

$40.4K €34.8K

$17.2K ¥115.6K

134.49%

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

$267 €229

$55.5 ¥372

380.78%

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

$24.14 €20.76

$8.51 ¥57.0

183.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.4 €45.07

$10.81 ¥72.4

384.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.12 €37.08

$40.02 ¥268

7.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.57 €22.85

$14.80 ¥99.2

79.53%

Cinema Ticket

$16.35 €14.05

$6.73 ¥45.11

142.94%

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

$2,265 €1,948

$454 ¥3,043

398.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,252 €7,955

$19.5K ¥130.8K

-52.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$100 €86.3

$44.95 ¥301

123.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.96 €37.80

$35.81 ¥240

22.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €91.1

$76.8 ¥514

38.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 €120

$77.3 ¥518

80.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 €1,469

$385 ¥2,582

343.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,322 €1,137

$242 ¥1,623

445.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,639 €2,269

$837 ¥5,606

215.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 €1,797

$474 ¥3,179

340.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,811 €5,856

$4,619 ¥30.9K

47.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,959 €4,264

$2,316 ¥15.5K

114.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,942 €3,389

$1,062 ¥7,113

271.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.86

3.47

11.24%

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

Last update for Netherlands: September 7, 2026

Last update for China: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,448 in Netherlands, $295 in China. Capital cities: $2,624 in Amsterdam vs $957 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $3,749 in Netherlands, $865 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 391% higher in Netherlands.

Dining out costs 319% more in Netherlands.

Public transport is 424% more expensive in Netherlands.

Salaries are 333% 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 China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $852 per month in China and $2,387 in Netherlands, there's a 180% 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 simply cheaper in China: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Netherlands is consistently higher than in China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in 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; Netherlands may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.