Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zoetermeer and The Hague

For one person, living is cheaper in Zoetermeer: $2,292 a month against $2,727 in The Hague, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

112

Cost of Living Index in Zoetermeer
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Zoetermeer Living Index
132

Cost of Living Index in The Hague
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The Hague Living Index

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Zoetermeer

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,292

/mo nomad

The Hague

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,727

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zoetermeer 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 Zoetermeer and in The Hague actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,292 per month in Zoetermeer vs $2,727 in The Hague, rent included.

Zoetermeer $2,292
The Hague $2,727

A couple spends around $3,474 per month in Zoetermeer vs $4,085 in The Hague, rent included.

Zoetermeer $3,474
The Hague $4,085

A family of three spends $4,656 per month in Zoetermeer vs $5,443 in The Hague, rent included.

Zoetermeer $4,656
The Hague $5,443

Zoetermeer is about 16% cheaper than The Hague, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Zoetermeer and The Hague sit above the global median – Zoetermeer by 69%, The Hague by 101%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.45 €18.19

$22.22 €19.76

-7.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.1 €75.7

$89.2 €79.4

-4.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.00 €9.78

$15.04 €13.38

-26.86%

Cappuccino

$4.48 €3.98

$4.35 €3.87

2.99%

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

$3.28 €2.92

$4.15 €3.70

-20.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 €2.00

$4.28 €3.81

-47.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.14 €4.57

$7.17 €6.38

-28.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.95 €5.29

$7.70 €6.85

-22.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 €0.98

$1.52 €1.35

-27.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 €0.99

$2.21 €1.96

-49.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.97 €2.64

$2.47 €2.20

20.24%

Eggs

$4.50 €4.00

$4.51 €4.01

-0.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.82 €10.51

$14.94 €13.29

-20.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.36 €11.88

$12.87 €11.45

3.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.78 €14.92

$19.53 €17.38

-14.08%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 €1.60

$2.67 €2.37

-32.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.41 €2.15

$2.20 €1.95

9.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 €1.29

$2.06 €1.83

-29.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 €3.02

$3.68 €3.27

-7.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 €1.50

$1.33 €1.18

26.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 €1.34

$1.34 €1.19

12.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 €0.99

$1.12 €1.00

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.84

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 €12.43

$14.34 €12.76

-2.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.81 €6.06

$6.05 €5.38

12.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 €1.12

$1.30 €1.15

-3.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 €2.24

$1.97 €1.75

27.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.48 €3.09

$4.38 €3.90

-20.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.5 €78.8

$94.1 €83.7

-5.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.68 €4.16

$4.61 €4.10

1.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.49 €3.10

$3.34 €2.97

4.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$66.8 €59.4

$33.19 €29.52

101.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 €1.97

$2.53 €2.25

-12.65%

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

$41.5K €36.9K

$41.8K €37.2K

-0.72%

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

$39.7K €35.3K

$38.8K €34.5K

2.23%

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

$90.7 €80.7

$283 €252

-67.93%

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

$21.17 €18.83

$28.32 €25.19

-25.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 €49.52

$54.1 €48.09

2.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.19 €31.30

$51.7 €45.96

-31.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.77 €21.15

$23.96 €21.31

-0.79%

Cinema Ticket

$15.41 €13.70

$16.01 €14.24

-3.75%

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

$2,699 €2,401

$2,402 €2,137

12.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K €11.1K

$11.8K €10.5K

5.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.1 €84.6

$96.5 €85.9

-1.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.25 €34.02

$42.92 €38.18

-10.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €97.8

$105 €93.8

4.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €125

$140 €125

0.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,384 €1,231

$1,655 €1,472

-16.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,151 €1,024

$1,281 €1,139

-10.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,416 €2,149

$2,769 €2,463

-12.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 €1,696

$2,244 €1,996

-15.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,354 €4,763

$6,171 €5,489

-13.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,391 €3,905

$4,415 €3,927

-0.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,353 €3,872

$4,128 €3,672

5.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.49

3.4

2.65%

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

Last update for Zoetermeer: October 18, 2026

Last update for The Hague: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Zoetermeer

$1.2K 50.2%

The Hague

$1.3K 47% 11.3% $130

Eating Out

Zoetermeer

$310 13.5%

The Hague

$360 13.2% 16.1% $50

Groceries & Markets

Zoetermeer

$300 13.1%

The Hague

$331 12.1% 10.5% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Zoetermeer

$173 7.5%

The Hague

$173 6.4% 0.4% $0.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zoetermeer

$168 7.3%

The Hague

$365 13.4% 118% $198

Getting Around

Zoetermeer

$125 5.4%

The Hague

$133 4.9% 6.7% $8.4

Sport & Entertainment

Zoetermeer

$66 2.9%

The Hague

$84 3.1% 26.8% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,384 in Zoetermeer versus $1,655 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 5% higher in Zoetermeer, 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 $85.0 in Zoetermeer versus $89.0 in The Hague. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $331 – making Zoetermeer the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Zoetermeer

🇳🇱 The Hague

🕒 Local time

11:32 11:32 AM

Same time as Zoetermeer

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

126,998

562,839

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,292 in Zoetermeer, $2,727 in The Hague – roughly 19% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,437 per month in Zoetermeer and $4,091 in The Hague. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zoetermeer, 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 $2,292 in Zoetermeer and $2,727 in The Hague. That's a gap of about 19%.

Public transport costs about 6% less in Zoetermeer. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Zoetermeer, where all-in costs run around $2,292, than in The Hague at $2,727. In Zoetermeer 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 $2,292 in Zoetermeer to $2,727 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 Zoetermeer. 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.