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Cost of Living

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Moving across countries can be expensive, but what about the costs of daily life after you have settled into your new home?

Navigating your new life in the Netherlands inevitably includes balancing costs of housing, food, transport, healthcare, and a wide range of other factors. On this page you can find more information about the expenses you should expect from living in the Netherlands.

Housing

Housing is one of the biggest expenses you will have to face upfront. The Netherlands can be fairly expensive when it comes to housing, both for buying and renting. It is a good idea to consider what your budget is when choosing the right home for you - and to make sure you factor in any applicable transport costs.

Renting an apartment can cost you anywhere between €1000 to €2000 a month, depending upon the municipality you choose to live in and the location of your apartment in the city or town itself. Buying a house in the Randstad will usually cost you upwards of €350,000. Many people choose to live in suburbs or small towns nearby big Dutch cities to save money on housing.

Learn more about housing in the Netherlands

Public Transportation

When selecting a location to live, it's important to consider transportation costs. Although many Dutch people commute to work by bike, the Netherlands has numerous public transport options for those days when you may not feel like cycling (especially in the winter months). You can buy an public transport card (OV chipkaart) that will work on all public transport throughout the Netherlands, and opt to pay for a subscription that suits your circumstances best. For commutes within the Randstad (between the cities of the Hague, Leiden, Utrecht, Rotterdam, and Amsterdam) you can expect journey times of less than an hour and prices of approximately €8 - €10 one way without a subscription. There are also frequent buses which you can take from one city to another, and these are usually cheaper than the trains.

Learn more about Dutch Public Transportation

Food

Food is one of the expenses in the Netherlands that can vary greatly depending on who you are and where you shop. It is often cheaper to visit your local weekly markets than it is to buy food from supermarkets, and you will often find fresher produce at the local markets. There are numerous supermarkets to choose from as well, though, and many offer regular discounts, especially if you choose to register with them as a customer (in which case you can sometimes get personalised discounts based upon what you regularly shop for). Most cities will also have smaller, individually owned grocery and convenience stores that may offer affordable prices.

Utilities

In the Netherlands, you can choose to have your gas and electricity from a single supplier, or select separate suppliers for each. There are a variety of different price comparison sites that are helpful in making the final decision on which supplier to use, including energievergelijk.nl and EasySwitch (both available in English).

In addition to gas and electricity, other utilities that you will need to consider include water, internet, and phone providers. If you live in the Leiden region, then your water supply will come from Dunea, however you will still have to select which internet and phone providers to use. Popular internet providers include Ziggo and KPN, although there are many others to choose from as well. For phone providers, some commonly used ones include Tele2, Vodafone, and Lebara. 

Ultimately, when it comes to utility providers and suppliers, it's important to take into account your own circumstances and what makes the most sense for you as an individual (or family). For instance, some phone providers may work best for those who travel frequently, whereas others are better for those living in more remote locations in the Netherlands.

Minimum Wage

In 2023, the minimum monthly wage for people 21 years and older in full-time work (in the Netherlands full-time work equates to anywhere between 36-40 hours a week) is €1,934, before taxes. If you are in the Netherlands on a highly skilled migrant visa, then the 30% ruling may apply to you. If you are in a low-income bracket in the Netherlands, you may also be eligible for a range of benefits to assist you with your living costs (including rental allowance and health insurance allowance). You can learn more about these on our Benefits & Social Security page.

Learn more about income tax and the 30% ruling
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Healthcare

Another cost to take into account is healthcare. If you work in the Netherlands, then it is mandatory to purchase health insurance. Health insurance can range from €90 - €130 per month on average, although this can depend on the insurance provider and your own personal situation. If you earn an income that is minimum wage (or is under the monthly minimum wage), then you may be eligible for health insurance allowance, which is enough to cover the basic health insurance packages monthly. 

When selecting health insurance, you must also decide how much you wish to pay 'at your own risk' (eigen risico). This means that you may agree to cover up to, for instance, €300 a year of any extra healthcare expenses, after which your health insurance will cover the rest of the money for you. Different health insurance providers may also have different medications that they are willing to pay for, or not. Some healthcare providers will, for example, cover the costs of the contraceptive pill if your GP has prescribed it to you for medical reasons. 

More about Living in the Netherlands

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