Cost of Living Comparison Between Queens, NY and Haarlem Cost of Living Comparison Between Queens, NY and Haarlem

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,252 per month in Queens, NY vs $3,290 in Haarlem, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,733 per month in Queens, NY vs $4,595 in Haarlem, rent included.

A family of three spends $6,213 per month in Queens, NY vs $5,900 in Haarlem, rent included.

Queens, NY is about 1% cheaper than Haarlem, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Queens, NY and Haarlem sit above the global median – Queens, NY by 137%, Haarlem by 139%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.28 $20.28

$29.39 €25.29

-31.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.1 $81.1

$106 €91.6

-23.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.08 $13.08

$14.34 €12.34

-8.79%

Cappuccino

$5.36 $5.36

$4.30 €3.70

24.65%

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

$2.43 $2.43

$4.13 €3.56

-41.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$3.38 €2.91

-55.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.22 $8.22

$8.06 €6.93

1.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.17 $8.17

$5.83 €5.02

40.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.45 €1.25

-13.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.76 $3.76

$2.87 €2.47

31.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.04 $6.04

$2.76 €2.37

118.84%

Eggs

$6.99 $6.99

$4.94 €4.25

41.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.61 $12.61

$14.13 €12.16

-10.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.37 $10.37

$13.34 €11.48

-22.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.11 $20.11

$21.99 €18.92

-8.55%

Apples (1kg)

$5.52 $5.52

$2.99 €2.57

84.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.53 €2.18

-32.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 $4.21

$1.92 €1.65

119.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.09 $5.09

$5.21 €4.48

-2.30%

Potato (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$1.98 €1.71

56.06%

Onion (1kg)

$3.68 $3.68

$2.32 €1.99

58.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.83 $2.83

$1.32 €1.14

114.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.04 €0.90

181.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.52 $11.52

$14.24 €12.25

-19.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.30 $15.30

$8.30 €7.14

84.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.59 €1.37

13.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 $3.64

$2.48 €2.14

46.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.81 €2.42

8.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$132 $132

$85.7 €73.8

54.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$6.60 €5.68

-53.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 $2.00

$2.50 €2.15

-20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.48 $42.48

$27.15 €23.36

56.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$2.45 €2.11

-57.14%

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

$34.8K $34.8K

$43.5K €37.4K

-19.90%

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

$24.9K $24.9K

$40.5K €34.8K

-38.43%

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

$171 $171

$258 €222

-33.73%

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

$50.1 $50.1

$24.43 €21.02

105.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.5 $52.5

$61.7 €53.1

-14.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.45 $44.45

$58.0 €49.90

-23.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$66.2 $66.2

$29.30 €25.21

125.90%

Cinema Ticket

$14.71 $14.71

$16.94 €14.58

-13.16%

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

$1,774 $1,774

$2,762 €2,377

-35.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K $16.0K

$6,907 €5,943

131.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.62 $41.62

$88.7 €76.3

-53.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.6 $57.6

$65.8 €56.6

-12.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.5 $86.5

$101 €87.0

-14.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$155 €133

-33.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,349 $2,349

$2,062 €1,774

13.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,873 $1,873

$1,783 €1,534

5.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,870 $5,870

$3,026 €2,604

93.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,974 $2,974

$2,372 €2,041

25.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,674 $8,674

$7,853 €6,757

10.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,032 $6,032

$5,937 €5,109

1.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,680 $3,680

$4,308 €3,707

-14.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.17

3.81

61.94%

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

Last update for Queens, NY: August 31, 2026

Last update for Haarlem: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,349 in Queens, NY versus $2,062 in Haarlem. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 17% higher in Haarlem, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81.0 in Queens, NY versus $106 in Haarlem. Groceries tell a different story – $442 in Queens, NY vs $371 in Haarlem – so Haarlem wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Queens, NY vs Haarlem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Haarlem costs about 1% more than Queens, NY, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,879 per month in Queens, NY and $4,935 in Haarlem. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Queens, NY, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81.0 in Queens, NY and $106 in Haarlem. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,252 in Queens, NY and $3,290 in Haarlem. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,252 in Queens, NY and $3,290 in Haarlem. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Queens, NY costs $3,252 versus $3,290 in Haarlem. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Queens, NY. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Haarlem makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.