Cost of Living Comparison Between Netherlands and Germany Cost of Living Comparison Between Netherlands and Germany

Name: Germany
Address: DE

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,550 in Netherlands versus $2,014 in Germany.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,697 in Netherlands versus $3,048 in Germany.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,843 in Netherlands versus $4,081 in Germany.

Living in Netherlands is roughly 27% more expensive than Germany on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Netherlands 90% above, Germany 50% above.

Netherlands ($1,801–$3,508) and Germany ($1,338–$2,784) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.00 €19.93

$17.24 €14.95

33.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.7 €81.2

$74.2 €64.3

26.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.83 €11.99

$11.60 €10.06

19.22%

Cappuccino

$4.04 €3.50

$3.98 €3.45

1.51%

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

$3.44 €2.98

$3.32 €2.87

3.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 €2.46

$2.97 €2.57

-4.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.13 €6.18

$5.30 €4.59

34.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.62 €4.87

$4.66 €4.04

20.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.26 €1.09

4.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 €1.93

$2.21 €1.91

0.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.20 €2.78

$3.38 €2.93

-5.33%

Eggs

$4.77 €4.13

$3.94 €3.42

21.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.87 €12.02

$14.77 €12.80

-6.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.12 €13.97

$14.23 €12.33

13.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.19 €14.90

$19.63 €17.01

-12.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €2.00

$3.31 €2.87

-30.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 €2.17

$1.86 €1.61

34.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$2.35 €2.03

-17.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 €3.45

$4.75 €4.12

-16.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$1.56 €1.35

35.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.62 €1.40

20.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 €1.06

$1.87 €1.62

-34.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.08 €0.93

-21.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.96 €12.10

$9.70 €8.41

43.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.82 €5.91

$5.66 €4.90

20.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 €1.33

$1.06 €0.92

44.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 €2.27

$1.61 €1.40

62.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.78 €3.27

$3.60 €3.12

5.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.6 €81.2

$67.1 €58.1

39.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.28 €3.71

$5.82 €5.04

-26.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 €2.17

$2.27 €1.96

10.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.29 €29.72

$38.44 €33.32

-10.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.90

$1.96 €1.70

11.73%

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

$38.3K €33.2K

$32.0K €27.7K

19.76%

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

$35.3K €30.6K

$38.3K €33.2K

-7.93%

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

$265 €230

$354 €307

-25.24%

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

$25.19 €21.84

$27.98 €24.25

-9.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.58 €42.11

$52.0 €45.05

-6.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.70 €36.14

$40.99 €35.53

1.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.54 €21.26

$24.66 €21.38

-0.49%

Cinema Ticket

$16.03 €13.89

$14.07 €12.19

13.93%

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

$2,170 €1,881

$464 €402

367.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,344 €8,099

$15.2K €13.1K

-38.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.7 €82.1

$93.9 €81.4

0.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.65 €38.69

$44.97 €38.98

-0.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €93.3

$101 €87.4

6.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 €121

$131 €114

6.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,625 €1,408

$1,037 €899

56.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,290 €1,118

$770 €668

67.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,587 €2,243

$1,943 €1,684

33.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,091 €1,813

$1,438 €1,246

45.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,885 €5,967

$6,350 €5,503

8.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,121 €4,438

$4,151 €3,597

23.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,827 €3,317

$3,421 €2,965

11.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.25

3.98

6.78%

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

Last update for Netherlands: June 9, 2026

Last update for Germany: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,437 in Netherlands, $847 in Germany. Capital cities: $2,342 in Amsterdam vs $1,417 in Berlin.

National salary averages: $3,666 in Netherlands, $3,185 in Germany. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 70% higher in Netherlands.

Dining out costs 19% more in Netherlands.

Public transport is 50% more expensive in Netherlands.

Salaries are 15% higher in Netherlands, giving Germany 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 Germany: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,061 per month in Germany and $2,655 in Netherlands, there's a 29% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Germany 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 Germany across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Germany, $3,000 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. Germany wins on affordability; Netherlands may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.