Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between The Hague and Zwolle

For one person, living is cheaper in Zwolle: $2,327 a month against $2,766 in The Hague, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

The Hague, Netherlands
Zwolle, Netherlands
The Hague
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$2,766
/mo nomad
Zwolle
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$2,327
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,766 per month in The Hague vs $2,327 in Zwolle, rent included.

  • The Hague $2,766
  • Zwolle $2,327

A couple spends around $4,187 per month in The Hague vs $3,375 in Zwolle, rent included.

  • The Hague $4,187
  • Zwolle $3,375

A family of three spends $5,609 per month in The Hague vs $4,423 in Zwolle, rent included.

  • The Hague $5,609
  • Zwolle $4,423

The Hague costs about 19% more than Zwolle, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both The Hague and Zwolle sit above the global median – The Hague by 103%, Zwolle by 71%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
The Hague
Zwolle
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.36 €20.04
$20.71 €18.56
7.97%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$91.0 €81.6
$82.4 €73.8
10.47%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.95 €13.40
$11.86 €10.62
26.05%
Cappuccino
$4.24 €3.80
$4.06 €3.64
4.43%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.11 €3.68
$3.44 €3.08
19.48%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.25 €3.81
$2.55 €2.29
66.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.36 €6.59
$6.82 €6.11
7.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.91 €7.09
$5.67 €5.08
39.51%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
The Hague
Zwolle
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.44 €1.29
$1.15 €1.03
25.22%
White Bread (500g)
$2.30 €2.06
$2.36 €2.11
-2.54%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.56 €2.30
$2.47 €2.22
3.64%
Eggs
$4.57 €4.09
$4.60 €4.12
-0.65%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.50 €13.00
$13.17 €11.80
10.10%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.06 €11.71
$14.07 €12.61
-7.18%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.31 €17.30
$16.68 €14.95
15.77%
Apples (1kg)
$2.66 €2.38
$1.89 €1.70
40.74%
Banana (1kg)
$2.18 €1.95
$2.41 €2.16
-9.54%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.02 €1.81
$1.86 €1.67
8.60%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.64 €3.26
$3.58 €3.21
1.68%
Potato (1kg)
$1.36 €1.22
$1.71 €1.53
-20.47%
Onion (1kg)
$1.26 €1.13
$1.93 €1.73
-34.72%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 €1.01
$1.19 €1.06
-5.04%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.93 €0.83
$0.70 €0.63
32.86%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.77 €13.24
$13.70 €12.28
7.81%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.98 €5.36
$6.59 €5.91
-9.26%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.34 €1.20
$1.41 €1.26
-4.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.97 €1.77
$2.66 €2.39
-25.94%
🚌 Getting Around
The Hague
Zwolle
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.87 €4.37
$5.90 €5.29
-17.46%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$83.4 €74.8
$89.5 €80.2
-6.80%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.75 €4.25
$3.85 €3.45
23.38%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.48 €3.11
$2.73 €2.44
27.47%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.87 €30.35
$45.75 €41.00
-25.97%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.54 €2.28
$2.12 €1.90
19.81%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$40.5K €36.3K
$41.9K €37.5K
-3.16%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.2K €35.1K
$38.8K €34.8K
1.00%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
The Hague
Zwolle
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$283 €254
$243 €218
16.43%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.00 €25.09
$21.82 €19.55
28.32%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$55.8 €50.0
$44.37 €39.76
25.76%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
The Hague
Zwolle
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.86 €41.99
$40.81 €36.57
14.82%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.12 €21.62
$24.31 €21.78
-0.78%
Cinema Ticket
$15.92 €14.26
$15.26 €13.67
4.33%
🧸 Childcare & Education
The Hague
Zwolle
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,577 €2,310
$1,592 €1,427
61.89%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.8K €10.6K
$8,090 €7,249
45.86%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
The Hague
Zwolle
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$95.9 €85.9
$94.0 €84.3
1.97%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.00 €39.43
$52.0 €46.63
-15.45%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €94.1
$88.1 €79.0
19.20%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$137 €123
$126 €113
8.92%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
The Hague
Zwolle
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 €1,531
$991 €888
72.34%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,332 €1,194
$1,015 €909
31.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,907 €2,605
$1,796 €1,609
61.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,430 €2,178
$1,477 €1,323
64.56%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,313 €5,657
$5,798 €5,196
8.87%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,515 €4,046
$4,444 €3,982
1.60%
💵 Salaries & Financials
The Hague
Zwolle
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,042 €3,622
$2,965 €2,657
36.35%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.4
3.23
5.26%

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

Last update for The Hague: October 27, 2026

Last update for Zwolle: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
The Hague
$1.3K
Zwolle
$1K 23.9% $318
Monthly Utilities & Internet
The Hague
$367
Zwolle
$309 15.7% $58
Eating Out
The Hague
$361
Zwolle
$319 11.5% $41
Groceries & Markets
The Hague
$330
Zwolle
$320 3% $9.8
Clothing & Footwear
The Hague
$172
Zwolle
$162 5.7% $9.9
Getting Around
The Hague
$125
Zwolle
$131 4.5% $5.6
Sport & Entertainment
The Hague
$79
Zwolle
$71 9.4% $7.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,708 in The Hague versus $991 in Zwolle. 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 36% higher in The Hague. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91 in The Hague versus $82 in Zwolle. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $330 vs $320 – making Zwolle the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇳🇱 The Hague
🇳🇱 Zwolle
🕒 Local time
08:32 8:32 AM
08:32 8:32 AM
Same time as The Hague
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
562,839
132,411
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • The Hague Zwolle 130 km
From you
  • The Hague
  • Zwolle

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 Zwolle: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in The Hague and in Zwolle compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,766 in The Hague, $2,327 in Zwolle – Zwolle comes out roughly 16% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in The Hague compared to Zwolle?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,149 per month in The Hague and $3,491 in Zwolle. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between The Hague and Zwolle?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Zwolle, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $991 there versus $1,708 in The Hague.
Which city is more expensive overall: The Hague or Zwolle?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,766 in The Hague and $2,327 in Zwolle. That makes Zwolle about 16% cheaper.
How do commuting costs compare in The Hague and in Zwolle?
Public transport costs about 7% less in The Hague. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Where should families live: The Hague or Zwolle?
Families tend to lean toward Zwolle – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is The Hague or Zwolle 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 Zwolle?
If budget matters most, go with Zwolle. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, The Hague makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

The Hague vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?