Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between The Hague and Leeuwarden

For one person, living is cheaper in Leeuwarden: $2,588 a month against $2,727 in The Hague, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in The Hague outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

132

Cost of Living Index in The Hague
Learn more

The Hague Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Leeuwarden
Learn more

Leeuwarden Living Index

Jump to prices

The Hague

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,727

/mo nomad

Leeuwarden

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,588

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,727 per month in The Hague vs $2,588 in Leeuwarden, rent included.

The Hague $2,727
Leeuwarden $2,588

A couple spends around $4,085 per month in The Hague vs $3,825 in Leeuwarden, rent included.

The Hague $4,085
Leeuwarden $3,825

A family of three spends $5,443 per month in The Hague vs $5,063 in Leeuwarden, rent included.

The Hague $5,443
Leeuwarden $5,063

The Hague costs about 5% more than Leeuwarden, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both The Hague and Leeuwarden sit above the global median – The Hague by 101%, Leeuwarden by 91%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.22 €19.76

$22.50 €20.01

-1.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 €79.4

$112 €99.2

-19.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 €13.38

$15.61 €13.88

-3.65%

Cappuccino

$4.35 €3.87

$3.86 €3.44

12.69%

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

$4.15 €3.70

$3.73 €3.32

11.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 €3.81

$2.86 €2.54

49.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.17 €6.38

$6.88 €6.12

4.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.70 €6.85

$5.35 €4.75

43.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 €1.35

$1.16 €1.03

31.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 €1.96

$1.92 €1.71

15.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.47 €2.20

$2.44 €2.17

1.23%

Eggs

$4.51 €4.01

$4.37 €3.89

3.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.94 €13.29

$12.73 €11.32

17.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.87 €11.45

$14.38 €12.79

-10.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.53 €17.38

$16.29 €14.49

19.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.67 €2.37

$2.32 €2.07

15.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 €1.95

$2.40 €2.13

-8.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.06 €1.83

$1.85 €1.65

11.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.68 €3.27

$5.25 €4.67

-29.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 €1.18

$1.72 €1.53

-22.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 €1.19

$1.93 €1.72

-30.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.21 €1.08

-7.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.84

$0.91 €0.81

3.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.34 €12.76

$14.20 €12.63

0.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 €5.38

$7.02 €6.24

-13.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.15

$1.88 €1.67

-30.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.75

$1.69 €1.50

16.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.38 €3.90

$3.29 €2.92

33.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.1 €83.7

$127 €113

-26.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.61 €4.10

$8.78 €7.81

-47.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.34 €2.97

$3.98 €3.54

-16.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.19 €29.52

$51.0 €45.38

-34.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.53 €2.25

$2.41 €2.15

4.98%

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

$41.8K €37.2K

$41.7K €37.1K

0.42%

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

$38.8K €34.5K

$39.0K €34.7K

-0.46%

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

$283 €252

$369 €328

-23.38%

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

$28.32 €25.19

$43.01 €38.26

-34.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.1 €48.09

$45.83 €40.77

17.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.7 €45.96

$37.73 €33.56

36.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.96 €21.31

$19.00 €16.90

26.11%

Cinema Ticket

$16.01 €14.24

$16.54 €14.71

-3.20%

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

$2,402 €2,137

$1,353 €1,204

77.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K €10.5K

$22.5K €20.0K

-47.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.5 €85.9

$114 €102

-15.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.92 €38.18

$39.18 €34.85

9.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.8

$130 €116

-18.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 €125

$136 €121

3.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,655 €1,472

$1,351 €1,202

22.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 €1,139

$1,028 €915

24.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,769 €2,463

$3,851 €3,425

-28.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,244 €1,996

$1,612 €1,434

39.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,171 €5,489

$3,638 €3,236

69.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,415 €3,927

$3,248 €2,889

35.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,128 €3,672

$2,989 €2,658

38.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.4

4.38

-22.37%

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

Last update for The Hague: October 18, 2026

Last update for Leeuwarden: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

The Hague

$1.3K 47%

Leeuwarden

$1K 39.7% 19.7% $253

Monthly Utilities & Internet

The Hague

$365 13.4%

Leeuwarden

$458 17.7% 25.4% $93

Eating Out

The Hague

$360 13.2%

Leeuwarden

$345 13.3% 4.3% $15

Groceries & Markets

The Hague

$331 12.1%

Leeuwarden

$328 12.7% 0.9% $2.8

Clothing & Footwear

The Hague

$173 6.4%

Leeuwarden

$189 7.3% 8.8% $15

Getting Around

The Hague

$133 4.9%

Leeuwarden

$169 6.5% 27.2% $36

Sport & Entertainment

The Hague

$84 3.1%

Leeuwarden

$71 2.7% 15.4% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,655 in The Hague versus $1,351 in Leeuwarden. 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 38% 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 $112 in Leeuwarden. Groceries tell a different story – $331 in The Hague vs $328 in Leeuwarden – so Leeuwarden wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇱 The Hague

🇳🇱 Leeuwarden

🕒 Local time

12:20 12:20 PM

Same time as The Hague

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

562,839

91,992

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

The Hague Leeuwarden 160 km

From you

The Hague
Leeuwarden

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 Leeuwarden: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

The Hague costs about 5% more than Leeuwarden, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,091 per month in The Hague and $3,882 in Leeuwarden. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Leeuwarden, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $2,402 per month in The Hague and $1,353 in Leeuwarden. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 1% 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.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,727 in The Hague and $2,588 in Leeuwarden. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Leeuwarden costs $2,588 versus $2,727 in The Hague. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Leeuwarden. 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.