Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zwolle and Amsterdam

For one person, living is cheaper in Zwolle: $2,305 a month against $3,465 in Amsterdam, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

113

Cost of Living Index in Zwolle
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Zwolle Living Index
168

Cost of Living Index in Amsterdam
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Amsterdam Living Index

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Zwolle

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,305

/mo nomad

Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,465

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,305 per month in Zwolle vs $3,465 in Amsterdam, rent included.

Zwolle $2,305
Amsterdam $3,465

A couple spends around $3,361 per month in Zwolle vs $4,929 in Amsterdam, rent included.

Zwolle $3,361
Amsterdam $4,929

A family of three spends $4,417 per month in Zwolle vs $6,393 in Amsterdam, rent included.

Zwolle $4,417
Amsterdam $6,393

Zwolle is about 33% cheaper than Amsterdam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Zwolle and Amsterdam sit above the global median – Zwolle by 71%, Amsterdam by 157%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.32 €18.08

$22.10 €19.66

-8.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.5 €74.3

$90.0 €80.0

-7.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 €10.50

$15.32 €13.63

-22.98%

Cappuccino

$3.99 €3.55

$4.58 €4.07

-12.88%

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

$3.61 €3.21

$3.70 €3.29

-2.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 €2.25

$2.98 €2.65

-15.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.49 €5.78

$7.38 €6.56

-12.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 €5.07

$5.73 €5.10

-0.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.02

$1.57 €1.40

-26.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.43 €2.16

$2.30 €2.04

5.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 €2.25

$2.51 €2.23

0.80%

Eggs

$4.41 €3.93

$5.07 €4.51

-13.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.15 €11.70

$16.73 €14.88

-21.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.71 €12.20

$13.11 €11.66

4.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.41 €14.59

$22.79 €20.28

-27.99%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 €1.69

$2.73 €2.43

-30.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 €2.10

$2.76 €2.46

-14.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 €1.60

$2.74 €2.44

-34.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.70 €3.29

$3.78 €3.37

-2.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 €1.54

$2.38 €2.11

-27.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 €1.67

$1.61 €1.43

16.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 €1.08

$1.46 €1.30

-16.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 €0.63

$1.77 €1.58

-59.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.76 €12.24

$14.52 €12.92

-5.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.62 €5.89

$9.10 €8.09

-27.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 €1.20

$1.79 €1.59

-24.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.48

$2.43 €2.16

14.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.98 €5.32

$3.69 €3.29

62.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.8 €79.9

$112 €100

-20.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.67 €3.26

$4.51 €4.01

-18.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.74 €2.44

$3.44 €3.06

-20.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.07 €40.09

$39.71 €35.32

13.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 €1.97

$2.63 €2.34

-15.97%

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

$41.0K €36.4K

$41.3K €36.7K

-0.83%

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

$39.6K €35.2K

$39.4K €35.1K

0.37%

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

$243 €216

$295 €262

-17.45%

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

$21.96 €19.53

$22.26 €19.80

-1.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.12 €39.25

$51.1 €45.46

-13.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.35 €35.90

$59.9 €53.3

-32.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.19 €18.84

$35.44 €31.52

-40.21%

Cinema Ticket

$15.88 €14.12

$16.82 €14.96

-5.59%

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

$1,588 €1,412

$2,826 €2,513

-43.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,101 €7,206

$17.1K €15.2K

-52.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.2 €85.6

$92.5 €82.3

4.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.8 €46.08

$41.61 €37.01

24.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.8 €78.1

$97.6 €86.9

-10.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €109

$132 €117

-6.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$993 €883

$2,575 €2,290

-61.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$998 €888

$1,955 €1,739

-48.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,806 €1,606

$3,997 €3,555

-54.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,484 €1,320

$3,053 €2,716

-51.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,288 €4,704

$10.4K €9,222

-49.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,348 €3,867

$6,494 €5,776

-33.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,014 €2,681

$4,692 €4,174

-35.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.23

3.27

-1.22%

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

Last update for Zwolle: 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

Zwolle

$998 43.3%

Amsterdam

$2K 56.4% 95.8% $957

Groceries & Markets

Zwolle

$318 13.8%

Amsterdam

$383 11% 20.3% $65

Eating Out

Zwolle

$314 13.6%

Amsterdam

$353 10.2% 12.2% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zwolle

$309 13.4%

Amsterdam

$368 10.6% 19% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Zwolle

$161 7%

Amsterdam

$164 4.7% 1.4% $2.2

Getting Around

Zwolle

$131 5.7%

Amsterdam

$149 4.3% 13.6% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Zwolle

$72 3.1%

Amsterdam

$94 2.7% 29.7% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $993 in Zwolle 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 56% 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 $83.0 in Zwolle versus $90.0 in Amsterdam. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $318 vs $383 – making Zwolle the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Zwolle

🇳🇱 Amsterdam

🕒 Local time

07:42 7:42 AM

Same time as Zwolle

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

132,411

881,933 Capital

💱 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

Zwolle vs Amsterdam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Amsterdam is pricier by about 50%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,457 per month in Zwolle 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 Zwolle, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 25% less in Zwolle. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,588 per month in Zwolle and $2,826 in Amsterdam. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Zwolle, where all-in costs run around $2,305, than in Amsterdam at $3,465. In Zwolle it covers expenses comfortably, while in Amsterdam it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zwolle – 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 Zwolle. 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.