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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,842 in The Hague versus $1,966 in Drachten.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,202 in The Hague versus $2,869 in Drachten.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in The Hague versus $3,773 in Drachten.

Living in The Hague is roughly 45% more expensive than Drachten, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: The Hague 112% above, Drachten 47% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 €15.07

$18.87 €16.25

-7.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 €78.6

$72.2 €62.2

26.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.94 €12.00

$12.74 €10.97

9.42%

Cappuccino

$4.40 €3.79

$3.50 €3.01

25.71%

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

$3.40 €2.92

$3.13 €2.69

8.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$2.43 €2.09

14.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.08 €6.10

$5.77 €4.97

22.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 €5.08

$3.93 €3.39

49.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.13

$1.21 €1.05

8.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 €2.00

$1.39 €1.19

67.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 €2.53

$1.57 €1.36

87.26%

Eggs

$4.86 €4.18

$4.78 €4.11

1.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.58 €12.55

$14.00 €12.05

4.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.69 €13.51

$13.93 €11.99

12.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.40 €14.13

$12.61 €10.86

30.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 €2.05

$2.39 €2.06

-0.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.51 €2.16

-1.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.92 €1.65

1.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.66 €4.02

$3.31 €2.85

40.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.78 €1.53

11.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 €1.79

$1.65 €1.42

26.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 €1.08

$1.22 €1.05

2.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.68 €0.58

26.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.84 €11.92

$9.27 €7.98

49.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.87 €5.06

$7.18 €6.18

-18.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.36 €1.17

6.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.05

$2.71 €2.33

-12.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.37 €2.91

$4.11 €3.54

-18.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$117 €100

$45.34 €39.04

157.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.87 €4.20

$4.30 €3.70

13.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.16 €2.72

$2.62 €2.26

20.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.36

$51.9 €44.72

-32.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 €1.90

$2.17 €1.87

1.84%

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

$42.3K €36.4K

$44.6K €38.4K

-5.17%

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

$35.0K €30.1K

$39.2K €33.8K

-10.71%

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

$243 €209

$267 €230

-8.86%

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

$25.72 €22.15

$30.31 €26.10

-15.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.73 €39.38

$51.1 €44.04

-10.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.17 €37.17

$57.4 €49.46

-24.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.41 €22.74

$22.78 €19.62

15.94%

Cinema Ticket

$16.89 €14.55

$15.15 €13.05

11.49%

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

$2,369 €2,040

$1,896 €1,633

24.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K €10.0K

$6,148 €5,294

89.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$127 €109

$93.3 €80.3

36.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.38 €41.66

$45.45 €39.14

6.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 €101

$86.6 €74.6

35.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 €133

$90.8 €78.2

70.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,692 €1,457

$915 €788

84.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,484 €1,278

$763 €657

94.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,068 €2,642

$1,382 €1,190

122.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,431 €2,094

$1,055 €908

130.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,528 €5,621

$4,648 €4,003

40.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,719 €4,064

$3,550 €3,057

32.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,597 €3,958

$2,669 €2,298

72.26%

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 Drachten: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,692 in The Hague and $915 in Drachten. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

The Hague pays 72% 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 $72.0 in Drachten for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 vs $300 per month, with Drachten cheaper across the board.

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 cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around. The 45% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

The Hague pays 72% 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 $915 in Drachten. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,369 in The Hague versus $1,896 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.

At $1,966 in Drachten versus $2,842 in The Hague, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Drachten but tight or insufficient in The Hague. The gap between the two cities makes Drachten the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Drachten is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in The Hague, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, The Hague and Drachten 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 Drachten gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in The Hague. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.