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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,814 in The Hague versus $2,965 in Leiden.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,239 in The Hague versus $4,152 in Leiden.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,664 in The Hague versus $5,339 in Leiden.

Living in The Hague costs roughly 5% less than in Leiden, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: The Hague 105% above, Leiden 116% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.07 €19.85

$20.62 €17.74

11.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.7 €78.9

$93.4 €80.4

-1.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.46 €13.30

$14.08 €12.12

9.80%

Cappuccino

$4.68 €4.02

$4.02 €3.46

16.42%

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

$4.30 €3.70

$3.65 €3.14

17.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 €3.74

$3.06 €2.63

42.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.81 €5.86

$8.20 €7.06

-16.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.72 €6.65

$5.12 €4.40

50.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.29 €1.11

21.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 €1.96

$2.26 €1.94

0.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 €2.33

$3.36 €2.89

-19.35%

Eggs

$4.64 €4.00

$4.93 €4.25

-5.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.93 €12.84

$15.03 €12.94

-0.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.43 €11.56

$14.97 €12.88

-10.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.16 €17.35

$16.40 €14.11

22.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 €2.38

$2.90 €2.49

-4.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 €1.98

$2.42 €2.08

-4.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.06 €1.77

$1.96 €1.69

5.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.80 €3.27

$5.01 €4.31

-24.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.87 €1.61

-26.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 €1.14

$1.99 €1.71

-33.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 €1.04

$1.41 €1.21

-14.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.81

$0.74 €0.64

27.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.30 €13.16

$13.73 €11.82

11.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.93 €5.11

$7.27 €6.26

-18.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.54 €1.32

-13.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.69 €2.31

-25.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.54 €3.90

$2.97 €2.56

52.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.0 €83.5

$136 €117

-28.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 €4.10

$3.50 €3.01

36.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.60 €3.10

$3.53 €3.04

1.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.16 €30.25

$23.01 €19.80

52.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.61 €2.25

$2.46 €2.11

6.10%

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

$43.6K €37.5K

$42.3K €36.4K

3.04%

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

$40.8K €35.1K

$41.2K €35.4K

-0.99%

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

$292 €251

$291 €250

0.30%

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

$29.38 €25.28

$16.35 €14.07

79.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.3 €48.42

$52.5 €45.18

7.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 €44.80

$45.97 €39.56

13.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.49 €21.94

$11.94 €10.27

113.48%

Cinema Ticket

$17.20 €14.80

$14.84 €12.77

15.90%

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

$2,541 €2,186

$1,793 €1,543

41.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K €10.5K

$13.7K €11.8K

-11.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 €85.7

$120 €103

-16.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.25 €38.94

$48.78 €41.98

-7.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €95.0

$122 €105

-9.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 €121

$142 €122

-1.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,719 €1,479

$1,805 €1,553

-4.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,335 €1,149

$1,425 €1,226

-6.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,886 €2,484

$2,552 €2,196

13.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,388 €2,055

$2,030 €1,747

17.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,429 €5,532

$7,790 €6,704

-17.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,581 €3,942

$5,904 €5,081

-22.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,373 €3,763

$4,282 €3,684

2.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.4

2.8

21.43%

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

Last update for The Hague: August 31, 2026

Last update for Leiden: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,719 in The Hague and $1,805 in Leiden. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

The Hague pays 2% 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 $93.0 in Leiden for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $341 vs $351 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 Leiden: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

The Hague wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Leiden. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making The Hague the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 2% 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: $1,719 in The Hague versus $1,805 in Leiden. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Leiden. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in The Hague – a meal for two runs $92.0 versus $93.0 in Leiden. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 work as nomad bases, but The Hague delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,814 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes The Hague hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, The Hague and Leiden 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 5% less than in Leiden. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.