Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and the Netherlands

Name: Netherlands
Address: NL

For one person, living costs are similar in the United States and in the Netherlands: $2,727 and $2,694 a month, rent and utilities included.

132

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in the Netherlands
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Netherlands Living Index

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,727

/mo nomad

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,694

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United States and in the Netherlands

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in the United States and in the Netherlands actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,727 per month in the United States vs $2,694 in the Netherlands, rent included.

United States $2,727
Netherlands $2,694

A couple spends around $4,009 per month in the United States vs $3,888 in the Netherlands, rent included.

United States $4,009
Netherlands $3,888

A family of three spends $5,291 per month in the United States vs $5,081 in the Netherlands, rent included.

United States $5,291
Netherlands $5,081

The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($977–$5,215) than in the Netherlands ($1,207–$3,496), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in the United States is about 1% higher than in the Netherlands on average.

Both the United States and the Netherlands are pricier than the global median – the United States by 101%, the Netherlands by 99%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.73 $19.73

$22.27 €19.81

-11.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.0 $81.0

$89.0 €79.2

-9.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.98 $11.98

$13.79 €12.26

-13.13%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$4.16 €3.70

34.37%

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

$2.78 $2.78

$3.60 €3.20

-22.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$3.05 €2.72

-31.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.98 $5.98

$6.61 €5.88

-9.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.92 $7.92

$5.72 €5.09

38.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.32 €1.17

-21.97%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.25 €2.01

66.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$2.69 €2.39

65.80%

Eggs

$4.34 $4.34

$4.71 €4.19

-7.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.75 $12.75

$13.73 €12.21

-7.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.27 $12.27

$14.11 €12.55

-13.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.29 $17.29

$17.27 €15.36

0.12%

Apples (1kg)

$5.31 $5.31

$2.66 €2.36

99.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$2.49 €2.21

-32.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$2.08 €1.85

107.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.03 $5.03

$4.08 €3.63

23.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.80 €1.60

56.11%

Onion (1kg)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.87 €1.67

63.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.28 €1.14

73.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.88 €0.78

167.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.92 $10.92

$14.16 €12.59

-22.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$6.66 €5.92

123.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.50 €1.33

40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.55 €2.27

41.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 $2.46

$3.75 €3.34

-34.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.7 $65.7

$95.2 €84.7

-30.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$4.73 €4.21

-24.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

$3.00 €2.67

-36.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.51 $29.51

$34.06 €30.30

-13.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.43 €2.16

-58.02%

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

$28.3K $28.3K

$41.6K €37.0K

-32.03%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$38.8K €34.5K

-33.07%

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

$221 $221

$259 €230

-14.75%

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

$61.3 $61.3

$22.93 €20.39

167.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.3 $73.3

$50.3 €44.74

45.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.89 $44.89

$42.07 €37.42

6.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.65 $22.65

$26.22 €23.33

-13.62%

Cinema Ticket

$15.16 $15.16

$15.68 €13.94

-3.32%

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

$1,471 $1,471

$2,185 €1,944

-32.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.0K $25.0K

$8,876 €7,896

181.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 $53.5

$94.7 €84.3

-43.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.76 $43.76

$42.95 €38.20

1.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 $92.0

$102 €90.8

-9.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$132 €117

-13.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,654 $1,654

$1,648 €1,465

0.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 $1,332

$1,314 €1,169

1.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,669 $2,669

$2,547 €2,266

4.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,207 $2,207

$1,985 €1,766

11.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,054 $3,054

$6,600 €5,871

-53.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,522 $2,522

$4,779 €4,251

-47.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,391 $4,391

$3,787 €3,369

15.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

3.87

69.25%

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

Last update for the United States: October 18, 2026

Last update for the Netherlands: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 48.9%

Netherlands

$1.3K 48.8% 1.4% $18

Groceries & Markets

United States

$413 15.1%

Netherlands

$337 12.5% 18.4% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$355 13%

Netherlands

$332 12.3% 6.5% $23

Eating Out

United States

$326 12%

Netherlands

$341 12.6% 4.4% $14

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5%

Netherlands

$167 6.2% 22.4% $31

Getting Around

United States

$89 3.3%

Netherlands

$130 4.8% 46.6% $41

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$75 2.8%

Netherlands

$73 2.7% 2.4% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,612 in the United States vs $1,410 in the Netherlands. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,743 in Washington, DC and $2,654 in Amsterdam.

Average salary: $4,548 in the United States vs $3,603 in the Netherlands. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 14% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 13% more in the Netherlands.

Public transport is 219% more expensive in the Netherlands.

Salaries are 26% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇺🇸 United States

🇳🇱 Netherlands

🕒 Local time

11:45 11:45 AM

17:45 5:45 PM

6 h ahead of the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

17,100,715

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

United States Netherlands 7,070 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

United States
Netherlands

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

United States vs Netherlands: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

The Netherlands is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 1% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United States: a central one-bedroom averages $1,612 versus $1,410 in the Netherlands.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in the Netherlands, but in the United States it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

The Netherlands is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.