Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between The Hague and Gouda

For one person, living is cheaper in Gouda: $2,472 a month against $2,733 in The Hague, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

The Hague
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$2,733
/mo nomad
Gouda
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$2,472
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,733 per month in The Hague vs $2,472 in Gouda, rent included.

  • The Hague $2,733
  • Gouda $2,472

A couple spends around $4,089 per month in The Hague vs $3,894 in Gouda, rent included.

  • The Hague $4,089
  • Gouda $3,894

A family of three spends $5,446 per month in The Hague vs $5,316 in Gouda, rent included.

  • The Hague $5,446
  • Gouda $5,316

The Hague costs about 11% more than Gouda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both The Hague and Gouda sit above the global median – The Hague by 102%, Gouda by 83%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
The Hague
Gouda
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.35 €19.88
$19.24 €17.11
16.16%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$87.5 €77.8
$90.0 €80.1
-2.81%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.89 €13.24
$15.22 €13.54
-2.17%
Cappuccino
$4.39 €3.91
$4.45 €3.96
-1.35%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.28 €3.81
$3.43 €3.05
24.78%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.08 €3.63
$3.07 €2.73
32.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.16 €6.37
$7.95 €7.07
-9.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.64 €6.79
$5.84 €5.19
30.82%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
The Hague
Gouda
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.49 €1.33
$1.25 €1.11
19.20%
White Bread (500g)
$2.29 €2.04
$2.21 €1.96
3.62%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.51 €2.23
$2.57 €2.28
-2.33%
Eggs
$4.73 €4.20
$4.59 €4.08
3.05%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.45 €12.85
$14.53 €12.93
-0.55%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.18 €11.73
$12.91 €11.49
2.09%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.25 €17.12
$16.62 €14.78
15.82%
Apples (1kg)
$2.53 €2.25
$2.68 €2.39
-5.60%
Banana (1kg)
$2.23 €1.99
$2.28 €2.03
-2.19%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.98 €1.76
$1.97 €1.75
0.51%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.60 €3.20
$3.65 €3.24
-1.37%
Potato (1kg)
$1.30 €1.16
$1.72 €1.53
-24.42%
Onion (1kg)
$1.28 €1.14
$1.91 €1.70
-32.98%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 €0.99
$1.17 €1.04
-4.27%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.93 €0.83
$0.95 €0.85
-2.11%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.47 €12.87
$13.40 €11.92
7.99%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.89 €5.24
$6.58 €5.85
-10.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.33 €1.19
$1.45 €1.29
-8.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.95 €1.74
$2.51 €2.23
-22.31%
🚌 Getting Around
The Hague
Gouda
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.59 €4.08
$3.53 €3.14
30.03%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$91.1 €81.0
$83.2 €74.0
9.51%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.54 €4.03
$3.44 €3.06
31.98%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.32 €2.95
$3.30 €2.93
0.61%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.71 €29.99
$22.00 €19.57
53.23%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.52 €2.24
$2.39 €2.12
5.44%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$41.4K €36.9K
$41.9K €37.3K
-1.23%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.5K €35.1K
$38.1K €33.9K
3.54%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
The Hague
Gouda
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$281 €250
$274 €244
2.62%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.39 €25.25
$15.23 €13.55
86.41%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$54.3 €48.31
$49.04 €43.62
10.75%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
The Hague
Gouda
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$50.4 €44.82
$59.1 €52.6
-14.75%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.94 €21.30
$24.27 €21.59
-1.36%
Cinema Ticket
$16.49 €14.67
$14.77 €13.14
11.65%
🧸 Childcare & Education
The Hague
Gouda
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,400 €2,135
$1,751 €1,558
37.08%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K €10.3K
$13.3K €11.8K
-13.08%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
The Hague
Gouda
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$95.8 €85.2
$95.0 €84.5
0.78%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.61 €38.79
$42.29 €37.62
3.12%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 €96.2
$105 €93.4
3.03%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$136 €121
$140 €124
-2.55%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
The Hague
Gouda
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,640 €1,459
$1,785 €1,588
-8.11%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,291 €1,148
$1,100 €978
17.37%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,798 €2,489
$2,804 €2,494
-0.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,264 €2,014
$2,261 €2,011
0.12%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,067 €5,396
$5,355 €4,763
13.28%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,538 €4,037
$4,381 €3,897
3.58%
💵 Salaries & Financials
The Hague
Gouda
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,069 €3,619
$2,477 €2,203
64.27%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.4
3.4
-

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

Last update for The Hague: October 10, 2026

Last update for Gouda: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
The Hague
$1.3K
Gouda
$1.1K 14.8% $191
Monthly Utilities & Internet
The Hague
$364
Gouda
$339 7% $26
Eating Out
The Hague
$361
Gouda
$330 8.4% $30
Groceries & Markets
The Hague
$330
Gouda
$325 1.6% $5.3
Clothing & Footwear
The Hague
$173
Gouda
$172 0.4% $0.8
Getting Around
The Hague
$131
Gouda
$117 10.2% $13
Sport & Entertainment
The Hague
$83
Gouda
$89 6.3% $5.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,640 in The Hague versus $1,785 in Gouda. 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 64% higher in The Hague, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $87.0 in The Hague versus $90.0 in Gouda. Groceries tell a different story – $330 in The Hague vs $325 in Gouda – so Gouda wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇳🇱 The Hague
🇳🇱 Gouda
🕒 Local time
18:17 6:17 PM
18:17 6:17 PM
Same time as The Hague
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
562,839
73,427
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • The Hague Gouda 31 km
From you
  • The Hague
  • Gouda

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
The Hague vs Gouda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, The Hague or Gouda?
The Hague costs about 11% more than Gouda, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in The Hague and in Gouda?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,099 per month in The Hague and $3,707 in Gouda. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, The Hague or Gouda?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Gouda, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do dining costs compare in The Hague and in Gouda?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $87.0 in The Hague and $90.0 in Gouda. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How much does it cost to live in The Hague compared to Gouda?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,733 in The Hague and $2,472 in Gouda. That's a gap of about 11%.
Can you live on $2,000/month in The Hague or in Gouda?
$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,733 in The Hague and $2,472 in Gouda. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for digital nomads, The Hague or Gouda?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Gouda costs $2,472 versus $2,733 in The Hague. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is The Hague compared to Gouda?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Should I move to The Hague or to Gouda?
If budget matters most, go with Gouda. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, The Hague makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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