Cost of Living Calculator Netherlands 2026 — Budget Tool

Cost of Living in the Netherlands: The Short Answer

If you only want the number, here it is. These are single-person monthly totals from the dataset behind the calculator above — a one-bedroom rental on an average lifestyle, including rent, health insurance, an OV season ticket, groceries, eating out, gym, phone and internet, and utilities.

Three things to take from that table:

1. Rent is 50–60% of your total everywhere. Every other line is small by comparison. Choosing Rotterdam over Amsterdam saves about €480 a month on an identical lifestyle; choosing Groningen or Maastricht saves closer to €800.
2. Sharing is the biggest lever after the city. A room in a shared flat rather than your own one-bedroom takes €500–800 a month off the total, which is why so many new arrivals share for the first year.
3. Some costs do not move at all. Health insurance, phone and internet are nationally priced. Only rent, groceries, restaurants and gyms differ meaningfully between Dutch cities.

Use the calculator above to run your own combination of city, household and lifestyle — it also shows the difference against Amsterdam automatically.

What is included, and what is not

The totals cover the recurring monthly costs almost everyone has. They deliberately do not include income tax (these are net outgoings, so compare them with your net salary), childcare, private school fees, a car, debt repayments, or one-off arrival costs. Budget separately for the move itself: a deposit of one to two months’ rent, an agency fee where one applies, furniture, and a bicycle.

The 2026 numbers behind the model

• Health insurance: the average Dutch basisverzekering premium for 2026 is about €159 per month per adult, with the cheapest policies from roughly €142 and the most expensive around €185. Children under 18 pay no premium. Depending on your income you may also qualify for zorgtoeslag, which is not deducted in the figures above.
• Energy and utilities: priced nationally, but the property matters far more than the city. An older, poorly insulated house can cost twice as much to heat as a modern flat of the same size, so treat the utilities line as the most variable item in the table.
• Transport: the OV figures assume a monthly public transport pass. Many people in Dutch cities cycle and pay per journey instead, which usually works out cheaper.
• Rent: market rent in the private sector. Rents in the regulated (social) sector are far lower but effectively unavailable to new arrivals because of years-long waiting lists.

Practical ways to lower the number

Two of the fixed lines in the table are worth actively shopping for rather than accepting.

Energy. Dutch energy contracts are switchable and the gap between the cheapest and the most expensive supplier for identical delivery is real money over a year. Comparing before you sign your first contract, and again when a fixed term ends, is the highest-value twenty minutes on this list.

How to compare Dutch energy providers →

Internet and mobile. The €55 phone-and-internet line in the model is an average, not a floor. Bundles vary widely and promotional pricing for new customers is common.

Compare Dutch internet providers →

If part of your money lives in another currency. Whether you are moving savings to the Netherlands, paying a deposit before your Dutch account exists, or sending money home each month, the exchange-rate margin a bank adds is a recurring cost that never shows up in a budget spreadsheet. Wise charges an upfront fee at the mid-market rate instead, which makes the true cost visible.

Check Wise transfer costs →

Affiliate disclosure: the three links above are affiliate links. We earn a commission if you take out a product through them, at no extra cost to you. It does not change the figures in this calculator or which providers we mention.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cost of living in the Netherlands per month?

A single person renting a one-bedroom flat on an average lifestyle needs roughly €1,900–2,750 per month all-in, depending on the city: about €2,714 in Amsterdam, €2,362 in Utrecht, €2,229 in Rotterdam and The Hague, €2,081 in Eindhoven and €1,909 in Maastricht. Sharing a flat instead of renting alone cuts €500–800 off those totals.

Is Amsterdam much more expensive than the rest of the Netherlands?

Yes, and almost entirely because of rent: around €1,650 for a one-bedroom against roughly €1,250 in Rotterdam or The Hague and €1,025 in Maastricht. Groceries, restaurants and gyms run 10–25% higher in Amsterdam; nationally priced items such as health insurance and phone contracts are identical. On an equivalent lifestyle, Amsterdam to Rotterdam saves about €480 per month, and Amsterdam to Groningen or Maastricht around €800.

Which living costs are the same everywhere in the Netherlands?

Health insurance (a national system — about €159 per month per adult in 2026, children under 18 free), phone and internet. Energy is nationally priced but your bill depends on the building’s insulation far more than on the city. Rent is what really varies, followed at a distance by groceries, eating out and gym membership.

How much salary do I need to live comfortably in the Netherlands?

Take your net monthly costs from the calculator and add 20–25% for savings, holidays and irregular expenses. For a single person on an average lifestyle that means a net income of roughly €2,400–2,600 per month outside Amsterdam, or €3,200–3,400 in Amsterdam. Compare against your net salary after Dutch payroll tax — and note that the 30% ruling, if you qualify, raises your net figure substantially.

Related Guides

• Cost of Living in the Netherlands — comprehensive breakdown of expenses across Dutch cities
• Salary Negotiation Guide — how to negotiate a competitive salary as an expat in the Netherlands
• Dutch Tax System Explained — understand how Dutch taxes affect your take-home pay