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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,833 in The Hague versus $2,350 in Groningen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,224 in The Hague versus $3,561 in Groningen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,615 in The Hague versus $4,773 in Groningen.

Living in The Hague is roughly 21% more expensive than in Groningen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: The Hague 105% above, Groningen 70% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.03 €19.85

$20.79 €17.92

10.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.6 €78.9

$103 €88.5

-10.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.03 €13.82

$16.12 €13.90

-0.56%

Cappuccino

$4.50 €3.88

$4.73 €4.08

-4.86%

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

$4.49 €3.87

$3.88 €3.34

15.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 €3.70

$3.35 €2.89

28.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.03 €6.06

$5.66 €4.88

24.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.69 €6.63

$5.90 €5.08

30.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 €1.34

$1.54 €1.33

0.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.35 €2.03

$2.75 €2.37

-14.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$2.78 €2.39

-5.40%

Eggs

$4.83 €4.17

$4.81 €4.15

0.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.08 €13.00

$13.37 €11.52

12.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.24 €11.41

$13.92 €12.00

-4.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.07 €17.30

$21.90 €18.88

-8.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 €2.40

$3.17 €2.73

-12.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 €1.96

$2.55 €2.20

-10.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.62 €2.26

-21.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.75 €3.23

$5.10 €4.40

-26.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.25 €1.94

-39.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 €1.15

$1.68 €1.45

-20.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 €1.05

$1.32 €1.14

-7.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 €0.83

$1.25 €1.08

-23.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.18 €13.09

$15.08 €13.00

0.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.08 €5.25

$7.02 €6.05

-13.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.48 €1.28

-10.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.61 €2.25

-22.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.76 €4.10

$4.21 €3.63

13.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.0 €82.7

$70.3 €60.6

36.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.69 €4.05

$6.80 €5.86

-31.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.54 €3.05

$2.85 €2.46

24.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.23 €29.51

$30.18 €26.01

13.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.64 €2.28

$2.70 €2.32

-2.22%

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

$42.6K €36.7K

$43.0K €37.0K

-0.90%

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

$41.1K €35.5K

$40.9K €35.2K

0.71%

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

$293 €252

$234 €201

25.36%

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

$29.18 €25.16

$21.76 €18.75

34.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.8 €48.93

$50.9 €43.87

11.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 €44.84

$41.25 €35.56

26.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 €21.50

$15.81 €13.62

57.75%

Cinema Ticket

$17.11 €14.74

$17.17 €14.80

-0.35%

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

$2,510 €2,164

$1,812 €1,562

38.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K €10.5K

$8,011 €6,905

52.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.2 €83.8

$109 €94.0

-10.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.03 €37.95

$46.74 €40.29

-5.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 €96.3

$108 €93.1

3.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €123

$202 €174

-29.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,701 €1,466

$1,353 €1,167

25.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,343 €1,158

$913 €787

47.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$1,996 €1,720

46.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,399 €2,068

$1,461 €1,260

64.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,449 €5,559

$5,480 €4,724

17.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,597 €3,963

$4,001 €3,448

14.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,390 €3,785

$3,173 €2,735

38.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.4

3.62

-6.08%

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

Last update for The Hague: September 6, 2026

Last update for Groningen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,701 in The Hague and $1,353 in Groningen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

The Hague pays 38% 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: $92.0 in The Hague vs $103 in Groningen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $341 vs $373 per month, with The Hague 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 Groningen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Groningen wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in The Hague. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Groningen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 38% 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: $1,701 in The Hague versus $1,353 in Groningen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in The Hague pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Groningen – a meal for two runs $103 versus $92.0 in The Hague. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Groningen is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Groningen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,350 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Groningen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, The Hague and Groningen 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 Groningen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in The Hague. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.