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: $2,550 in Netherlands versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,702 in Netherlands versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,854 in Netherlands versus $1,550 in China.

Living in Netherlands is roughly 258% more expensive than China on average.

Netherlands (90% above) and China (47% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Netherlands: monthly costs span $1,820 to $3,516, compared to $532–$1,187 in China. City choice carries more weight in Netherlands.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.52 €20.08

$2.75 ¥18.83

755.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.3 €78.8

$24.07 ¥165

283.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.79 €11.78

$4.84 ¥33.15

184.92%

Cappuccino

$4.21 €3.60

$2.97 ¥20.32

41.75%

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

$3.41 €2.92

$0.45 ¥3.05

657.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.47

$0.29 ¥2.01

900.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.10 €6.06

$1.00 ¥6.86

610.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.62 €4.80

$2.06 ¥14.13

172.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.11

$1.82 ¥12.48

-28.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.32 €1.98

$1.62 ¥11.09

43.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.08 €2.63

$0.91 ¥6.21

238.46%

Eggs

$4.82 €4.12

$1.54 ¥10.57

212.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.79 €11.77

$13.32 ¥91.3

3.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.11 €13.76

$3.27 ¥22.41

392.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.14 €14.64

$10.56 ¥72.3

62.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$1.76 ¥12.03

35.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 €2.14

$1.30 ¥8.92

92.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 €1.63

$1.45 ¥9.94

31.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.97 €3.39

$1.19 ¥8.17

233.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 €1.77

$0.71 ¥4.84

191.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 €1.69

$0.91 ¥6.24

117.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 €1.09

$0.57 ¥3.89

122.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.78

$0.53 ¥3.66

73.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.92 €11.89

$3.50 ¥24.01

297.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.00 €5.98

$11.85 ¥81.2

-40.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.26

$0.84 ¥5.72

76.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.29

$1.68 ¥11.51

59.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.89 €3.32

$0.44 ¥3.00

784.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.1 €79.5

$20.76 ¥142

348.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 €3.64

$1.36 ¥9.29

213.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.59 €2.21

$0.35 ¥2.43

640.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.38 €30.21

$6.65 ¥45.53

432.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 €1.86

$1.17 ¥8.00

86.32%

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

$38.2K €32.6K

$19.1K ¥131.0K

99.84%

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

$36.2K €30.9K

$17.1K ¥117.4K

111.43%

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

$257 €220

$52.0 ¥356

395.52%

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

$25.97 €22.18

$9.65 ¥66.1

169.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.32 €42.12

$11.16 ¥76.4

341.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.78 €35.68

$40.48 ¥277

3.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.48 €20.91

$14.75 ¥101

65.97%

Cinema Ticket

$16.15 €13.80

$6.35 ¥43.51

154.33%

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

$2,182 €1,863

$410 ¥2,807

432.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,459 €8,078

$17.8K ¥122.0K

-46.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.7 €81.7

$46.08 ¥316

107.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.72 €39.04

$32.86 ¥225

39.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €90.4

$71.2 ¥488

48.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 €116

$75.3 ¥516

79.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,623 €1,386

$430 ¥2,946

277.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 €1,103

$261 ¥1,787

395.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,569 €2,194

$914 ¥6,263

180.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,133 €1,821

$542 ¥3,716

293.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,877 €5,873

$5,177 ¥35.5K

32.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,052 €4,314

$2,630 ¥18.0K

92.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,002 €3,418

$1,060 ¥7,260

277.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.25

4.06

4.68%

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

Last update for Netherlands: April 21, 2026

Last update for China: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,433 in Netherlands, $287 in China. Capital cities: $2,372 in Amsterdam vs $891 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $3,686 in Netherlands, $833 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 399% higher in Netherlands.

Dining out costs 310% more in Netherlands.

Public transport is 417% more expensive in Netherlands.

Salaries are 342% higher in Netherlands, giving Netherlands stronger purchasing power.

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 $860 per month in China and $2,668 in Netherlands, there's a 210% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

China is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.