Cost of Living Comparison Between Netherlands and United Kingdom Cost of Living Comparison Between Netherlands and United Kingdom

Name: United Kingdom
Address: GB

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,547 per month in Netherlands vs $2,363 in United Kingdom, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,701 per month in Netherlands vs $3,470 in United Kingdom, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,854 per month in Netherlands vs $4,576 in United Kingdom, rent included.

The cost of living in Netherlands is about 8% higher than in United Kingdom on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Netherlands and United Kingdom are pricier than the global median – Netherlands by 91%, United Kingdom by 77%.

The regional cost range is wider in United Kingdom ($1,687–$3,955) than in Netherlands ($1,775–$3,445), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.41 €20.58

$20.08 £15.08

16.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.8 €80.7

$88.3 £66.3

3.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.76 €12.09

$10.37 £7.79

32.69%

Cappuccino

$4.06 €3.57

$4.66 £3.50

-12.88%

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

$3.42 €3.00

$2.40 £1.80

42.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 €2.50

$1.76 £1.32

61.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.74 €5.92

$6.84 £5.14

-1.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 €5.01

$6.32 £4.74

-9.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.70 £1.28

-21.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 €1.95

$1.64 £1.23

35.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.07 €2.70

$2.28 £1.71

34.65%

Eggs

$4.81 €4.23

$4.06 £3.05

18.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.97 €12.28

$9.47 £7.11

47.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.92 €13.99

$9.16 £6.88

73.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.35 €15.26

$14.20 £10.66

22.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.44 €2.15

$2.91 £2.19

-16.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.59 €2.28

$1.69 £1.27

53.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 €1.75

$2.92 £2.19

-31.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.80 €3.34

$3.41 £2.56

11.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 €1.86

$1.63 £1.23

30.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.79

$1.57 £1.18

29.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 €1.13

$1.17 £0.88

9.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.76

$1.53 £1.15

-43.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 €12.15

$20.06 £15.06

-31.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.69 €5.88

$10.91 £8.19

-38.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$2.77 £2.08

-44.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 €2.30

$3.42 £2.57

-23.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.91 €3.44

$3.20 £2.40

22.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.3 €80.3

$93.6 £70.3

-2.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.24 €3.73

$5.39 £4.05

-21.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.59 €2.27

$1.52 £1.14

70.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.68 €30.49

$27.01 £20.28

28.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.30 €2.03

$1.94 £1.45

18.56%

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

$38.3K €33.7K

$38.4K £28.9K

-0.28%

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

$36.3K €31.9K

$40.8K £30.6K

-11.05%

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

$261 €229

$318 £239

-18.02%

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

$25.24 €22.19

$17.16 £12.88

47.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.61 €43.61

$42.30 £31.76

17.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.66 €36.62

$45.78 £34.37

-9.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.52 €21.56

$16.01 £12.02

53.15%

Cinema Ticket

$16.40 €14.41

$13.65 £10.25

20.15%

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

$2,165 €1,903

$1,724 £1,294

25.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,248 €8,130

$20.8K £15.6K

-55.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.4 €83.9

$90.6 £68.0

5.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.60 €40.09

$43.98 £33.02

3.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €95.4

$100 £75.1

8.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 €120

$105 £78.5

30.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,592 €1,400

$1,389 £1,043

14.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 €1,122

$1,137 £854

12.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,594 €2,281

$2,371 £1,780

9.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,130 €1,873

$1,856 £1,393

14.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,841 €6,014

$5,569 £4,181

22.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,894 €4,302

$4,499 £3,378

8.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,800 €3,340

$3,329 £2,499

14.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.25

5.75

-26.09%

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

Last update for Netherlands: July 19, 2026

Last update for United Kingdom: July 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,441 in Netherlands vs $1,268 in United Kingdom. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,411 in Amsterdam and $3,049 in London.

Average salary: $3,631 in Netherlands vs $3,198 in United Kingdom. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 14% higher in Netherlands.

Salaries are 14% higher 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 United Kingdom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Netherlands is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 8% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

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

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Netherlands, contributing to the overall 8% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Netherlands, but in United Kingdom it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Netherlands 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.