Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wilmington, NC and Amsterdam

For one person, living is cheaper in Wilmington, NC: $2,783 a month against $3,465 in Amsterdam, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Amsterdam outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

135

Cost of Living Index in Wilmington, NC
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Wilmington, NC Living Index
168

Cost of Living Index in Amsterdam
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Amsterdam Living Index

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Wilmington, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,783

/mo nomad

Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,465

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Wilmington, NC 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 Wilmington, NC and in Amsterdam actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,783 per month in Wilmington, NC vs $3,465 in Amsterdam, rent included.

Wilmington, NC $2,783
Amsterdam $3,465

A couple spends around $4,102 per month in Wilmington, NC vs $4,929 in Amsterdam, rent included.

Wilmington, NC $4,102
Amsterdam $4,929

A family of three spends $5,421 per month in Wilmington, NC vs $6,393 in Amsterdam, rent included.

Wilmington, NC $5,421
Amsterdam $6,393

Wilmington, NC is about 20% cheaper than Amsterdam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Wilmington, NC and Amsterdam sit above the global median – Wilmington, NC by 106%, Amsterdam by 157%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.70 $14.70

$22.10 €19.66

-33.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.8 $78.8

$90.0 €80.0

-12.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.82 $10.82

$15.32 €13.63

-29.37%

Cappuccino

$5.38 $5.38

$4.58 €4.07

17.47%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.70 €3.29

-28.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.98 €2.65

-20.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.06 $5.06

$7.38 €6.56

-31.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 $7.13

$5.73 €5.10

24.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.57 €1.40

-35.67%

White Bread (500g)

$4.02 $4.02

$2.30 €2.04

74.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.12 $6.12

$2.51 €2.23

143.82%

Eggs

$5.34 $5.34

$5.07 €4.51

5.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.75 $11.75

$16.73 €14.88

-29.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.43 $14.43

$13.11 €11.66

10.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.84 $25.84

$22.79 €20.28

13.38%

Apples (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$2.73 €2.43

145.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.76 €2.46

-38.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.03 $7.03

$2.74 €2.44

156.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.12 $6.12

$3.78 €3.37

61.90%

Potato (1kg)

$4.26 $4.26

$2.38 €2.11

78.99%

Onion (1kg)

$5.87 $5.87

$1.61 €1.43

264.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.46 €1.30

60.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.77 €1.58

77.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.21 $8.21

$14.52 €12.92

-43.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.35 $14.35

$9.10 €8.09

57.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.79 €1.59

10.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.05 $6.05

$2.43 €2.16

148.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.52 $2.52

$3.69 €3.29

-31.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.4 $78.4

$112 €100

-30.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.20 $7.20

$4.51 €4.01

59.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

$3.44 €3.06

-44.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.71 €35.32

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$2.63 €2.34

-60.84%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$41.3K €36.7K

-15.35%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$39.4K €35.1K

-35.26%

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

$291 $291

$295 €262

-1.44%

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

$56.0 $56.0

$22.26 €19.80

151.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.1 $76.1

$51.1 €45.46

48.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 $67.2

$59.9 €53.3

12.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.90 $3.90

$35.44 €31.52

-89.00%

Cinema Ticket

$15.29 $15.29

$16.82 €14.96

-9.10%

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

$1,333 $1,333

$2,826 €2,513

-52.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €15.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.1 $69.1

$92.5 €82.3

-25.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.64 $42.64

$41.61 €37.01

2.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$97.6 €86.9

3.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.2 $71.2

$132 €117

-46.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,562 $1,562

$2,575 €2,290

-39.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,250 $1,250

$1,955 €1,739

-36.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,330 $2,330

$3,997 €3,555

-41.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 $2,126

$3,053 €2,716

-30.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,794 $2,794

$10.4K €9,222

-73.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,793 $2,793

$6,494 €5,776

-56.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,937 $3,937

$4,692 €4,174

-16.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

3.27

100.92%

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

Last update for Wilmington, NC: October 12, 2026

Last update for Amsterdam: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Wilmington, NC

$1.3K 44.9%

Amsterdam

$2K 56.4% 56.4% $705

Groceries & Markets

Wilmington, NC

$506 18.2%

Amsterdam

$383 11% 24.3% $123

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wilmington, NC

$423 15.2%

Amsterdam

$368 10.6% 12.9% $55

Eating Out

Wilmington, NC

$274 9.9%

Amsterdam

$353 10.2% 28.6% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Wilmington, NC

$128 4.6%

Amsterdam

$164 4.7% 28.2% $36

Getting Around

Wilmington, NC

$105 3.8%

Amsterdam

$149 4.3% 41.5% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Wilmington, NC

$98 3.5%

Amsterdam

$94 2.7% 4.4% $4.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,562 in Wilmington, NC versus $2,575 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 19% 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 $79.0 in Wilmington, NC versus $90.0 in Amsterdam. Groceries tell a different story – $506 in Wilmington, NC vs $383 in Amsterdam – so Amsterdam wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Wilmington, NC

🇳🇱 Amsterdam

🕒 Local time

06:25 6:25 AM

12:25 12:25 PM

6 h ahead of Wilmington, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

72,826

881,933 Capital

💱 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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Between locations

Wilmington, NC Amsterdam 6,610 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Wilmington, NC
Amsterdam

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

Wilmington, NC vs Amsterdam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Amsterdam is pricier by about 24%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,175 per month in Wilmington, NC and $5,197 in Amsterdam. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Wilmington, NC, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 43% less in Wilmington, NC. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,333 per month in Wilmington, NC and $2,826 in Amsterdam. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,783 in Wilmington, NC and $3,465 in Amsterdam. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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