# Cost of Living in the Netherlands



## stuart

Hi all, 

Are there any Americans Expats living in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, or The Hague? I am considering a move there from Ft. Lauderdale Florida. My company is researching the COL but I want to get my own information too. 

I lived in Cork Ireland for 4 years and found some things very expensive and others not so much. I am looking for some advice on the COL and what to expect for housing, fuel, groceries, clothing, etc. 

All advice will be very much appreciated. 

Regards,
Stuart London


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## synthia

Welcome, stuart, to the expat forum. I've copied your thread to the Other Countries forum to give you another opportunity to get responses. What a great opportunity for you.


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## meow

Hi stuart, I lived in Cork also, and now live in Amsterdam. Housing is expensive here. Expect to pay around 1000 a month for the city centre (for small) or for nice (on the edges). Groceries, public transport and in places, eating out is cheaper than home. Taxes are higher though 
One thing to note, is that I found services and customer care were much better in Ireland, here I often hear "that's not possible". Note also, that it rains just as much here as in Ireland


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## Guest

*Cost of Living in NL*

I have been living in Eindhoven, NL for about a year and I can agree that the Cost of Living here is a bit higher then where I am from (CA) for things such as gas, food, etc.

My company factored that in when producing my contract.

Hope this is helpful,
D.


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## r0xanne

Hi Stuart. I'm going to be moving from the US to the Netherlands as well. Maybe we should be in touch to exchange some details. Is this possible?


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## Bevdeforges

The cost of living in Europe is going to be higher than in the US in any event, but Calgrad00 hit the major areas that account for that difference.

Gasoline is heavily taxed, with prices running about $5 to $7 a gallon. But, cars are smaller and fuel efficiency is a big consideration these days. (Besides, there are alternatives to driving in many areas - and public transit is subsidized so as to make it very worthwhile.) Consider, too, that distances driven are much less here.

Food has always been more expensive here in Europe. Part of it is that it's more highly regulated. And it's also really, really good. (More "real" food - without additives and not as highly processed - as my French husband is so fond of saying.)

Taxes are, of course, higher - particularly the VAT which ranges from 15 to 22% in the various countries (and which makes most day-to-day purchases more expensive than in the US). But, in exchange for taxes, there are some genuine services, which kind of makes up for things. Medical care won't cost as much (at least if you're on the local payroll and in the local health care system - on expat packages, they generally maintain your US social security and US based medical insurance).
Cheers,
Bev


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## moonfaev

I think every had pretty much covered it but if you want to find fresh fruit and bread the market usually on the weekend is the best. Cheaper for the food and you can find clothing and stuff there as well.


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## finlandlive

I think it is a bit lower than in Germany


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## piradies

Hello,

I'm from Spain but I've lived about 3 years in America, and 17years in Spain. I also spent a few months in Holland (1.5months in Maastricht, 0.5 month in Amsterdam).

Gas is going to be way expensive, since in USA the gallons are dirt cheap. So if you have a 50L tank, expect to pay like 60euro+-.

Food tends to be more expensive, but the quality is 1000+ times better than American food, and if you want to buy cheaper food / fruits, during the weekends (Saturdays usually) they hold a Market where they sell different kinds of food, fruits, clothes, etc.

If you eat outside, it tends to be cheaper, but if you are not accustomed to Hollands food (which is not so good, sorry) it may be a little hard to eat outside at first. However, you can always find some Frites met mayo~ 

Living - It depends. When I looked for apartments in Maastricht, they were DIRT CHEAP. Like 300euro for 80sqm apartment, 500+ for nicer apartments fully furnished and in the center of the city.

However, Amsterdam is way more expensive. If you look for apartments within the center of the city, it may cost you 600 (cheaper I've seen for like 40sqm furnished), to 1000+ for a decent place.

Taxation is higher, but you usually get benefits such as the health system tends to be much cheaper.

Also, I've got to say that clothes tend to be slightly cheaper than in other countries that belong to Europe, but it cannot be compared to America, since the prices tend to be similar but in euros.

Example: Jeans - 30 dollar in USA, Jeans - 30 euro. So it may still be cheaper than in other European countries but still is more expensive than America.

It should cost you around 1000 euro a month (utilities paid - gas, light, water), if you have a car then addup 100-200-300 a month for gas even though I have to say they have *GREAT* public transportation ... nothing similar to USA's.

Regarding food and clothing, you will probably spend about the same or a little more, just say if you spend 300 dollars or 500 dollars a month in food/clothing, then say 300~ euro.

So it could be anywhere from 1400 euro to 1700 euro a month in expenses. But I'm sure that as you spend more time there, you will find cheaper shops, tricks, tips... etc.

Good luck


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## JuliaH

*Dutch prices*

Hi,

in comparison to US prices, you'll probably find that the Dutch have greater cost of living expenses. You've already heard that housing is REALLY expensive but you're company is bound to pay for some of this?

