Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Venlo and Amsterdam

For one person, living is cheaper in Venlo: $2,433 a month against $3,517 in Amsterdam, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Venlo
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Venlo Living Index
170

Cost of Living Index in Amsterdam
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Amsterdam Living Index

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Venlo

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,433

/mo nomad

Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,517

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Venlo and in Amsterdam

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

A single person spends $2,433 per month in Venlo vs $3,517 in Amsterdam, rent included.

Venlo $2,433
Amsterdam $3,517

A couple spends around $3,469 per month in Venlo vs $5,063 in Amsterdam, rent included.

Venlo $3,469
Amsterdam $5,063

A family of three spends $4,506 per month in Venlo vs $6,608 in Amsterdam, rent included.

Venlo $4,506
Amsterdam $6,608

Venlo is about 31% cheaper than Amsterdam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Venlo and Amsterdam sit above the global median – Venlo by 79%, Amsterdam by 158%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.60 €20.16

$22.34 €19.93

1.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.3 €78.8

$88.6 €79.0

-0.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.04 €11.63

$14.80 €13.20

-11.89%

Cappuccino

$3.46 €3.08

$4.65 €4.15

-25.59%

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

$3.33 €2.97

$3.69 €3.29

-9.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 €2.43

$2.90 €2.58

-6.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.80 €6.07

$7.92 €7.07

-14.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.72 €5.10

$6.54 €5.83

-12.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 €1.18

$1.44 €1.28

-7.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 €1.55

$2.40 €2.14

-27.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 €2.25

$2.50 €2.23

1.20%

Eggs

$5.12 €4.57

$5.15 €4.60

-0.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.50 €12.05

$16.90 €15.08

-20.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.17 €13.53

$12.73 €11.36

19.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.43 €13.77

$22.87 €20.41

-32.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.08 €1.85

$2.75 €2.45

-24.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.94

$2.74 €2.44

-20.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 €1.67

$2.74 €2.45

-31.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.48 €4.00

$3.86 €3.44

16.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 €1.50

$2.52 €2.25

-33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 €1.64

$1.65 €1.47

11.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.51 €1.34

-15.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 €0.67

$1.69 €1.51

-55.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.83 €12.34

$14.52 €12.95

-4.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.89 €6.15

$8.60 €7.67

-19.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.28

$1.78 €1.59

-19.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 €2.33

$2.51 €2.24

3.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 €1.37

$3.70 €3.30

-58.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$136 €122

$117 €104

16.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.64

$4.69 €4.18

-13.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.36 €2.10

$3.42 €3.05

-30.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.73 €29.20

$39.00 €34.80

-16.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.34 €2.09

$2.56 €2.28

-8.59%

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

$40.8K €36.4K

$40.6K €36.2K

0.53%

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

$39.4K €35.1K

$38.9K €34.7K

1.21%

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

$181 €161

$306 €273

-40.95%

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

$14.86 €13.26

$22.66 €20.22

-34.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.6 €49.63

$52.8 €47.13

5.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.84 €19.49

$55.0 €49.04

-60.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.45 €28.06

$35.66 €31.82

-11.81%

Cinema Ticket

$11.10 €9.90

$16.48 €14.71

-32.65%

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

$2,254 €2,011

$2,778 €2,478

-18.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K €10.8K

$17.0K €15.1K

-28.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.1 €78.6

$92.7 €82.7

-5.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.50 €25.42

$41.28 €36.83

-30.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 €101

$101 €90.5

11.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 €140

$134 €120

17.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,118 €997

$2,642 €2,357

-57.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 €1,024

$1,989 €1,775

-42.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,324 €1,181

$4,165 €3,716

-68.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 €1,365

$3,251 €2,900

-52.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,163 €2,822

$10.6K €9,416

-70.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,837 €2,531

$6,734 €6,008

-57.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,661 €3,266

$4,625 €4,126

-20.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.83

3.3

16.06%

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

Last update for Venlo: October 27, 2026

Last update for Amsterdam: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Venlo

$1.1K 47.2%

Amsterdam

$2K 56.6% 73.3% $841

Eating Out

Venlo

$331 13.6%

Amsterdam

$358 10.2% 8.1% $27

Groceries & Markets

Venlo

$326 13.4%

Amsterdam

$381 10.8% 16.7% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Venlo

$251 10.3%

Amsterdam

$382 10.9% 51.9% $130

Clothing & Footwear

Venlo

$174 7.2%

Amsterdam

$166 4.7% 4.4% $7.7

Getting Around

Venlo

$158 6.5%

Amsterdam

$153 4.4% 3.2% $5.1

Sport & Entertainment

Venlo

$44 1.8%

Amsterdam

$88 2.5% 99.7% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,118 in Venlo versus $2,642 in Amsterdam. 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 26% higher in Amsterdam, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $88 in Venlo versus $89 in Amsterdam. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $326 vs $381 – making Venlo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Venlo

🇳🇱 Amsterdam

🕒 Local time

21:20 9:20 PM

Same time as Venlo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

103,328

881,933 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Venlo Amsterdam 140 km

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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

Venlo vs Amsterdam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Amsterdam is pricier by about 45%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,649 per month in Venlo and $5,276 in Amsterdam. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Venlo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,118 there versus $2,642 in Amsterdam.

Public transport costs about 14% less in Amsterdam. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Amsterdam, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Venlo, where all-in costs run around $2,433, than in Amsterdam at $3,517. In Venlo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Amsterdam it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Venlo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Venlo. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Amsterdam makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.