Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between The Hague and Rijswijk

For one person, living is cheaper in Rijswijk: $2,594 a month against $2,733 in The Hague, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

The Hague
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$2,733
/mo nomad
Rijswijk
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$2,594
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,733 in The Hague versus $2,594 in Rijswijk.

  • The Hague $2,733
  • Rijswijk $2,594

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,089 in The Hague versus $3,483 in Rijswijk.

  • The Hague $4,089
  • Rijswijk $3,483

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,446 in The Hague versus $4,371 in Rijswijk.

  • The Hague $5,446
  • Rijswijk $4,371

Living in The Hague is roughly 5% more expensive than in Rijswijk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: The Hague 102% above, Rijswijk 92% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
The Hague
Rijswijk
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.35 €19.88
$22.18 €19.73
0.77%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$87.5 €77.8
$76.6 €68.1
14.19%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.89 €13.24
$8.77 €7.80
69.78%
Cappuccino
$4.39 €3.91
$3.55 €3.16
23.66%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.28 €3.81
$3.29 €2.92
30.09%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.08 €3.63
$3.14 €2.79
29.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.16 €6.37
$6.86 €6.10
4.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.64 €6.79
$6.01 €5.35
27.12%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
The Hague
Rijswijk
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.49 €1.33
$1.30 €1.16
14.62%
White Bread (500g)
$2.29 €2.04
$1.65 €1.47
38.79%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.51 €2.23
$2.09 €1.86
20.10%
Eggs
$4.73 €4.20
$3.95 €3.52
19.75%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.45 €12.85
$13.52 €12.03
6.88%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.18 €11.73
$11.18 €9.95
17.89%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.25 €17.12
$16.71 €14.86
15.20%
Apples (1kg)
$2.53 €2.25
$1.98 €1.76
27.78%
Banana (1kg)
$2.23 €1.99
$1.99 €1.77
12.06%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.98 €1.76
$2.02 €1.80
-1.98%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.60 €3.20
$2.27 €2.02
58.59%
Potato (1kg)
$1.30 €1.16
$1.25 €1.11
4.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.28 €1.14
$1.28 €1.14
-
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 €0.99
$1.13 €1.00
-0.88%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.93 €0.83
$0.94 €0.84
-1.06%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.47 €12.87
$13.42 €11.93
7.82%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.89 €5.24
$5.54 €4.93
6.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.33 €1.19
$1.35 €1.20
-1.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.95 €1.74
$1.76 €1.56
10.80%
🚌 Getting Around
The Hague
Rijswijk
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.59 €4.08
$5.09 €4.52
-9.82%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$91.1 €81.0
$72.8 €64.8
25.12%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.54 €4.03
$4.69 €4.17
-3.20%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.32 €2.95
$3.45 €3.07
-3.77%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.71 €29.99
$33.16 €29.49
1.66%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.52 €2.24
$2.47 €2.19
2.02%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$41.4K €36.9K
$41.2K €36.7K
0.48%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.5K €35.1K
$38.3K €34.1K
3.05%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
The Hague
Rijswijk
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$281 €250
$281 €250
0.23%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.39 €25.25
$19.27 €17.14
47.33%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$54.3 €48.31
$49.88 €44.37
8.88%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
The Hague
Rijswijk
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$50.4 €44.82
$41.09 €36.55
22.63%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.94 €21.30
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$16.49 €14.67
$13.78 €12.26
19.67%
🧸 Childcare & Education
The Hague
Rijswijk
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,400 €2,135
$2,414 €2,148
-0.58%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K €10.3K
$11.6K €10.4K
-0.59%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
The Hague
Rijswijk
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$95.8 €85.2
$96.1 €85.5
-0.32%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.61 €38.79
$42.35 €37.67
2.98%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 €96.2
$105 €93.3
3.10%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$136 €121
$135 €120
1.03%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
The Hague
Rijswijk
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,640 €1,459
$1,422 €1,265
15.32%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,291 €1,148
$1,287 €1,145
0.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,798 €2,489
$1,507 €1,341
85.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,264 €2,014
$1,541 €1,371
46.93%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,067 €5,396
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,538 €4,037
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
The Hague
Rijswijk
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,069 €3,619
$3,777 €3,359
7.74%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.4
3.4
-

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

Last update for The Hague: October 10, 2026

Last update for Rijswijk: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
The Hague
$1.3K
Rijswijk
$1.3K 0.3% $3.9
Monthly Utilities & Internet
The Hague
$364
Rijswijk
$350 3.9% $14
Eating Out
The Hague
$361
Rijswijk
$318 11.7% $42
Groceries & Markets
The Hague
$330
Rijswijk
$285 13.7% $45
Clothing & Footwear
The Hague
$173
Rijswijk
$170 1.5% $2.5
Getting Around
The Hague
$131
Rijswijk
$115 11.8% $15
Sport & Entertainment
The Hague
$83
Rijswijk
$69 17.6% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,640 in The Hague and $1,422 in Rijswijk. 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: $87.0 in The Hague vs $77.0 in Rijswijk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $330 vs $285 per month, with Rijswijk cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇳🇱 The Hague
🇳🇱 Rijswijk
🕒 Local time
19:17 7:17 PM
19:17 7:17 PM
Same time as The Hague
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
562,839
51,027
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • The Hague Rijswijk 5 km
From you
  • The Hague
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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 Rijswijk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in The Hague and in Rijswijk?
The Hague and Rijswijk differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($2,733 vs $2,594 including rent). Rijswijk is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: The Hague or Rijswijk?
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.
How do apartment prices compare in The Hague and in Rijswijk?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,640 in The Hague versus $1,422 in Rijswijk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in The Hague. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Rijswijk – a meal for two runs $77.0 versus $87.0 in The Hague. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $2,594 in Rijswijk versus $2,733 in The Hague, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Rijswijk but tight or insufficient in The Hague. The gap between the two cities makes Rijswijk the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between The Hague and Rijswijk?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is The Hague or Rijswijk safer for residents?
Safety-wise, The Hague and Rijswijk are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: The Hague or Rijswijk?
Expats usually find Rijswijk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in The Hague. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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