Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zaandam and The Hague

For one person, living is cheaper in Zaandam: $1,349 a month against $2,733 in The Hague, rent and utilities included – about $16,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Zaandam
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Zaandam Living Index
132

Cost of Living Index in The Hague
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The Hague Living Index

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Zaandam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$1,349

/mo nomad

The Hague

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,733

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,349 per month in Zaandam vs $2,733 in The Hague, rent included.

Zaandam $1,349
The Hague $2,733

A couple spends around $3,435 per month in Zaandam vs $4,089 in The Hague, rent included.

Zaandam $3,435
The Hague $4,089

A family of three spends $5,520 per month in Zaandam vs $5,446 in The Hague, rent included.

Zaandam $5,520
The Hague $5,446

Zaandam is about 51% cheaper than The Hague, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Zaandam and The Hague sit above the global median – Zaandam by 0%, The Hague by 102%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.15 €19.70

$22.35 €19.88

-0.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.3 €72.3

$87.5 €77.8

-7.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.34 €11.87

$14.89 €13.24

-10.41%

Cappuccino

$4.15 €3.69

$4.39 €3.91

-5.47%

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

$3.71 €3.30

$4.28 €3.81

-13.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 €2.92

$4.08 €3.63

-19.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 €5.10

$7.16 €6.37

-19.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 €4.64

$7.64 €6.79

-31.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.15

$1.49 €1.33

-13.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 €2.48

$2.29 €2.04

21.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.73 €2.43

$2.51 €2.23

8.76%

Eggs

$4.72 €4.20

$4.73 €4.20

-0.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €12.00

$14.45 €12.85

-6.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.55 €11.17

$13.18 €11.73

-4.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.72 €14.87

$19.25 €17.12

-13.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 €2.39

$2.53 €2.25

6.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.09

$2.23 €1.99

5.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 €1.61

$1.98 €1.76

-8.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.22 €3.76

$3.60 €3.20

17.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.88 €1.67

$1.30 €1.16

44.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$1.28 €1.14

77.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 €1.09

$1.12 €0.99

9.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 €0.93

$0.93 €0.83

11.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.75 €12.23

$14.47 €12.87

-4.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.97 €6.20

$5.89 €5.24

18.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.34

$1.33 €1.19

12.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 €2.18

$1.95 €1.74

25.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.53 €3.14

$4.59 €4.08

-23.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.1 €75.7

$91.1 €81.0

-6.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.48 €5.76

$4.54 €4.03

42.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.29 €2.04

$3.32 €2.95

-31.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.63 €22.80

$33.71 €29.99

-23.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.42 €2.15

$2.52 €2.24

-3.97%

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

$40.6K €36.1K

$41.4K €36.9K

-1.93%

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

$37.9K €33.7K

$39.5K €35.1K

-4.12%

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

$260 €231

$281 €250

-7.62%

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

$24.17 €21.50

$28.39 €25.25

-14.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.6 €49.42

$54.3 €48.31

2.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.37 €40.36

$50.4 €44.82

-9.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.91 €24.83

$23.94 €21.30

16.58%

Cinema Ticket

$15.92 €14.16

$16.49 €14.67

-3.46%

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

$2,490 €2,215

$2,400 €2,135

3.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,701 €5,960

$11.6K €10.3K

-42.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.8 €75.4

$95.8 €85.2

-11.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.40 €35.94

$43.61 €38.79

-7.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €87.6

$108 €96.2

-8.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 €91.2

$136 €121

-24.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,356 €1,206

$1,640 €1,459

-17.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,291 €1,148

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,659 €1,475

$2,798 €2,489

-40.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,536 €2,256

$2,264 €2,014

12.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,319 €4,731

$6,067 €5,396

-12.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,264 €3,793

$4,538 €4,037

-6.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,657 €4,143

$4,069 €3,619

14.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

3.4

11.76%

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

Last update for Zaandam: October 12, 2026

Last update for The Hague: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zaandam

$340 25.2%

The Hague

$364 13.3% 7.2% $24

Eating Out

Zaandam

$334 24.8%

The Hague

$361 13.2% 7.9% $27

Groceries & Markets

Zaandam

$334 24.8%

The Hague

$330 12.1% 1.1% $3.6

Clothing & Footwear

Zaandam

$147 10.9%

The Hague

$173 6.3% 17.6% $26

Getting Around

Zaandam

$117 8.7%

The Hague

$131 4.8% 11.5% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Zaandam

$77 5.7%

The Hague

$83 3.1% 8% $6.2

Accommodation & Living

Zaandam

- * 0%

The Hague

$1.3K 47.2%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,356 in Zaandam versus $1,640 in The Hague. 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 14% higher in Zaandam, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81.0 in Zaandam versus $87.0 in The Hague. Groceries tell a different story – $334 in Zaandam vs $330 in The Hague – so The Hague wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Zaandam

🇳🇱 The Hague

🕒 Local time

01:25 1:25 AM

Same time as Zaandam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

76,804

562,839

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Zaandam The Hague 56 km

From you

Zaandam
The Hague

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

Zaandam vs The Hague: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,349 in Zaandam, $2,733 in The Hague – roughly 103% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,023 per month in Zaandam and $4,099 in The Hague. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,349 in Zaandam and $2,733 in The Hague. That's a gap of about 103%.

Public transport costs about 7% less in Zaandam. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Zaandam, where all-in costs run around $1,349, than in The Hague at $2,733. In Zaandam it covers expenses comfortably, while in The Hague it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. The Hague has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,349 in Zaandam to $2,733 in The Hague. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Zaandam. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, The Hague makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.