Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between The Hague and Drachten

For one person, living is cheaper in Drachten: $2,491 a month against $2,766 in The Hague, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

133

Cost of Living Index in The Hague
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The Hague Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Drachten
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Drachten Living Index

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The Hague

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,766

/mo nomad

Drachten

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,491

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in The Hague and in Drachten

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,766 in The Hague versus $2,491 in Drachten.

The Hague $2,766
Drachten $2,491

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,187 in The Hague versus $3,653 in Drachten.

The Hague $4,187
Drachten $3,653

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,609 in The Hague versus $4,816 in Drachten.

The Hague $5,609
Drachten $4,816

Living in The Hague is roughly 11% more expensive than in Drachten, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: The Hague 103% above, Drachten 83% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.36 €20.04

$24.29 €21.76

-7.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.0 €81.6

$84.4 €75.7

7.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.95 €13.40

$13.49 €12.09

10.82%

Cappuccino

$4.24 €3.80

$4.02 €3.60

5.47%

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

$4.11 €3.68

$3.76 €3.37

9.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 €3.81

$3.14 €2.82

35.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.36 €6.59

$5.56 €4.98

32.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.91 €7.09

$5.71 €5.12

38.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 €1.29

$1.17 €1.05

23.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 €2.06

$1.35 €1.21

70.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.56 €2.30

$1.54 €1.38

66.23%

Eggs

$4.57 €4.09

$5.04 €4.51

-9.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 €13.00

$12.60 €11.29

15.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.06 €11.71

$13.58 €12.17

-3.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.31 €17.30

$12.14 €10.88

59.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 €2.38

$1.89 €1.70

40.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.95

$2.40 €2.15

-9.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.81

$1.87 €1.68

8.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.64 €3.26

$3.06 €2.74

18.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 €1.22

$1.65 €1.48

-17.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 €1.13

$1.53 €1.37

-17.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 €1.01

$1.24 €1.12

-8.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 €0.83

$0.69 €0.61

34.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.77 €13.24

$9.17 €8.22

61.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.98 €5.36

$6.66 €5.97

-10.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 €1.20

$1.49 €1.34

-10.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.77

$2.64 €2.37

-25.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.87 €4.37

$3.66 €3.28

33.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.4 €74.8

$89.6 €80.3

-6.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.75 €4.25

$4.16 €3.73

14.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.48 €3.11

$3.21 €2.88

8.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.87 €30.35

$49.57 €44.42

-31.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.54 €2.28

$2.25 €2.01

12.89%

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

$40.5K €36.3K

$41.0K €36.8K

-1.15%

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

$39.2K €35.1K

$37.5K €33.6K

4.56%

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

$283 €254

$277 €248

2.33%

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

$28.00 €25.09

$23.94 €21.45

16.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 €50.0

$49.81 €44.63

12.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.86 €41.99

$41.38 €37.08

13.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.12 €21.62

$26.42 €23.67

-8.71%

Cinema Ticket

$15.92 €14.26

$16.14 €14.46

-1.36%

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

$2,577 €2,310

$2,362 €2,117

9.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K €10.6K

$8,090 €7,249

45.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.9 €85.9

$59.1 €53.0

62.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.00 €39.43

$44.01 €39.43

-0.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €94.1

$89.3 €80.1

17.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 €123

$134 €120

2.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 €1,531

$1,436 €1,287

18.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 €1,194

$1,158 €1,038

15.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,907 €2,605

$2,345 €2,102

23.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,430 €2,178

$1,871 €1,676

29.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,313 €5,657

$5,630 €5,045

12.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,515 €4,046

$4,529 €4,059

-0.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,042 €3,622

$2,606 €2,335

55.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.4

4.3

-20.93%

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

Last update for The Hague: October 27, 2026

Last update for Drachten: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

The Hague

$1.3K 48.2%

Drachten

$1.2K 46.5% 13.1% $174

Monthly Utilities & Internet

The Hague

$367 13.3%

Drachten

$350 14.1% 4.5% $17

Eating Out

The Hague

$361 13%

Drachten

$350 14% 3% $11

Groceries & Markets

The Hague

$330 11.9%

Drachten

$288 11.5% 12.9% $43

Clothing & Footwear

The Hague

$172 6.2%

Drachten

$147 5.9% 14.5% $25

Getting Around

The Hague

$125 4.5%

Drachten

$124 5% 0.5% $0.6

Sport & Entertainment

The Hague

$79 2.9%

Drachten

$74 3% 6.4% $5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,708 in The Hague and $1,436 in Drachten. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

The Hague pays 55% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $91 in The Hague vs $84 in Drachten for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $330 vs $288 per month, with Drachten cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇱 The Hague

🇳🇱 Drachten

🕒 Local time

08:03 8:03 AM

Same time as The Hague

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

562,839

45,186

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Drachten: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Drachten is about 10% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 55% higher in The Hague, 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: $1,708 in The Hague versus $1,436 in Drachten. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,577 in The Hague versus $2,362 in Drachten. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in The Hague. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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 Drachten are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Drachten wins on affordability, The Hague on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.