Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between The Hague and Heerlen

For one person, living is cheaper in Heerlen: $2,255 a month against $2,727 in The Hague, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

132

Cost of Living Index in The Hague
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The Hague Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Heerlen
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Heerlen Living Index

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The Hague

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,727

/mo nomad

Heerlen

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,255

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,727 in The Hague versus $2,255 in Heerlen.

The Hague $2,727
Heerlen $2,255

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,085 in The Hague versus $3,463 in Heerlen.

The Hague $4,085
Heerlen $3,463

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,443 in The Hague versus $4,672 in Heerlen.

The Hague $5,443
Heerlen $4,672

Living in The Hague is roughly 21% more expensive than in Heerlen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: The Hague 101% above, Heerlen 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.22 €19.76

$23.76 €21.13

-6.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 €79.4

$97.9 €87.0

-8.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 €13.38

$19.01 €16.90

-20.88%

Cappuccino

$4.35 €3.87

$4.09 €3.64

6.36%

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

$4.15 €3.70

$3.24 €2.88

28.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 €3.81

$2.29 €2.03

86.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.17 €6.38

$6.09 €5.42

17.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.70 €6.85

$5.59 €4.97

37.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 €1.35

$1.33 €1.19

14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 €1.96

$2.41 €2.15

-8.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.47 €2.20

$2.54 €2.26

-2.76%

Eggs

$4.51 €4.01

$4.47 €3.97

0.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.94 €13.29

$11.73 €10.43

27.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.87 €11.45

$14.00 €12.45

-8.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.53 €17.38

$17.89 €15.91

9.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.67 €2.37

$2.28 €2.03

17.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 €1.95

$2.51 €2.23

-12.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.06 €1.83

$2.11 €1.88

-2.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.68 €3.27

$4.32 €3.84

-14.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 €1.18

$1.85 €1.65

-28.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 €1.19

$2.09 €1.86

-35.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.39 €1.24

-19.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.84

$0.83 €0.74

13.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.34 €12.76

$13.87 €12.34

3.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 €5.38

$7.20 €6.41

-15.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.15

$1.41 €1.26

-7.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.75

$2.66 €2.37

-25.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.38 €3.90

$3.60 €3.20

21.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.1 €83.7

$59.8 €53.2

57.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.61 €4.10

$6.27 €5.58

-26.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.34 €2.97

$1.69 €1.50

97.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.19 €29.52

$22.38 €19.91

48.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.53 €2.25

$2.46 €2.19

2.85%

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

$41.8K €37.2K

$29.7K €26.4K

41.08%

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

$38.8K €34.5K

$35.0K €31.1K

10.88%

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

$283 €252

$191 €170

47.81%

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

$28.32 €25.19

$26.36 €23.45

7.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.1 €48.09

$56.0 €49.78

-3.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.7 €45.96

$35.46 €31.54

45.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.96 €21.31

$27.63 €24.58

-13.28%

Cinema Ticket

$16.01 €14.24

$13.40 €11.92

19.48%

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

$2,402 €2,137

$671 €597

257.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K €10.5K

$5,507 €4,898

114.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.5 €85.9

$99.6 €88.6

-3.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.92 €38.18

$49.56 €44.08

-13.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.8

$101 €90.1

4.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 €125

$193 €172

-27.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,655 €1,472

$1,120 €996

47.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 €1,139

$938 €834

36.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,769 €2,463

$1,913 €1,701

44.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,244 €1,996

$1,587 €1,411

41.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,171 €5,489

$3,938 €3,502

56.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,415 €3,927

$2,810 €2,500

57.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,128 €3,672

$2,947 €2,622

40.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.4

4.35

-21.84%

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

Last update for The Hague: October 18, 2026

Last update for Heerlen: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

The Hague

$1.3K 47%

Heerlen

$938 41.6% 26.8% $343

Monthly Utilities & Internet

The Hague

$365 13.4%

Heerlen

$274 12.1% 25.1% $92

Eating Out

The Hague

$360 13.2%

Heerlen

$360 16% 0% $0.1

Groceries & Markets

The Hague

$331 12.1%

Heerlen

$333 14.8% 0.5% $1.7

Clothing & Footwear

The Hague

$173 6.4%

Heerlen

$200 8.9% 15.1% $26

Getting Around

The Hague

$133 4.9%

Heerlen

$89 3.9% 33.1% $44

Sport & Entertainment

The Hague

$84 3.1%

Heerlen

$62 2.8% 25.6% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,655 in The Hague and $1,120 in Heerlen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

The Hague pays 40% 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: $89.0 in The Hague vs $98.0 in Heerlen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $331 vs $333 per month, with The Hague cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇱 The Hague

🇳🇱 Heerlen

🕒 Local time

19:34 7:34 PM

Same time as The Hague

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

562,839

87,086

💱 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 Heerlen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Heerlen 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 Heerlen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 40% 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: $1,655 in The Hague versus $1,120 in Heerlen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Heerlen runs roughly 57% less than in The Hague. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,402 in The Hague versus $671 in Heerlen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,255 in Heerlen versus $2,727 in The Hague, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Heerlen but tight or insufficient in The Hague. The gap between the two cities makes Heerlen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Heerlen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,255 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Heerlen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, The Hague and Heerlen 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 Heerlen 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.