Cost of Living Comparison Between The Hague and Arnhem Cost of Living Comparison Between The Hague and Arnhem

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,842 in The Hague versus $2,209 in Arnhem.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,202 in The Hague versus $3,392 in Arnhem.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in The Hague versus $4,574 in Arnhem.

Living in The Hague is roughly 29% more expensive than Arnhem, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: The Hague 112% above, Arnhem 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 €15.07

$18.82 €16.21

-7.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 €78.6

$71.1 €61.2

28.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.94 €12.00

$13.12 €11.30

6.25%

Cappuccino

$4.40 €3.79

$4.23 €3.64

4.02%

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

$3.40 €2.92

$3.21 €2.76

5.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$2.48 €2.14

12.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.08 €6.10

$6.34 €5.46

11.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 €5.08

$5.22 €4.50

12.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.13

$1.23 €1.06

6.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 €2.00

$2.42 €2.08

-3.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 €2.53

$3.23 €2.78

-8.98%

Eggs

$4.86 €4.18

$4.77 €4.11

1.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.58 €12.55

$13.94 €12.01

4.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.69 €13.51

$17.09 €14.72

-8.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.40 €14.13

$17.13 €14.75

-4.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 €2.05

$2.39 €2.05

-0.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.49 €2.14

-1.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.94 €1.67

0.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.66 €4.02

$4.14 €3.57

12.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$2.18 €1.88

-8.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 €1.79

$2.16 €1.86

-3.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 €1.08

$1.24 €1.07

0.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.78 €0.68

10.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.84 €11.92

$14.52 €12.50

-4.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.87 €5.06

$7.18 €6.18

-18.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.36 €1.18

6.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.05

$2.74 €2.36

-13.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.37 €2.91

$4.23 €3.64

-20.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$117 €100

$117 €101

-0.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.87 €4.20

$3.86 €3.33

26.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.16 €2.72

$2.62 €2.26

20.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.36

$27.68 €23.84

27.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 €1.90

$2.20 €1.89

0.45%

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

$42.3K €36.4K

$37.5K €32.3K

12.77%

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

$35.0K €30.1K

$39.2K €33.8K

-10.73%

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

$243 €209

$265 €228

-8.26%

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

$25.72 €22.15

$29.80 €25.66

-13.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.73 €39.38

$52.6 €45.29

-13.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.17 €37.17

$42.61 €36.69

1.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.41 €22.74

$7.59 €6.54

247.96%

Cinema Ticket

$16.89 €14.55

$14.99 €12.91

12.68%

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

$2,369 €2,040

$1,866 €1,607

26.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K €10.0K

$6,166 €5,309

89.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$127 €109

$94.3 €81.2

34.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.38 €41.66

$17.69 €15.23

173.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 €101

$85.6 €73.7

36.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 €133

$88.7 €76.4

74.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,692 €1,457

$1,163 €1,002

45.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,484 €1,278

$873 €752

69.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,068 €2,642

$2,070 €1,782

48.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,431 €2,094

$1,657 €1,427

46.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,528 €5,621

$5,398 €4,648

20.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,719 €4,064

$4,238 €3,649

11.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,597 €3,958

$3,834 €3,301

19.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

23.08%

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

Last update for The Hague: June 2, 2026

Last update for Arnhem: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,692 in The Hague and $1,163 in Arnhem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

The Hague pays 20% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $91.0 in The Hague vs $71.0 in Arnhem. Groceries flip the comparison at $346 vs $354, with The Hague cheaper for home cooking.

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

The Hague vs Arnhem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

The Hague and Arnhem differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($2,842 vs $2,209 including rent). Arnhem is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

The Hague pays 20% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,692 in The Hague versus $1,163 in Arnhem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in The Hague pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Arnhem – a meal for two runs $71.0 versus $91.0 in The Hague. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,209 in Arnhem versus $2,842 in The Hague, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Arnhem but tight or insufficient in The Hague. The gap between the two cities makes Arnhem the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, The Hague and Arnhem are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Arnhem gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in The Hague. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.