Cost of Living Comparison Between Netherlands and Spain Cost of Living Comparison Between Netherlands and Spain

Name: Spain
Address: ES

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,550 per month in Netherlands vs $1,642 in Spain, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,702 per month in Netherlands vs $2,397 in Spain, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,854 per month in Netherlands vs $3,151 in Spain, rent included.

Netherlands costs about 55% more than Spain on average — the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Netherlands and Spain are pricier than the global median – Netherlands by 90%, Spain by 23%.

Both countries show comparable internal variation: Netherlands spans $1,820–$3,516, Spain spans $1,118–$3,230. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.52 €20.08

$15.98 €13.64

47.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.3 €78.8

$58.4 €49.91

57.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.79 €11.78

$10.30 €8.79

33.88%

Cappuccino

$4.21 €3.60

$2.40 €2.05

75.42%

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

$3.41 €2.92

$2.59 €2.21

31.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.47

$1.84 €1.57

57.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.10 €6.06

$3.50 €2.99

102.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.62 €4.80

$4.02 €3.43

39.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.11

$1.20 €1.02

8.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.32 €1.98

$1.51 €1.29

53.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.08 €2.63

$1.65 €1.41

86.67%

Eggs

$4.82 €4.12

$3.05 €2.61

58.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.79 €11.77

$14.06 €12.01

-1.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.11 €13.76

$8.62 €7.36

86.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.14 €14.64

$15.71 €13.41

9.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$2.50 €2.14

-4.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 €2.14

$2.07 €1.77

20.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 €1.63

$2.10 €1.79

-9.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.97 €3.39

$2.53 €2.16

56.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 €1.77

$1.82 €1.56

13.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 €1.69

$1.89 €1.61

4.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 €1.09

$1.29 €1.10

-1.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.78

$0.75 €0.64

22.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.92 €11.89

$6.26 €5.35

122.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.00 €5.98

$5.72 €4.89

22.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.26

$1.27 €1.08

16.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.29

$2.05 €1.75

30.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.89 €3.32

$1.70 €1.45

128.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.1 €79.5

$34.56 €29.51

169.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 €3.64

$4.47 €3.82

-4.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.59 €2.21

$1.28 €1.09

102.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.38 €30.21

$26.89 €22.96

31.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 €1.86

$1.75 €1.49

24.57%

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

$38.2K €32.6K

$38.4K €32.8K

-0.45%

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

$36.2K €30.9K

$30.9K €26.4K

17.39%

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

$257 €220

$150 €128

71.61%

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

$25.97 €22.18

$20.16 €17.21

28.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.32 €42.12

$33.23 €28.37

48.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.78 €35.68

$47.19 €40.30

-11.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.48 €20.91

$16.06 €13.72

52.43%

Cinema Ticket

$16.15 €13.80

$9.17 €7.83

76.12%

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

$2,182 €1,863

$509 €435

328.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,459 €8,078

$10.0K €8,547

-5.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.7 €81.7

$87.3 €74.5

9.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.72 €39.04

$36.92 €31.53

23.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €90.4

$91.0 €77.7

16.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 €116

$107 €91.8

26.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,623 €1,386

$1,063 €908

52.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 €1,103

$820 €700

57.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,569 €2,194

$1,662 €1,419

54.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,133 €1,821

$1,252 €1,069

70.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,877 €5,873

$4,395 €3,754

56.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,052 €4,314

$2,711 €2,315

86.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,002 €3,418

$2,097 €1,791

90.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.25

3.51

21.08%

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

Last update for Netherlands: April 21, 2026

Last update for Spain: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,433 in Netherlands vs $898 in Spain. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,372 in Amsterdam and $1,578 in Madrid.

Average salary: $3,686 in Netherlands vs $2,012 in Spain. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 60% higher in Netherlands.

Dining out costs 62% more in Netherlands.

Public transport is 182% more expensive in Netherlands.

Salaries are 83% 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 Spain: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Spain is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 23% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Netherlands, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Netherlands consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Spain, contributing to the overall 23% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$3,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Spain, but in Netherlands it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Spain is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.