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

Name: United States
Address: US

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,550 per month in Netherlands vs $2,643 in United States, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,697 per month in Netherlands vs $3,856 in United States, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,843 per month in Netherlands vs $5,069 in United States, rent included.

Netherlands is roughly 4% cheaper than United States on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Netherlands and United States are pricier than the global median – Netherlands by 90%, United States by 97%.

United States has a wider regional cost range ($1,346–$5,196) than Netherlands ($1,801–$3,508), so location matters more when choosing where to live in United States.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.00 €19.93

$20.12 $20.12

14.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.7 €81.2

$73.9 $73.9

26.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.83 €11.99

$11.56 $11.56

19.64%

Cappuccino

$4.04 €3.50

$5.09 $5.09

-20.63%

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

$3.44 €2.98

$2.58 $2.58

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 €2.46

$2.15 $2.15

32.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.13 €6.18

$6.10 $6.10

16.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.62 €4.87

$6.95 $6.95

-19.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.08 $1.08

22.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 €1.93

$3.74 $3.74

-40.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.20 €2.78

$4.53 $4.53

-29.36%

Eggs

$4.77 €4.13

$4.43 $4.43

7.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.87 €12.02

$12.99 $12.99

6.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.12 €13.97

$12.25 $12.25

31.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.19 €14.90

$16.17 $16.17

6.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €2.00

$5.31 $5.31

-56.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 €2.17

$1.64 $1.64

52.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$4.44 $4.44

-56.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 €3.45

$5.03 $5.03

-20.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$2.98 $2.98

-28.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$3.03 $3.03

-35.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 €1.06

$2.26 $2.26

-45.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$2.28 $2.28

-62.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.96 €12.10

$10.12 $10.12

37.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.82 €5.91

$14.94 $14.94

-54.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 €1.33

$1.97 $1.97

-22.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 €2.27

$3.66 $3.66

-28.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.78 €3.27

$2.43 $2.43

55.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.6 €81.2

$64.7 $64.7

44.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.28 €3.71

$3.83 $3.83

11.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 €2.17

$1.78 $1.78

41.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.29 €29.72

$30.45 $30.45

12.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.90

$0.88 $0.88

148.86%

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

$38.3K €33.2K

$30.3K $30.3K

26.62%

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

$35.3K €30.6K

$25.9K $25.9K

36.37%

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

$265 €230

$205 $205

29.14%

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

$25.19 €21.84

$57.6 $57.6

-56.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.58 €42.11

$71.9 $71.9

-32.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.70 €36.14

$45.53 $45.53

-8.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.54 €21.26

$22.32 $22.32

9.95%

Cinema Ticket

$16.03 €13.89

$13.82 $13.82

15.99%

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

$2,170 €1,881

$1,374 $1,374

57.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,344 €8,099

$23.0K $23.0K

-59.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.7 €82.1

$51.3 $51.3

84.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.65 €38.69

$43.35 $43.35

3.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €93.3

$91.2 $91.2

18.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 €121

$115 $115

21.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,625 €1,408

$1,761 $1,761

-7.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,290 €1,118

$1,428 $1,428

-9.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,587 €2,243

$2,843 $2,843

-8.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,091 €1,813

$2,380 $2,380

-12.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,885 €5,967

$3,299 $3,299

108.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,121 €4,438

$2,587 $2,587

97.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,827 €3,317

$4,234 $4,234

-9.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.25

6.51

-34.72%

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

Last update for Netherlands: June 9, 2026

Last update for United States: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,437 in Netherlands vs $1,635 in United States. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,342 in Amsterdam and $1,583 in Washington, MI.

Average salary: $3,666 in Netherlands vs $4,496 in United States. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 14% higher in United States.

Dining out costs 18% more in Netherlands.

Public transport is 272% more expensive in Netherlands.

Salaries are 23% higher in United States, giving United States 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 United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

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

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Netherlands, but in United States 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.