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: $2,879 in The Hague versus $2,654 in Leiden.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,275 in The Hague versus $3,897 in Leiden.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,672 in The Hague versus $5,140 in Leiden.

Living in The Hague is roughly 8% more expensive than in Leiden, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: The Hague 115% above, Leiden 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.18 €15.03

$17.32 €15.15

-0.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.5 €80.1

$85.8 €75.1

6.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.81 €12.09

$13.73 €12.02

0.58%

Cappuccino

$4.47 €3.91

$3.76 €3.29

18.88%

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

$3.30 €2.89

$3.87 €3.38

-14.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 €2.34

$2.85 €2.49

-6.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.91 €6.05

$6.92 €6.06

-0.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 €4.99

$5.84 €5.11

-2.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.15

$1.27 €1.12

3.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 €1.98

$2.25 €1.97

0.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.92 €2.55

$3.16 €2.77

-7.59%

Eggs

$4.91 €4.29

$4.72 €4.13

4.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.65 €12.82

$15.10 €13.21

-2.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.70 €13.74

$16.45 €14.39

-4.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.92 €14.80

$17.43 €15.25

-2.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 €2.15

$2.35 €2.05

4.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 €2.12

$2.59 €2.26

-6.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.73

$1.92 €1.68

2.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.58 €4.01

$4.01 €3.51

14.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 €1.74

$2.09 €1.83

-4.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 €1.81

$1.99 €1.74

3.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 €1.10

$1.24 €1.08

0.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.79

$0.73 €0.64

23.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.96 €12.21

$13.19 €11.54

5.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.84 €5.11

$7.13 €6.24

-18.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 €1.23

$1.47 €1.28

-4.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.20

$2.65 €2.31

-5.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.51 €3.07

$3.00 €2.63

17.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$121 €106

$87.3 €76.4

38.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.66 €4.08

$5.75 €5.03

-18.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.13 €2.74

$2.13 €1.86

46.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.13 €29.86

$34.09 €29.82

0.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.02

$2.23 €1.96

3.59%

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

$42.4K €37.1K

$29.6K €25.9K

43.44%

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

$35.1K €30.7K

$28.3K €24.8K

23.87%

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

$244 €213

$286 €250

-14.78%

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

$26.15 €22.88

$21.72 €19.00

20.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.38 €40.58

$51.7 €45.26

-10.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.54 €37.22

$42.42 €37.12

0.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.04 €22.78

$19.86 €17.38

31.12%

Cinema Ticket

$16.55 €14.48

$14.03 €12.28

17.96%

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

$2,409 €2,107

$2,118 €1,853

13.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K €10.4K

$16.4K €14.3K

-27.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$129 €113

$111 €97.5

15.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.16 €43.01

$47.08 €41.19

4.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 €106

$116 €101

4.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 €136

$150 €131

4.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,675 €1,465

$1,550 €1,356

8.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,472 €1,288

$1,307 €1,143

12.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,010 €2,633

$2,368 €2,072

27.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,476 €2,166

$1,994 €1,745

24.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,436 €5,631

$7,792 €6,818

-17.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €4,055

$5,931 €5,189

-21.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,226 €3,697

$3,916 €3,426

7.91%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Leiden: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,675 in The Hague and $1,550 in Leiden. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

The Hague pays 8% 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: $92.0 in The Hague vs $86.0 in Leiden. Groceries flip the comparison at $348 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 8% 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.

Average pay runs 8% 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 $1,550 in Leiden. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in The Hague pay roughly 1% 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 $86.0 versus $92.0 in The Hague. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Leiden 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 Leiden delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,654 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 8% less than in The Hague. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.