Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the Netherlands and Germany

Name: Germany
Address: DE

For one person, living is cheaper in Germany: $2,065 a month against $2,694 in the Netherlands, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in the Netherlands
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Netherlands Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Germany
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Germany Living Index

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🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,694

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🇩🇪 Germany

$2,065

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Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Germany actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,694 in the Netherlands versus $2,065 in Germany.

Netherlands $2,694
Germany $2,065

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,888 in the Netherlands versus $3,136 in Germany.

Netherlands $3,888
Germany $3,136

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,081 in the Netherlands versus $4,208 in Germany.

Netherlands $5,081
Germany $4,208

Internal cost variation is higher in the Netherlands: monthly costs span $1,207 to $3,496, compared to $1,345–$2,663 in Germany. City choice carries more weight in the Netherlands.

Living in the Netherlands is roughly 30% more expensive than in Germany on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: the Netherlands 99% above, Germany 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.27 €19.81

$16.61 €14.77

34.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.0 €79.2

$72.4 €64.4

22.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.79 €12.26

$12.15 €10.81

13.50%

Cappuccino

$4.16 €3.70

$3.96 €3.52

5.05%

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

$3.60 €3.20

$3.45 €3.07

4.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 €2.72

$3.06 €2.72

-0.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.61 €5.88

$5.19 €4.62

27.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.72 €5.09

$4.59 €4.08

24.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.17

$1.27 €1.13

3.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 €2.01

$2.13 €1.90

5.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.69 €2.39

$3.56 €3.17

-24.44%

Eggs

$4.71 €4.19

$3.79 €3.37

24.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.73 €12.21

$14.65 €13.03

-6.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.11 €12.55

$11.78 €10.48

19.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.27 €15.36

$20.78 €18.48

-16.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 €2.36

$3.17 €2.82

-16.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.49 €2.21

$1.98 €1.76

25.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.85

$2.21 €1.96

-5.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 €3.63

$4.28 €3.81

-4.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 €1.60

$1.45 €1.29

24.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.67

$1.49 €1.33

25.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.67 €1.49

-23.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.78

$1.07 €0.95

-17.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.16 €12.59

$9.90 €8.81

43.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.66 €5.92

$6.56 €5.83

1.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.33

$1.09 €0.97

37.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 €2.27

$1.60 €1.43

59.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.75 €3.34

$3.84 €3.42

-2.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.2 €84.7

$70.9 €63.1

34.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.73 €4.21

$5.52 €4.91

-14.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.00 €2.67

$2.74 €2.44

9.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.06 €30.30

$38.54 €34.28

-11.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.43 €2.16

$2.11 €1.87

15.17%

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

$41.6K €37.0K

$33.0K €29.3K

26.28%

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

$38.8K €34.5K

$38.7K €34.4K

0.17%

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

$259 €230

$338 €301

-23.41%

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

$22.93 €20.39

$24.76 €22.02

-7.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.3 €44.74

$47.37 €42.13

6.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.07 €37.42

$41.14 €36.59

2.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.22 €23.33

$27.41 €24.38

-4.34%

Cinema Ticket

$15.68 €13.94

$14.31 €12.73

9.57%

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

$2,185 €1,944

$573 €510

281.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,876 €7,896

$17.6K €15.6K

-49.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.7 €84.3

$89.1 €79.3

6.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.95 €38.20

$42.77 €38.04

0.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €90.8

$99.5 €88.5

2.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €117

-0.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,648 €1,465

$896 €797

83.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,314 €1,169

$703 €625

86.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,547 €2,266

$1,675 €1,490

52.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,985 €1,766

$1,314 €1,169

51.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,600 €5,871

$6,163 €5,482

7.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,779 €4,251

$4,027 €3,582

18.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,787 €3,369

$3,219 €2,864

17.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.87

3.96

-2.27%

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

Last update for the Netherlands: October 18, 2026

Last update for Germany: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Netherlands

$1.3K 48.8%

Germany

$703 34% 46.5% $611

Eating Out

Netherlands

$341 12.6%

Germany

$278 13.5% 18.4% $63

Groceries & Markets

Netherlands

$337 12.5%

Germany

$335 16.2% 0.4% $1.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Netherlands

$332 12.3%

Germany

$410 19.9% 23.5% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Netherlands

$167 6.2%

Germany

$163 7.9% 2.3% $3.8

Getting Around

Netherlands

$130 4.8%

Germany

$105 5.1% 18.8% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Netherlands

$73 2.7%

Germany

$70 3.4% 5% $3.7

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,410 in the Netherlands, $800 in Germany. Capital cities: $2,654 in Amsterdam vs $1,398 in Berlin.

National salary averages: $3,603 in the Netherlands, $3,119 in Germany. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 76% higher in the Netherlands.

Dining out costs 20% more in the Netherlands.

Public transport is 30% more expensive in the Netherlands.

Salaries are 16% higher in the Netherlands, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Germany.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Netherlands

🇩🇪 Germany

🕒 Local time

09:26 9:26 AM

Same time as the Netherlands

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,100,715

84,358,845

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Netherlands Germany 580 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Netherlands
Germany

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 Germany: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,065 per month in Germany and $2,694 in the Netherlands, there's a 30% 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 Germany: 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 $800 in Germany. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

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