Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between The Hague and Nijmegen

For one person, living is cheaper in Nijmegen: $2,510 a month against $2,727 in The Hague, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in The Hague outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

132

Cost of Living Index in The Hague
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The Hague Living Index
120

Cost of Living Index in Nijmegen
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Nijmegen Living Index

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The Hague

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,727

/mo nomad

Nijmegen

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,510

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,727 in The Hague versus $2,510 in Nijmegen.

The Hague $2,727
Nijmegen $2,510

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,085 in The Hague versus $3,721 in Nijmegen.

The Hague $4,085
Nijmegen $3,721

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,443 in The Hague versus $4,933 in Nijmegen.

The Hague $5,443
Nijmegen $4,933

Living in The Hague is roughly 9% more expensive than in Nijmegen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: The Hague 101% above, Nijmegen 85% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.22 €19.76

$25.04 €22.27

-11.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 €79.4

$94.8 €84.3

-5.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 €13.38

$13.64 €12.13

10.26%

Cappuccino

$4.35 €3.87

$4.26 €3.79

2.11%

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

$4.15 €3.70

$3.95 €3.51

5.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 €3.81

$2.67 €2.38

60.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.17 €6.38

$5.63 €5.01

27.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.70 €6.85

$5.48 €4.87

40.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 €1.35

$1.41 €1.25

7.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 €1.96

$2.07 €1.84

6.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.47 €2.20

$2.38 €2.12

3.78%

Eggs

$4.51 €4.01

$5.17 €4.60

-12.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.94 €13.29

$13.22 €11.76

13.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.87 €11.45

$14.42 €12.83

-10.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.53 €17.38

$15.65 €13.92

24.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.67 €2.37

$2.71 €2.41

-1.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 €1.95

$2.54 €2.26

-13.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.06 €1.83

$1.87 €1.67

10.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.68 €3.27

$5.50 €4.89

-33.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 €1.18

$2.02 €1.80

-34.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 €1.19

$2.43 €2.16

-44.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.23 €1.09

-8.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.84

$0.71 €0.63

32.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.34 €12.76

$13.80 €12.27

3.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 €5.38

$7.22 €6.43

-16.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.15

$1.51 €1.35

-13.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.75

$2.53 €2.25

-22.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.38 €3.90

$3.41 €3.04

28.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.1 €83.7

$140 €124

-32.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.61 €4.10

$3.94 €3.50

17.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.34 €2.97

$3.24 €2.88

3.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.19 €29.52

$44.76 €39.81

-25.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.53 €2.25

$2.34 €2.08

8.12%

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

$41.8K €37.2K

$42.1K €37.5K

-0.64%

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

$38.8K €34.5K

$40.2K €35.8K

-3.55%

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

$283 €252

$286 €254

-1.09%

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

$28.32 €25.19

$22.40 €19.92

26.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.1 €48.09

$41.98 €37.34

28.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.7 €45.96

$30.23 €26.89

70.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.96 €21.31

$24.93 €22.18

-3.89%

Cinema Ticket

$16.01 €14.24

$15.96 €14.19

0.31%

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

$2,402 €2,137

$2,837 €2,524

-15.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K €10.5K

$17.1K €15.2K

-31.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.5 €85.9

$97.3 €86.5

-0.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.92 €38.18

$43.10 €38.34

-0.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.8

$105 €93.1

0.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 €125

$169 €150

-16.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,655 €1,472

$1,484 €1,320

11.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 €1,139

$1,041 €926

23.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,769 €2,463

$2,382 €2,119

16.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,244 €1,996

$1,634 €1,454

37.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,171 €5,489

$5,488 €4,881

12.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,415 €3,927

$4,140 €3,682

6.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,128 €3,672

$3,469 €3,086

19.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.4

-15.00%

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

Last update for The Hague: October 18, 2026

Last update for Nijmegen: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

The Hague

$1.3K 47%

Nijmegen

$1K 41.5% 18.7% $240

Monthly Utilities & Internet

The Hague

$365 13.4%

Nijmegen

$350 14% 4.1% $15

Eating Out

The Hague

$360 13.2%

Nijmegen

$358 14.3% 0.6% $2.2

Groceries & Markets

The Hague

$331 12.1%

Nijmegen

$339 13.5% 2.3% $7.7

Clothing & Footwear

The Hague

$173 6.4%

Nijmegen

$186 7.4% 7.4% $13

Getting Around

The Hague

$133 4.9%

Nijmegen

$174 6.9% 30.6% $41

Sport & Entertainment

The Hague

$84 3.1%

Nijmegen

$62 2.5% 25.7% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,655 in The Hague and $1,484 in Nijmegen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

The Hague pays 19% 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: $89.0 in The Hague vs $95.0 in Nijmegen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $331 vs $339 per month, with The Hague cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇱 The Hague

🇳🇱 Nijmegen

🕒 Local time

20:01 8:01 PM

Same time as The Hague

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

562,839

177,359

💱 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 Nijmegen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nijmegen is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, leisure, and utilities. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 19% 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: $1,655 in The Hague versus $1,484 in Nijmegen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Nijmegen – a meal for two runs $95.0 versus $89.0 in The Hague. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,727 per month in The Hague versus $2,510 in Nijmegen – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Nijmegen is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Nijmegen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in The Hague, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, The Hague and Nijmegen 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 Nijmegen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in The Hague. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.