Cost of Living Comparison Between Netherlands and Italy Cost of Living Comparison Between Netherlands and Italy

Name: Italy
Address: IT

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,547 in Netherlands versus $1,718 in Italy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,701 in Netherlands versus $2,623 in Italy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,854 in Netherlands versus $3,528 in Italy.

Living in Netherlands is roughly 48% more expensive than in Italy on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Netherlands 91% above, Italy 29% above.

Netherlands ($1,775–$3,445) and Italy ($1,180–$2,494) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.41 €20.58

$17.21 €15.13

36.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.8 €80.7

$80.1 €70.4

14.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.76 €12.09

$11.79 €10.37

16.71%

Cappuccino

$4.06 €3.57

$1.98 €1.74

105.05%

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

$3.42 €3.00

$2.88 €2.53

18.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 €2.50

$1.37 €1.20

107.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.74 €5.92

$5.83 €5.12

15.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 €5.01

$5.13 €4.51

11.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.68 €1.48

-20.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 €1.95

$2.32 €2.04

-4.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.07 €2.70

$2.91 €2.55

5.50%

Eggs

$4.81 €4.23

$4.06 €3.57

18.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.97 €12.28

$16.45 €14.46

-15.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.92 €13.99

$12.56 €11.04

26.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.35 €15.26

$20.18 €17.74

-14.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.44 €2.15

$2.49 €2.18

-2.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.59 €2.28

$2.15 €1.89

20.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 €1.75

$2.63 €2.31

-24.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.80 €3.34

$3.23 €2.84

17.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 €1.86

$2.04 €1.79

3.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.79

$1.81 €1.59

12.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 €1.13

$1.52 €1.34

-15.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.76

$0.53 €0.47

62.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 €12.15

$6.97 €6.13

98.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.69 €5.88

$7.27 €6.39

-7.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.81 €1.59

-14.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 €2.30

$2.52 €2.21

3.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.91 €3.44

$1.93 €1.69

102.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.3 €80.3

$42.56 €37.42

114.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.24 €3.73

$5.75 €5.05

-26.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.59 €2.27

$1.58 €1.39

63.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.68 €30.49

$35.03 €30.79

-1.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.30 €2.03

$2.02 €1.78

13.86%

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

$38.3K €33.7K

$32.3K €28.4K

18.51%

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

$36.3K €31.9K

$33.3K €29.3K

9.04%

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

$261 €229

$219 €193

19.14%

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

$25.24 €22.19

$13.33 €11.72

89.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.61 €43.61

$31.02 €27.27

59.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.66 €36.62

$57.0 €50.1

-26.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.52 €21.56

$25.78 €22.66

-4.89%

Cinema Ticket

$16.40 €14.41

$10.25 €9.01

60.00%

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

$2,165 €1,903

$566 €498

282.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,248 €8,130

$10.3K €9,095

-10.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.4 €83.9

$91.8 €80.7

4.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.60 €40.09

$40.92 €35.97

11.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €95.4

$99.5 €87.4

9.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 €120

$132 €116

3.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,592 €1,400

$857 €753

85.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 €1,122

$671 €590

90.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,594 €2,281

$1,474 €1,296

75.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,130 €1,873

$1,089 €957

95.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,841 €6,014

$3,667 €3,224

86.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,894 €4,302

$2,348 €2,065

108.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,800 €3,340

$1,961 €1,723

93.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.25

4.41

-3.63%

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

Last update for Netherlands: July 19, 2026

Last update for Italy: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,441 in Netherlands, $742 in Italy. Capital cities: $2,411 in Amsterdam vs $1,354 in Rome.

National salary averages: $3,631 in Netherlands, $1,917 in Italy. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 94% higher in Netherlands.

Dining out costs 16% more in Netherlands.

Public transport is 111% more expensive in Netherlands.

Salaries are 89% 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 Italy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,837 per month in Italy and $2,610 in Netherlands, there's a 42% 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 Italy: 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 Italy across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Italy, $2,500 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: Italy wins on affordability; Netherlands may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.