Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between The Hague and Emmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Emmen: $1,892 a month against $2,766 in The Hague, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 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
91

Cost of Living Index in Emmen
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Emmen Living Index

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The Hague

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,766

/mo nomad

Emmen

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$1,892

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Emmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,766 per month in The Hague vs $1,892 in Emmen, rent included.

The Hague $2,766
Emmen $1,892

A couple spends around $4,187 per month in The Hague vs $2,917 in Emmen, rent included.

The Hague $4,187
Emmen $2,917

A family of three spends $5,609 per month in The Hague vs $3,942 in Emmen, rent included.

The Hague $5,609
Emmen $3,942

The Hague costs about 46% more than Emmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both The Hague and Emmen sit above the global median – The Hague by 103%, Emmen by 39%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.36 €19.98

$22.22 €19.85

0.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.0 €81.3

$82.1 €73.3

10.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.95 €13.36

$13.56 €12.11

10.25%

Cappuccino

$4.24 €3.79

$3.41 €3.04

24.34%

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

$4.11 €3.67

$3.37 €3.01

21.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 €3.79

$3.38 €3.02

25.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.36 €6.57

$5.72 €5.11

28.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.91 €7.07

$4.36 €3.90

81.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 €1.29

$1.03 €0.92

39.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 €2.05

$2.21 €1.97

4.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.56 €2.29

$2.75 €2.45

-6.91%

Eggs

$4.57 €4.08

$4.35 €3.89

5.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 €12.95

$11.94 €10.66

21.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.06 €11.67

$12.73 €11.37

2.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.31 €17.25

$16.42 €14.67

17.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 €2.38

$2.61 €2.33

1.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.95

$2.43 €2.17

-10.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

$1.80 €1.61

12.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.64 €3.25

$3.20 €2.86

13.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.81 €1.62

-24.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 €1.13

$1.85 €1.65

-31.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 €1.01

$1.19 €1.06

-5.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 €0.83

$0.70 €0.62

32.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.77 €13.19

$12.34 €11.02

19.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.98 €5.34

$6.52 €5.82

-8.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 €1.19

$1.27 €1.13

5.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.76

$2.63 €2.35

-25.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.87 €4.35

$2.19 €1.95

122.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.4 €74.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.75 €4.24

$8.33 €7.44

-42.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.48 €3.10

$1.99 €1.78

74.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.87 €30.25

$22.02 €19.67

53.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.54 €2.27

$2.36 €2.11

7.63%

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

$40.5K €36.2K

$42.0K €37.5K

-3.42%

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

$39.2K €35.0K

$39.8K €35.5K

-1.40%

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

$283 €253

$166 €148

70.54%

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

$28.00 €25.01

$18.60 €16.62

50.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 €49.84

$54.8 €48.99

1.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.86 €41.86

$41.08 €36.69

14.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.12 €21.55

$22.11 €19.75

9.09%

Cinema Ticket

$15.92 €14.22

$13.21 €11.80

20.51%

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

$2,577 €2,302

$2,653 €2,369

-2.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K €10.5K

$7,951 €7,102

48.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.9 €85.6

$77.3 €69.0

24.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.00 €39.30

$40.60 €36.26

8.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.8

$88.2 €78.8

19.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 €122

$102 €91.2

33.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 €1,526

$878 €784

94.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 €1,190

$789 €705

68.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,907 €2,597

$1,674 €1,495

73.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,430 €2,171

$1,367 €1,221

77.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,313 €5,639

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,515 €4,033

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,042 €3,611

$2,753 €2,459

46.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.4

3.65

-6.85%

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

Last update for The Hague: October 27, 2026

Last update for Emmen: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

The Hague

$1.3K 48.2%

Emmen

$789 41.7% 40.8% $544

Monthly Utilities & Internet

The Hague

$367 13.3%

Emmen

$239 12.7% 34.7% $127

Eating Out

The Hague

$361 13%

Emmen

$324 17.1% 10.3% $37

Groceries & Markets

The Hague

$330 11.9%

Emmen

$307 16.2% 6.9% $23

Clothing & Footwear

The Hague

$172 6.2%

Emmen

$139 7.3% 19.3% $33

Getting Around

The Hague

$125 4.5%

Emmen

$27 * 1.4% 78.4% $98

Sport & Entertainment

The Hague

$79 2.9%

Emmen

$68 3.6% 14.2% $11

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,708 in The Hague versus $878 in Emmen. 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 47% higher in The Hague. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91 in The Hague versus $82 in Emmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $330 vs $307 – making Emmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 The Hague

🇳🇱 Emmen

🕒 Local time

02:21 2:21 AM

Same time as The Hague

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

562,839

108,765

💱 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 Emmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,766 in The Hague, $1,892 in Emmen – Emmen comes out roughly 32% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,149 per month in The Hague and $2,839 in Emmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Emmen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $878 there versus $1,708 in The Hague.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91 in The Hague and $82 in Emmen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 7% more in The Hague, though the gap depends on what you buy.

It depends on your priorities. The Hague has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,892 in Emmen to $2,766 in The Hague. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Emmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, The Hague makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.