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: $2,842 in The Hague versus $2,734 in Leiden.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,202 in The Hague versus $3,894 in Leiden.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in The Hague versus $5,053 in Leiden.

Living in The Hague is roughly 4% more expensive than Leiden, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: The Hague 112% above, Leiden 104% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 €15.07

$17.06 €14.69

2.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 €78.6

$88.3 €76.0

3.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.94 €12.00

$14.13 €12.17

-1.34%

Cappuccino

$4.40 €3.79

$3.95 €3.40

11.39%

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

$3.40 €2.92

$3.73 €3.21

-8.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$2.89 €2.49

-3.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.08 €6.10

$7.03 €6.06

0.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 €5.08

$5.76 €4.96

2.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.13

$1.26 €1.08

3.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 €2.00

$2.24 €1.93

4.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 €2.53

$3.31 €2.85

-11.18%

Eggs

$4.86 €4.18

$4.78 €4.12

1.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.58 €12.55

$14.54 €12.52

0.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.69 €13.51

$16.81 €14.48

-6.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.40 €14.13

$17.33 €14.92

-5.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 €2.05

$2.24 €1.93

6.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.58 €2.22

-4.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.96 €1.69

-0.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.66 €4.02

$3.88 €3.34

20.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$2.07 €1.78

-3.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 €1.79

$2.00 €1.72

4.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 €1.08

$1.20 €1.04

4.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.74 €0.63

16.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.84 €11.92

$12.82 €11.04

7.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.87 €5.06

$7.48 €6.44

-21.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.55 €1.33

-6.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.05

$2.64 €2.27

-9.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.37 €2.91

$3.02 €2.60

11.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$117 €100

$87.7 €75.5

32.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.87 €4.20

$5.76 €4.96

-15.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.16 €2.72

$2.04 €1.76

54.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.36

$34.44 €29.65

2.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 €1.90

$2.29 €1.97

-3.49%

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

$42.3K €36.4K

$29.4K €25.4K

43.74%

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

$35.0K €30.1K

$28.9K €24.9K

21.16%

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

$243 €209

$289 €248

-15.72%

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

$25.72 €22.15

$21.66 €18.65

18.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.73 €39.38

$50.8 €43.76

-10.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.17 €37.17

$43.07 €37.09

0.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.41 €22.74

$20.40 €17.56

29.46%

Cinema Ticket

$16.89 €14.55

$14.11 €12.15

19.70%

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

$2,369 €2,040

$2,050 €1,765

15.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K €10.0K

$16.2K €14.0K

-28.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$127 €109

$114 €98.2

11.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.38 €41.66

$45.59 €39.26

6.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 €101

$115 €99.1

1.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 €133

$153 €132

0.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,692 €1,457

$1,520 €1,309

11.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,484 €1,278

$1,306 €1,125

13.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,068 €2,642

$2,389 €2,057

28.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,431 €2,094

$2,013 €1,734

20.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,528 €5,621

$8,052 €6,934

-18.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,719 €4,064

$6,214 €5,351

-24.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,597 €3,958

$4,018 €3,460

14.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.99

0.25%

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

Last update for The Hague: June 2, 2026

Last update for Leiden: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,692 in The Hague and $1,520 in Leiden. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

The Hague pays 14% 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: $91.0 in The Hague vs $88.0 in Leiden. Groceries flip the comparison at $346 vs $353, 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 Leiden: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Leiden wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in The Hague. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Leiden the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

The Hague pays 14% more on average, 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: $1,692 in The Hague versus $1,520 in Leiden. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in The Hague pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Leiden – a meal for two runs $88.0 versus $91.0 in The Hague. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,734 in Leiden versus $2,842 in The Hague, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Leiden but tight or insufficient in The Hague. The gap between the two cities makes Leiden the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Leiden delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,734 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Leiden 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 Leiden gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in The Hague. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.