Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between The Hague and Madison, WI

For one person, living is cheaper in The Hague: $2,748 a month against $2,931 in Madison, WI, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

The Hague, Netherlands
Madison, WI, United States
The Hague
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$2,748
/mo nomad
Madison, WI
🇺🇸 United States
$2,931
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in The Hague and in Madison, WI

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

A single person spends $2,748 per month in The Hague vs $2,931 in Madison, WI, rent included.

  • The Hague $2,748
  • Madison, WI $2,931

A couple spends around $4,149 per month in The Hague vs $4,224 in Madison, WI, rent included.

  • The Hague $4,149
  • Madison, WI $4,224

A family of three spends $5,549 per month in The Hague vs $5,517 in Madison, WI, rent included.

  • The Hague $5,549
  • Madison, WI $5,517

The Hague is about 6% cheaper than Madison, WI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both The Hague and Madison, WI sit above the global median – The Hague by 103%, Madison, WI by 117%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
The Hague
Madison, WI
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.25 €19.80
$19.92 $19.92
11.70%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$88.9 €79.1
$65.0 $65.0
36.72%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$15.18 €13.51
$13.17 $13.17
15.26%
Cappuccino
$4.28 €3.81
$5.66 $5.66
-24.38%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.26 €3.79
$3.02 $3.02
41.06%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.12 €3.66
$2.45 $2.45
68.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.48 €6.66
$6.62 $6.62
12.99%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.72 €6.87
$7.72 $7.72
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
The Hague
Madison, WI
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.46 €1.30
$0.95 $0.95
53.68%
White Bread (500g)
$2.19 €1.95
$3.17 $3.17
-30.91%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.48 €2.21
$4.18 $4.18
-40.67%
Eggs
$4.74 €4.21
$3.72 $3.72
27.42%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.60 €12.99
$14.49 $14.49
0.76%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.22 €11.76
$12.15 $12.15
8.81%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.64 €17.48
$20.36 $20.36
-3.54%
Apples (1kg)
$2.58 €2.30
$4.59 $4.59
-43.79%
Banana (1kg)
$2.17 €1.93
$1.62 $1.62
33.95%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.04 €1.81
$4.95 $4.95
-58.79%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.70 €3.29
$4.67 $4.67
-20.77%
Potato (1kg)
$1.32 €1.17
$2.61 $2.61
-49.43%
Onion (1kg)
$1.34 €1.19
$2.83 $2.83
-52.65%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.11 €0.99
$2.08 $2.08
-46.63%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 €0.84
$2.24 $2.24
-58.04%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.56 €12.96
$10.89 $10.89
33.70%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.80 €5.16
$15.73 $15.73
-63.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 €1.14
$2.68 $2.68
-52.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.97 €1.76
$4.40 $4.40
-55.23%
🚌 Getting Around
The Hague
Madison, WI
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.97 €4.42
$1.94 $1.94
156.19%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$85.0 €75.7
$65.5 $65.5
29.78%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.50 €4.01
$3.91 $3.91
15.09%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.49 €3.11
$1.96 $1.96
78.06%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$45.45 €40.45
$44.61 $44.61
1.88%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.60 €2.31
$1.07 $1.07
142.99%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$41.7K €37.1K
$30.3K $30.3K
37.51%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.6K €35.2K
$25.5K $25.5K
55.22%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
The Hague
Madison, WI
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$274 €244
$266 $266
3.17%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.66 €25.50
$45.57 $45.57
-37.11%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$54.9 €48.85
$80.5 $80.5
-31.82%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
The Hague
Madison, WI
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.88 €41.72
$51.6 $51.6
-9.11%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.56 €21.85
$10.12 $10.12
142.69%
Cinema Ticket
$16.03 €14.27
$14.70 $14.70
9.05%
🧸 Childcare & Education
The Hague
Madison, WI
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,645 €2,354
$1,594 $1,594
65.97%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.9K €14.1K
$21.6K $21.6K
-26.70%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
The Hague
Madison, WI
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$96.6 €85.9
$63.4 $63.4
52.32%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.91 €38.19
$46.65 $46.65
-8.02%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 €94.6
$108 $108
-1.16%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$140 €124
$121 $121
15.13%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
The Hague
Madison, WI
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,653 €1,471
$1,723 $1,723
-4.07%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,319 €1,174
$1,465 $1,465
-9.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,989 €2,660
$3,146 $3,146
-5.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,376 €2,115
$2,438 $2,438
-2.51%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,216 €5,532
$4,429 $4,429
40.35%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,582 €4,078
$2,478 $2,478
84.94%
💵 Salaries & Financials
The Hague
Madison, WI
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,094 €3,643
$4,430 $4,430
-7.60%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.4
6.81
-50.07%

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

Last update for The Hague: November 1, 2026

Last update for Madison, WI: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
The Hague
$1.3K
Madison, WI
$1.5K 11.1% $146
Eating Out
The Hague
$361
Madison, WI
$337 6.7% $24
Monthly Utilities & Internet
The Hague
$358
Madison, WI
$392 9.5% $34
Groceries & Markets
The Hague
$331
Madison, WI
$416 25.7% $85
Clothing & Footwear
The Hague
$173
Madison, WI
$152 12.1% $21
Getting Around
The Hague
$127
Madison, WI
$87 31.4% $40
Sport & Entertainment
The Hague
$79
Madison, WI
$81 2.6% $2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,653 in The Hague versus $1,723 in Madison, WI. 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 8% higher in Madison, WI. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in The Hague versus $65 in Madison, WI. Groceries tell a different story – $331 in The Hague vs $416 in Madison, WI – so The Hague wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇳🇱 The Hague
🇺🇸 Madison, WI
🕒 Local time
04:50 4:50 AM
21:50 9:50 PM
7 h behind The Hague
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
562,839
248,951
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • The Hague Madison, WI 6,600 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • The Hague
  • Madison, WI

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 Madison, WI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in The Hague and in Madison, WI compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,748 in The Hague, $2,931 in Madison, WI – The Hague comes out roughly 6% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in The Hague compared to Madison, WI?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,122 per month in The Hague and $4,396 in Madison, WI. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do apartment prices compare in The Hague and in Madison, WI?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,653 in The Hague and $1,723 in Madison, WI. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
How do commuting costs compare in The Hague and in Madison, WI?
Public transport costs about 23% less in Madison, WI. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between The Hague and Madison, WI?
Kindergarten costs $2,645 per month in The Hague and $1,594 in Madison, WI. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Where should digital nomads live: The Hague or Madison, WI?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. The Hague costs $2,748 versus $2,931 in Madison, WI. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Is The Hague or Madison, WI safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
How do I decide between The Hague and Madison, WI?
If budget matters most, go with The Hague. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Madison, WI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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