Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Spain and the Netherlands

Name: Netherlands
Address: NL

For one person, living is cheaper in Spain: $1,760 a month against $2,694 in the Netherlands, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Spain
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Spain Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in the Netherlands
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Netherlands Living Index

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🇪🇸 Spain

$1,760

/mo nomad

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,694

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Spain and in the Netherlands

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Spain and in the Netherlands actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,760 per month in Spain vs $2,694 in the Netherlands, rent included.

Spain $1,760
Netherlands $2,694

A couple spends around $2,581 per month in Spain vs $3,888 in the Netherlands, rent included.

Spain $2,581
Netherlands $3,888

A family of three spends $3,402 per month in Spain vs $5,081 in the Netherlands, rent included.

Spain $3,402
Netherlands $5,081

The regional cost range is wider in the Netherlands ($1,207–$3,496) than in Spain ($937–$2,649), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Spain is roughly 35% lower than in the Netherlands on average.

Both Spain and the Netherlands are pricier than the global median – Spain by 30%, the Netherlands by 99%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.72 €14.87

$22.27 €19.81

-24.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.0 €49.76

$89.0 €79.2

-37.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.13 €9.90

$13.79 €12.26

-19.29%

Cappuccino

$2.43 €2.17

$4.16 €3.70

-41.59%

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

$2.63 €2.34

$3.60 €3.20

-26.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 €1.61

$3.05 €2.72

-40.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.03

$6.61 €5.88

-48.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 €3.39

$5.72 €5.09

-33.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.32 €1.17

-11.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 €1.33

$2.25 €2.01

-33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 €1.43

$2.69 €2.39

-40.52%

Eggs

$3.33 €2.96

$4.71 €4.19

-29.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.41 €12.82

$13.73 €12.21

4.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.33 €7.41

$14.11 €12.55

-40.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.30 €14.50

$17.27 €15.36

-5.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.57 €2.29

$2.66 €2.36

-3.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 €1.82

$2.49 €2.21

-18.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 €1.82

$2.08 €1.85

-1.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.27

$4.08 €3.63

-37.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.63

$1.80 €1.60

1.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.80

$1.87 €1.67

8.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.28 €1.14

6.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 €0.66

$0.88 €0.78

-15.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.35 €5.65

$14.16 €12.59

-55.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.52 €4.91

$6.66 €5.92

-17.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.50 €1.33

-12.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 €1.80

$2.55 €2.27

-20.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 €1.52

$3.75 €3.34

-54.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.15 €29.49

$95.2 €84.7

-65.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.52 €4.02

$4.73 €4.21

-4.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.34

$3.00 €2.67

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.43 €21.73

$34.06 €30.30

-28.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.59

$2.43 €2.16

-26.34%

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

$35.9K €32.0K

$41.6K €37.0K

-13.70%

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

$31.2K €27.7K

$38.8K €34.5K

-19.63%

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

$150 €133

$259 €230

-42.09%

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

$17.57 €15.62

$22.93 €20.39

-23.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.32 €27.86

$50.3 €44.74

-37.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.55 €40.52

$42.07 €37.42

8.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.00 €13.34

$26.22 €23.33

-42.79%

Cinema Ticket

$9.47 €8.43

$15.68 €13.94

-39.60%

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

$544 €484

$2,185 €1,944

-75.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K €9,563

$8,876 €7,896

21.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.1 €74.8

$94.7 €84.3

-11.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.90 €32.82

$42.95 €38.20

-14.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.5 €78.7

$102 €90.8

-13.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 €92.8

$132 €117

-20.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,017 €904

$1,648 €1,465

-38.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$793 €705

$1,314 €1,169

-39.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,605 €1,428

$2,547 €2,266

-36.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 €1,075

$1,985 €1,766

-39.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,093 €3,640

$6,600 €5,871

-37.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,581 €2,296

$4,779 €4,251

-45.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,001 €1,780

$3,787 €3,369

-47.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.3

3.87

-14.73%

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

Last update for Spain: October 20, 2026

Last update for the Netherlands: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Spain

$793 45%

Netherlands

$1.3K 48.8% 65.8% $521

Groceries & Markets

Spain

$272 15.4%

Netherlands

$337 12.5% 23.9% $65

Eating Out

Spain

$239 13.6%

Netherlands

$341 12.6% 42.6% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Spain

$199 11.3%

Netherlands

$332 12.3% 67.1% $133

Clothing & Footwear

Spain

$141 8%

Netherlands

$167 6.2% 18.4% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Spain

$65 3.7%

Netherlands

$73 2.7% 13.8% $8.9

Getting Around

Spain

$52 3%

Netherlands

$130 4.8% 150% $78

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $913 in Spain vs $1,410 in the Netherlands. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,509 in Madrid and $2,654 in Amsterdam.

Average salary: $1,977 in Spain vs $3,603 in the Netherlands. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 54% higher in the Netherlands.

Dining out costs 49% more in the Netherlands.

Public transport is 197% more expensive in the Netherlands.

Salaries are 82% higher in the Netherlands, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the Netherlands.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Spain

🇳🇱 Netherlands

🕒 Local time

19:29 7:29 PM

Same time as Spain

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

47,415,750

17,100,715

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Spain Netherlands 1,480 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Spain
Netherlands

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

Spain vs Netherlands: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Spain is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 53% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the Netherlands: a central one-bedroom averages $1,410 versus $913 in Spain.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Spain, adding to the overall 53% price gap.

$3,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Spain, but in the Netherlands it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Spain 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.