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 $2,550 per month in Netherlands vs $2,363 in United Kingdom, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,697 per month in Netherlands vs $3,474 in United Kingdom, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,843 per month in Netherlands vs $4,584 in United Kingdom, rent included.

Netherlands costs about 8% more than 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 90%, United Kingdom by 76%.

United Kingdom has a wider regional cost range ($1,675–$3,930) than Netherlands ($1,801–$3,508), so location matters more when choosing where to live in United Kingdom.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.00 €19.93

$20.18 £15.09

13.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.7 €81.2

$86.9 £65.0

7.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.83 €11.99

$10.31 £7.71

34.14%

Cappuccino

$4.04 €3.50

$4.67 £3.49

-13.49%

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

$3.44 €2.98

$2.45 £1.83

40.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 €2.46

$1.75 £1.31

62.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.13 €6.18

$6.61 £4.95

7.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.62 €4.87

$6.31 £4.72

-10.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.65 £1.24

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 €1.93

$1.72 £1.28

29.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.20 €2.78

$2.29 £1.72

39.74%

Eggs

$4.77 €4.13

$4.14 £3.10

15.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.87 €12.02

$9.97 £7.46

39.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.12 €13.97

$8.88 £6.64

81.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.19 €14.90

$14.15 £10.58

21.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €2.00

$2.97 £2.22

-22.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 €2.17

$1.68 £1.25

48.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$2.85 £2.14

-32.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 €3.45

$3.41 £2.55

16.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$1.66 £1.24

27.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.53 £1.14

28.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 €1.06

$1.16 £0.87

6.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.51 £1.13

-43.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.96 €12.10

$20.73 £15.50

-32.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.82 €5.91

$10.85 £8.11

-37.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 €1.33

$2.83 £2.11

-45.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 €2.27

$3.31 £2.48

-20.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.78 €3.27

$3.19 £2.38

18.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.6 €81.2

$94.8 £70.9

-1.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.28 €3.71

$5.46 £4.09

-21.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 €2.17

$1.53 £1.14

64.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.29 €29.72

$26.66 £19.94

28.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.90

$1.91 £1.43

14.66%

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

$38.3K €33.2K

$38.2K £28.5K

0.49%

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

$35.3K €30.6K

$41.1K £30.7K

-14.16%

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

$265 €230

$327 £244

-18.94%

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

$25.19 €21.84

$17.50 £13.09

43.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.58 €42.11

$42.25 £31.60

14.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.70 €36.14

$45.93 £34.35

-9.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.54 €21.26

$15.90 £11.89

54.34%

Cinema Ticket

$16.03 €13.89

$13.46 £10.07

19.09%

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

$2,170 €1,881

$1,735 £1,297

25.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,344 €8,099

$20.7K £15.5K

-54.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.7 €82.1

$89.5 £66.9

5.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.65 €38.69

$44.65 £33.39

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €93.3

$104 £77.5

3.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 €121

$102 £76.1

37.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,625 €1,408

$1,418 £1,061

14.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,290 €1,118

$1,139 £852

13.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,587 €2,243

$2,313 £1,730

11.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,091 €1,813

$1,837 £1,374

13.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,885 €5,967

$5,858 £4,381

17.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,121 €4,438

$4,550 £3,403

12.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,827 €3,317

$3,230 £2,416

18.48%

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for United Kingdom: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,437 in Netherlands vs $1,265 in United Kingdom. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,342 in Amsterdam and $3,031 in London.

Average salary: $3,666 in Netherlands vs $3,192 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 15% 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 6% 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 6% 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.