Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between The Hague and Maastricht

For one person, living is cheaper in Maastricht: $2,529 a month against $2,727 in The Hague, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

132

Cost of Living Index in The Hague
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The Hague Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Maastricht
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Maastricht Living Index

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The Hague

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,727

/mo nomad

Maastricht

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,529

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,727 per month in The Hague vs $2,529 in Maastricht, rent included.

The Hague $2,727
Maastricht $2,529

A couple spends around $4,085 per month in The Hague vs $3,661 in Maastricht, rent included.

The Hague $4,085
Maastricht $3,661

A family of three spends $5,443 per month in The Hague vs $4,793 in Maastricht, rent included.

The Hague $5,443
Maastricht $4,793

The Hague costs about 8% more than Maastricht, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both The Hague and Maastricht sit above the global median – The Hague by 101%, Maastricht by 87%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.22 €19.76

$19.93 €17.73

11.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 €79.4

$90.0 €80.0

-0.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 €13.38

$12.26 €10.91

22.68%

Cappuccino

$4.35 €3.87

$4.26 €3.79

2.11%

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

$4.15 €3.70

$3.79 €3.37

9.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 €3.81

$3.02 €2.69

41.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.17 €6.38

$8.47 €7.53

-15.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.70 €6.85

$5.54 €4.93

38.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 €1.35

$1.28 €1.14

18.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 €1.96

$2.48 €2.21

-10.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.47 €2.20

$2.63 €2.34

-6.08%

Eggs

$4.51 €4.01

$4.49 €4.00

0.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.94 €13.29

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.87 €11.45

$13.71 €12.19

-6.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.53 €17.38

$16.14 €14.35

21.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.67 €2.37

$2.58 €2.29

3.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 €1.95

$2.53 €2.25

-13.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.06 €1.83

$1.94 €1.73

6.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.68 €3.27

$4.55 €4.04

-19.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 €1.18

$1.87 €1.66

-28.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 €1.19

$2.28 €2.03

-41.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.29 €1.15

-13.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.84

$0.79 €0.70

18.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.34 €12.76

$13.90 €12.36

3.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 €5.38

$6.69 €5.95

-9.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.15

$1.46 €1.30

-10.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.75

$2.65 €2.36

-25.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.38 €3.90

$3.17 €2.82

38.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.1 €83.7

$90.2 €80.2

4.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.61 €4.10

$11.03 €9.81

-58.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.34 €2.97

$3.31 €2.95

0.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.19 €29.52

$28.34 €25.21

17.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.53 €2.25

$2.36 €2.10

7.20%

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

$41.8K €37.2K

$42.2K €37.6K

-0.98%

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

$38.8K €34.5K

$40.1K €35.7K

-3.27%

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

$283 €252

$297 €264

-4.75%

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

$28.32 €25.19

$16.93 €15.06

67.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.1 €48.09

$48.67 €43.29

11.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.7 €45.96

$45.09 €40.11

14.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.96 €21.31

$27.68 €24.62

-13.44%

Cinema Ticket

$16.01 €14.24

$15.51 €13.79

3.22%

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

$2,402 €2,137

$1,250 €1,111

92.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K €10.5K

$11.0K €9,771

7.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.5 €85.9

$82.6 €73.5

16.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.92 €38.18

$38.35 €34.11

11.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.8

$109 €97.4

-3.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 €125

$127 €113

10.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,655 €1,472

$1,278 €1,137

29.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 €1,139

$1,134 €1,008

12.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,769 €2,463

$2,109 €1,876

31.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,244 €1,996

$1,706 €1,517

31.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,171 €5,489

$5,408 €4,811

14.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,415 €3,927

$3,604 €3,206

22.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,128 €3,672

$3,265 €2,904

26.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.4

4.42

-23.08%

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

Last update for The Hague: October 18, 2026

Last update for Maastricht: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

The Hague

$1.3K 47%

Maastricht

$1.1K 44.8% 11.5% $147

Monthly Utilities & Internet

The Hague

$365 13.4%

Maastricht

$363 14.3% 0.7% $2.7

Eating Out

The Hague

$360 13.2%

Maastricht

$328 13% 8.9% $32

Groceries & Markets

The Hague

$331 12.1%

Maastricht

$337 13.3% 1.8% $6.1

Clothing & Footwear

The Hague

$173 6.4%

Maastricht

$161 6.4% 7.3% $13

Getting Around

The Hague

$133 4.9%

Maastricht

$130 5.2% 1.9% $2.5

Sport & Entertainment

The Hague

$84 3.1%

Maastricht

$76 3% 9.1% $7.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,655 in The Hague versus $1,278 in Maastricht. 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 26% 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 $90.0 in Maastricht. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $331 vs $337 – making The Hague the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 The Hague

🇳🇱 Maastricht

🕒 Local time

13:39 1:39 PM

Same time as The Hague

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

562,839

120,105

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Maastricht: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

The Hague costs about 8% more than Maastricht, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. 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 $3,793 in Maastricht. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,727 in The Hague and $2,529 in Maastricht. That's a gap of about 8%.

Public transport costs about 4% less in Maastricht. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Maastricht, where all-in costs run around $2,529, than in The Hague at $2,727. In Maastricht it covers expenses comfortably, while in The Hague it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Maastricht costs $2,529 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 Maastricht. 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.