Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the Netherlands and Spain

Name: Spain
Address: ES

For one person, living is cheaper in Spain: $1,760 a month against $2,694 in the Netherlands, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 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
85

Cost of Living Index in Spain
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Spain Living Index

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🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,694

/mo nomad

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,760

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,694 per month in the Netherlands vs $1,760 in Spain, rent included.

Netherlands $2,694
Spain $1,760

A couple spends around $3,888 per month in the Netherlands vs $2,581 in Spain, rent included.

Netherlands $3,888
Spain $2,581

A family of three spends $5,081 per month in the Netherlands vs $3,402 in Spain, rent included.

Netherlands $5,081
Spain $3,402

The regional cost range is wider in the Netherlands ($1,207–$3,496) than in Spain ($937–$2,649), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in the Netherlands is about 53% higher than in Spain on average.

Both the Netherlands and Spain are pricier than the global median – the Netherlands by 99%, Spain by 30%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.27 €19.81

$16.72 €14.87

33.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.0 €79.2

$56.0 €49.76

59.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.79 €12.26

$11.13 €9.90

23.90%

Cappuccino

$4.16 €3.70

$2.43 €2.17

71.19%

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

$3.60 €3.20

$2.63 €2.34

36.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 €2.72

$1.81 €1.61

68.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.61 €5.88

$3.40 €3.03

94.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.72 €5.09

$3.82 €3.39

49.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.17

$1.17 €1.04

12.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 €2.01

$1.50 €1.33

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.69 €2.39

$1.60 €1.43

68.12%

Eggs

$4.71 €4.19

$3.33 €2.96

41.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.73 €12.21

$14.41 €12.82

-4.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.11 €12.55

$8.33 €7.41

69.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.27 €15.36

$16.30 €14.50

5.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 €2.36

$2.57 €2.29

3.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.49 €2.21

$2.04 €1.82

22.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.85

$2.04 €1.82

1.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 €3.63

$2.55 €2.27

60.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 €1.60

$1.83 €1.63

-1.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.67

$2.03 €1.80

-7.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.36 €1.21

-5.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.78

$0.74 €0.66

18.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.16 €12.59

$6.35 €5.65

122.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.66 €5.92

$5.52 €4.91

20.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.33

$1.31 €1.17

14.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 €2.27

$2.02 €1.80

26.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.75 €3.34

$1.71 €1.52

119.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.2 €84.7

$33.15 €29.49

187.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.73 €4.21

$4.52 €4.02

4.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.00 €2.67

$1.50 €1.34

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.06 €30.30

$24.43 €21.73

39.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.43 €2.16

$1.79 €1.59

35.75%

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

$41.6K €37.0K

$35.9K €32.0K

15.88%

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

$38.8K €34.5K

$31.2K €27.7K

24.42%

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

$259 €230

$150 €133

72.68%

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

$22.93 €20.39

$17.57 €15.62

30.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.3 €44.74

$31.32 €27.86

60.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.07 €37.42

$45.55 €40.52

-7.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.22 €23.33

$15.00 €13.34

74.80%

Cinema Ticket

$15.68 €13.94

$9.47 €8.43

65.58%

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

$2,185 €1,944

$544 €484

301.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,876 €7,896

$10.8K €9,563

-17.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.7 €84.3

$84.1 €74.8

12.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.95 €38.20

$36.90 €32.82

16.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €90.8

$88.5 €78.7

15.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €117

$104 €92.8

26.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,648 €1,465

$1,017 €904

62.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,314 €1,169

$793 €705

65.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,547 €2,266

$1,605 €1,428

58.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,985 €1,766

$1,209 €1,075

64.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,600 €5,871

$4,093 €3,640

61.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,779 €4,251

$2,581 €2,296

85.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,787 €3,369

$2,001 €1,780

89.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.87

3.3

17.27%

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

Last update for the Netherlands: October 18, 2026

Last update for Spain: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Netherlands

$1.3K 48.8%

Spain

$793 45% 39.7% $521

Eating Out

Netherlands

$341 12.6%

Spain

$239 13.6% 29.9% $102

Groceries & Markets

Netherlands

$337 12.5%

Spain

$272 15.4% 19.3% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Netherlands

$332 12.3%

Spain

$199 11.3% 40.1% $133

Clothing & Footwear

Netherlands

$167 6.2%

Spain

$141 8% 15.6% $26

Getting Around

Netherlands

$130 4.8%

Spain

$52 3% 60% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Netherlands

$73 2.7%

Spain

$65 3.7% 12.1% $8.9

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,410 in the Netherlands vs $913 in Spain. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,654 in Amsterdam and $1,509 in Madrid.

Average salary: $3,603 in the Netherlands vs $1,977 in Spain. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 54% higher in the Netherlands.

Dining out costs 49% more in the Netherlands.

Public transport is 197% more expensive in the Netherlands.

Salaries are 82% higher in the Netherlands, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the Netherlands.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Netherlands

🇪🇸 Spain

🕒 Local time

06:10 6:10 AM

Same time as the Netherlands

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,100,715

47,415,750

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Netherlands Spain 1,480 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Netherlands
Spain

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 Spain: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Spain is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 53% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the Netherlands: a central one-bedroom averages $1,410 versus $913 in Spain.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Spain, adding to the overall 53% price gap.

$3,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Spain, but in the 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.