Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between The Hague and Hengelo

For one person, living is cheaper in Hengelo: $2,186 a month against $2,727 in The Hague, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

The Hague
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$2,727
/mo nomad
Hengelo
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$2,186
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,727 per month in The Hague vs $2,186 in Hengelo, rent included.

  • The Hague $2,727
  • Hengelo $2,186

A couple spends around $4,085 per month in The Hague vs $3,524 in Hengelo, rent included.

  • The Hague $4,085
  • Hengelo $3,524

A family of three spends $5,443 per month in The Hague vs $4,862 in Hengelo, rent included.

  • The Hague $5,443
  • Hengelo $4,862

The Hague costs about 25% more than Hengelo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both The Hague and Hengelo sit above the global median – The Hague by 101%, Hengelo by 61%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
The Hague
Hengelo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.22 €19.76
$22.67 €20.16
-1.99%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$89.2 €79.4
$83.3 €74.1
7.17%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$15.04 €13.38
$13.26 €11.79
13.42%
Cappuccino
$4.35 €3.87
$4.01 €3.57
8.48%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.15 €3.70
$3.81 €3.39
8.92%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.28 €3.81
$2.86 €2.55
49.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.17 €6.38
$6.27 €5.58
14.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.70 €6.85
$6.49 €5.78
18.64%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
The Hague
Hengelo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.52 €1.35
$1.34 €1.20
13.43%
White Bread (500g)
$2.21 €1.96
$2.46 €2.18
-10.16%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.47 €2.20
$2.64 €2.35
-6.44%
Eggs
$4.51 €4.01
$4.34 €3.86
3.92%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.94 €13.29
$14.05 €12.50
6.33%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.87 €11.45
$13.81 €12.29
-6.81%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.53 €17.38
$14.57 €12.96
34.04%
Apples (1kg)
$2.67 €2.37
$2.82 €2.51
-5.32%
Banana (1kg)
$2.20 €1.95
$2.23 €1.98
-1.35%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.06 €1.83
$2.13 €1.89
-3.29%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.68 €3.27
$3.66 €3.26
0.55%
Potato (1kg)
$1.33 €1.18
$1.87 €1.66
-28.88%
Onion (1kg)
$1.34 €1.19
$1.88 €1.67
-28.72%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.21 €1.07
-7.44%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 €0.84
$0.70 €0.63
34.29%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.34 €12.76
$13.87 €12.34
3.39%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.05 €5.38
$6.58 €5.86
-8.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.30 €1.15
$1.36 €1.21
-4.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.97 €1.75
$2.68 €2.39
-26.49%
🚌 Getting Around
The Hague
Hengelo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.38 €3.90
$5.12 €4.55
-14.45%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$94.1 €83.7
$90.1 €80.2
4.35%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.61 €4.10
$3.62 €3.22
27.35%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.34 €2.97
$2.58 €2.29
29.46%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.19 €29.52
$44.23 €39.34
-24.96%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.53 €2.25
$2.53 €2.25
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$41.8K €37.2K
$41.1K €36.6K
1.68%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.8K €34.5K
$38.6K €34.4K
0.41%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
The Hague
Hengelo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$283 €252
$268 €238
5.59%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.32 €25.19
$21.74 €19.34
30.27%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$54.1 €48.09
$48.06 €42.75
12.48%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
The Hague
Hengelo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.7 €45.96
$29.68 €26.40
74.06%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.96 €21.31
$23.66 €21.04
1.27%
Cinema Ticket
$16.01 €14.24
$15.93 €14.17
0.50%
🧸 Childcare & Education
The Hague
Hengelo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,402 €2,137
$1,222 €1,087
96.55%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.8K €10.5K
$7,960 €7,081
48.15%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
The Hague
Hengelo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$96.5 €85.9
$94.1 €83.7
2.55%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.92 €38.18
$44.61 €39.68
-3.79%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.8
$93.0 €82.7
13.45%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$140 €125
$125 €111
12.44%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
The Hague
Hengelo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,655 €1,472
$1,300 €1,156
27.30%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,281 €1,139
$836 €743
53.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,769 €2,463
$2,399 €2,134
15.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,244 €1,996
$1,867 €1,660
20.22%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,171 €5,489
$5,317 €4,729
16.06%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,415 €3,927
$4,422 €3,934
-0.17%
💵 Salaries & Financials
The Hague
Hengelo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,128 €3,672
$2,639 €2,348
56.42%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.4
4.2
-19.05%

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

Last update for The Hague: October 18, 2026

Last update for Hengelo: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
The Hague
$1.3K
Hengelo
$836 34.7% $445
Monthly Utilities & Internet
The Hague
$365
Hengelo
$338 7.5% $28
Eating Out
The Hague
$360
Hengelo
$340 5.5% $20
Groceries & Markets
The Hague
$331
Hengelo
$323 2.4% $8
Clothing & Footwear
The Hague
$173
Hengelo
$160 7.5% $13
Getting Around
The Hague
$133
Hengelo
$127 4.4% $5.8
Sport & Entertainment
The Hague
$84
Hengelo
$62 26.5% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,655 in The Hague versus $1,300 in Hengelo. 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 56% 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 $89.0 in The Hague versus $83.0 in Hengelo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $331 vs $323 – making Hengelo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇳🇱 The Hague
🇳🇱 Hengelo
🕒 Local time
01:46 1:46 AM
01:46 1:46 AM
Same time as The Hague
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
562,839
81,140
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • The Hague Hengelo 170 km
From you
  • The Hague
  • Hengelo

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 Hengelo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in The Hague and in Hengelo compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,727 in The Hague, $2,186 in Hengelo – roughly 25% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.
What salary covers living expenses in The Hague compared to Hengelo?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,091 per month in The Hague and $3,279 in Hengelo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between The Hague and Hengelo?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Hengelo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 2% more in The Hague, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $89.0 in The Hague and $83.0 in Hengelo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Hengelo, where all-in costs run around $2,186, than in The Hague at $2,727. In Hengelo it covers expenses comfortably, while in The Hague it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between The Hague and Hengelo?
It depends on your priorities. The Hague has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,186 in Hengelo to $2,727 in The Hague. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is The Hague or Hengelo safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between The Hague and Hengelo?
If budget matters most, go with Hengelo. 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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