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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,879 in The Hague versus $3,093 in Hilversum.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,275 in The Hague versus $4,525 in Hilversum.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,672 in The Hague versus $5,956 in Hilversum.

Living in The Hague costs roughly 7% less than in Hilversum, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: The Hague 115% above, Hilversum 132% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.18 €15.04

$28.80 €25.22

-40.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.5 €80.2

$91.2 €79.8

0.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.81 €12.10

$16.46 €14.42

-16.10%

Cappuccino

$4.47 €3.91

$4.66 €4.08

-4.08%

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

$3.30 €2.89

$3.72 €3.26

-11.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 €2.34

$2.96 €2.59

-9.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.91 €6.05

$5.95 €5.21

16.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 €4.99

$5.08 €4.45

12.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.16

$1.36 €1.19

-2.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 €1.98

$2.29 €2.00

-0.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.92 €2.55

$3.63 €3.18

-19.56%

Eggs

$4.91 €4.30

$4.92 €4.31

-0.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.65 €12.83

$12.97 €11.36

12.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.70 €13.75

$17.50 €15.33

-10.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.92 €14.82

$17.43 €15.26

-2.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 €2.15

$1.92 €1.68

27.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 €2.12

$2.55 €2.23

-5.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.73

$1.93 €1.69

2.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.58 €4.02

$3.85 €3.37

18.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 €1.74

$2.09 €1.83

-4.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 €1.81

$2.14 €1.88

-3.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 €1.10

$1.21 €1.06

3.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.79

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.96 €12.22

$11.97 €10.49

16.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.84 €5.12

$6.74 €5.90

-13.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 €1.23

$1.54 €1.35

-9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.20

$2.74 €2.40

-8.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.51 €3.07

$4.61 €4.04

-23.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$121 €106

$99.0 €86.7

22.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.66 €4.08

$5.91 €5.17

-21.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.13 €2.74

$2.13 €1.86

46.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.13 €29.89

$28.56 €25.01

19.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.02

$2.18 €1.91

5.96%

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

$42.4K €37.1K

$40.5K €35.4K

4.77%

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

$35.1K €30.7K

$39.0K €34.1K

-10.03%

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

$244 €214

$266 €233

-8.39%

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

$26.15 €22.90

$29.39 €25.74

-11.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.38 €40.62

$58.0 €50.8

-20.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.54 €37.26

$70.1 €61.4

-39.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.04 €22.80

$41.20 €36.08

-36.80%

Cinema Ticket

$16.55 €14.49

$17.66 €15.46

-6.29%

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

$2,409 €2,110

$679 €594

254.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K €10.4K

$7,585 €6,643

56.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$129 €113

$127 €111

1.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.16 €43.06

$60.9 €53.4

-19.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 €106

$134 €117

-9.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 €136

$181 €159

-14.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,675 €1,467

$1,762 €1,543

-4.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,472 €1,290

$1,488 €1,303

-1.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,010 €2,636

$3,011 €2,637

-0.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,476 €2,168

$2,438 €2,135

1.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,436 €5,637

$6,977 €6,110

-7.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €4,059

$5,378 €4,710

-13.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,226 €3,701

$3,721 €3,259

13.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

-11.11%

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

Last update for The Hague: July 13, 2026

Last update for Hilversum: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,675 in The Hague and $1,762 in Hilversum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

The Hague pays 14% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $92.0 in The Hague vs $91.0 in Hilversum. Groceries flip the comparison at $348 vs $354, with The Hague cheaper for home cooking.

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 Hilversum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

The Hague and Hilversum differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($2,879 vs $3,093 including rent). The Hague is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 14% 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: $1,675 in The Hague versus $1,762 in Hilversum. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in The Hague runs roughly 22% less than in Hilversum. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,409 in The Hague versus $679 in Hilversum. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. The Hague is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, The Hague and Hilversum 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 The Hague gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Hilversum. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.