Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the Netherlands and the United States

Name: United States
Address: US

For one person, living costs are similar in the Netherlands and in the United States: $2,659 and $2,785 a month, rent and utilities included.

130

Cost of Living Index in the Netherlands
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Netherlands Living Index
133

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index

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🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,659

/mo nomad

🇺🇸 United States

$2,785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the Netherlands and in the United States

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 the United States actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,659 per month in the Netherlands vs $2,784 in the United States, rent included.

Netherlands $2,659
United States $2,784

A couple spends around $3,926 per month in the Netherlands vs $3,982 in the United States, rent included.

Netherlands $3,926
United States $3,982

A family of three spends $5,193 per month in the Netherlands vs $5,179 in the United States, rent included.

Netherlands $5,193
United States $5,179

The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($979–$5,174) than in the Netherlands ($1,215–$3,504), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in the Netherlands is roughly 4% lower than in the United States on average.

Both the Netherlands and the United States are pricier than the global median – the Netherlands by 98%, the United States by 108%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.46 €20.04

$20.22 $20.22

11.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.9 €80.2

$81.1 $81.1

10.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.89 €12.39

$12.12 $12.12

14.60%

Cappuccino

$4.16 €3.71

$5.36 $5.36

-22.39%

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

$3.69 €3.30

$2.77 $2.77

33.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 €2.81

$2.09 $2.09

50.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.62 €5.91

$5.84 $5.84

13.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.48 €4.89

$7.92 $7.92

-30.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 €1.19

$1.04 $1.04

27.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 €2.01

$3.56 $3.56

-36.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.76 €2.46

$4.69 $4.69

-41.15%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.40

$4.43 $4.43

11.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.92 €12.42

$12.91 $12.91

7.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.32 €12.78

$12.20 $12.20

17.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.09 €15.25

$17.00 $17.00

0.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.34

$5.31 $5.31

-50.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 €2.22

$1.67 $1.67

48.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 €1.85

$4.49 $4.49

-53.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 €3.79

$5.05 $5.05

-16.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 €1.67

$2.83 $2.83

-33.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 €1.67

$3.00 $3.00

-37.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 €1.13

$2.28 $2.28

-44.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.80

$2.27 $2.27

-60.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.89 €12.40

$10.33 $10.33

34.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.79 €6.06

$14.72 $14.72

-53.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 €1.36

$2.05 $2.05

-25.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 €2.33

$3.66 $3.66

-28.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.88 €3.46

$2.33 $2.33

66.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.1 €84.8

$65.1 $65.1

46.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 €4.04

$3.60 $3.60

25.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.04 €2.71

$1.90 $1.90

60.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.23 €29.66

$29.81 $29.81

11.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.50 €2.23

$1.03 $1.03

142.72%

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

$40.8K €36.4K

$35.1K $35.1K

16.35%

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

$39.2K €35.0K

$26.3K $26.3K

49.14%

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

$261 €233

$216 $216

20.92%

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

$22.50 €20.08

$62.3 $62.3

-63.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.3 €45.76

$74.6 $74.6

-31.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.47 €37.90

$44.70 $44.70

-4.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.73 €22.96

$22.55 $22.55

14.10%

Cinema Ticket

$15.43 €13.77

$15.19 $15.19

1.58%

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

$2,256 €2,014

$1,440 $1,440

56.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,006 €8,037

$25.2K $25.2K

-64.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.9 €85.6

$53.7 $53.7

78.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.51 €37.93

$42.44 $42.44

0.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €94.1

$93.4 $93.4

12.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 €119

$115 $115

15.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,625 €1,450

$1,622 $1,622

0.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 €1,174

$1,357 $1,357

-2.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,570 €2,293

$2,681 $2,681

-4.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 €1,804

$2,170 $2,170

-6.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,529 €5,826

$3,294 $3,294

98.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,871 €4,347

$2,674 $2,674

82.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,761 €3,356

$4,242 $4,242

-11.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.86

6.55

-41.07%

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

Last update for the Netherlands: October 4, 2026

Last update for the United States: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Netherlands

$1.3K 48.6%

United States

$1.4K 49.4% 3.1% $40

Eating Out

Netherlands

$343 12.7%

United States

$327 11.9% 4.6% $16

Groceries & Markets

Netherlands

$340 12.6%

United States

$411 15% 20.7% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Netherlands

$335 12.4%

United States

$353 12.9% 5.4% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Netherlands

$170 6.3%

United States

$137 5% 19.3% $33

Getting Around

Netherlands

$130 4.8%

United States

$87 3.2% 32.9% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Netherlands

$73 2.7%

United States

$75 2.7% 2.4% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,418 in the Netherlands vs $1,605 in the United States. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,605 in Amsterdam and $2,726 in Washington, DC.

Average salary: $3,632 in the Netherlands vs $4,534 in the United States. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 13% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 13% more in the Netherlands.

Public transport is 222% more expensive in the Netherlands.

Salaries are 25% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Netherlands

🇺🇸 United States

🕒 Local time

04:54 4:54 AM

22:54 10:54 PM

6 h behind the Netherlands

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,100,715

340,110,988

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Netherlands United States 7,070 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Netherlands
United States

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 United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

The Netherlands is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 5% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United States: a central one-bedroom averages $1,605 versus $1,418 in the Netherlands.

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

The 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.