The other thing about Holland is it's quaintness. Coming from the US where space is normal, you shouldn't get claustrophobic in dinky little Holland. Houses, gardens, distances are all tiny (relatively). This is of course great for getting to know the country but you may be stuck in traffic jams a lot of the time as well 

But then again, Ireland's becoming pretty crowded these days, too (am thinking more of the Dublin area).

In summary, though, The Netherlands is a great place to be because the standard of living is really high and research published in 2007 showed kids growing up in NL to be the happiest in the world!

enjoy the culture shock 

Julia


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## Jigs

*Cost of living in Herleen, Netherlands, Salary range for IT-SAP Finance*

Hello,
Has anyone got some information on the cost of living for Herleen, Netherlands. Also additional information about that area, websites will be very helpful. Does anyone know what the salary levels would be on an average for an IT person with an MBA Finance, 10 yrs exp & strong skills on the SAP Application area.
Your response will really help me in making my decisions. Please support.
Thank you for your time in advance.


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## brettrhart

*Ohio, USA to Rotterdam, NL*



calgrad00 said:


> I have been living in Eindhoven, NL for about a year and I can agree that the Cost of Living here is a bit higher then where I am from (CA) for things such as gas, food, etc.
> 
> My company factored that in when producing my contract.
> 
> Hope this is helpful,
> D.


Hello,
Could you help in offering a comparision of the cost of living from Ohio, USA to Rotterdam, NL? My company is considering moving my position to Rotterdam and I want to be prepared before they approach the subject with me.

Currently: Jan. 09'
Gasoline US $1.89 us gallon
Eggs US $1.29 dozen
Milk US $3.29 us gallon
Hamburger US $2.89 us pound
Bread US $1.99
Utilities
Water
Natural Gas
Car Insurance
Car Purchase


Thank you
b


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## JChalmers

Hi,

Can someone please give me a rough average cost in euros for the following in Rotterdam, NL?

Pint of milk
Loaf of bread
monthly rent in city centre 1 bed fully furnished flat
monthly rent in locatiion just outside of city
pint of beer
glass of wine
meal for 2 in average high street restaurant

Thank you!


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## gerrit

Renting apartments in NL is very expensive compared to neighbouring countries such as my native Belgium or Germany. The problem is a shortage of apartments in a good area, which results in high rental prices and long waiting lists. Some of my Dutch friends were on a waiting list for 5 years to get an apartment in the area they wanted. The Dutch use a system called "woningbouwvereniging" which basically is like a housing/estate agency for a city, city area or region. Usually they have a large catalogue of apartments and houses in their own catchment area, but especially in attractive areas the waiting lists can be very long even for locals (up to several years of waiting). The one way to bypass these waiting lists, is renting without using these agencies, but expect to pay a really high price then because those who rent out property privately know that the applicants will be prepared to pay that high price.

The Hague is the political capital of NL and Amsterdam is the de facto capital so you picked out the most expensive places as well. In Amsterdam, 800 euro a month is an absolute minimum for a flat and that will not be in the center nor it will be a large one. Make sure your salary is at least 1500 euro netto because other expenses are also higher than in neighbouring countries. Generally, salaries in Holland are a lot higher than in Belgium and Germany as well though, so just make sure your netto salary makes up for those high expenses and then you will be allright.

PS: what may help for you, is to check "anti-kraakwoningen" and temporary living in apartments waiting to be rebuilt. This means you have only a fixed amount of time in the flat (can vary from a few months to a year or two) and then you must leave, but these places are cheap and meanwhile you have the time to look for a better and more long-term estate. I once saw a few of those temporary houses (with multiple bedrooms) at the seaside only 20 minutes outside of the Hague, costed only 200 euro which is a bargain for Dutch standards. And even though it would be totally rebuilt in two years time, it was in good state so it wasnt like whoever rented it ended up in a dump.

Proper research will get you far and the Dutch are a great bunch of people, amongst the most openminded in Europe and very liberal even for European standards. Cost of life is high yes, but so are the salaries


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## madhat

Hello,

Here's a rough estimate in euro's

Pint of milk - we do litres  and 1 litre costs about € 0,95 
Loaf of bread - depending on the quality between €1,20 and €2,50
monthly rent in city centre 1 bed fully furnished flat - fully furnished is expensive, byr depending on location of course, count on €1200-1500 at least
monthly rent in locatiion just outside of city - not much of a difference I think, it's the furnished part that makes it more expensive.
pint of beer - a standard 'biertje' at a cafe would be about €2,75-€3
glass of wine - €3,50
meal for 2 in average high street restaurant - €30-40 single course without drinks 



JChalmers said:


> Hi,
> 
> Can someone please give me a rough average cost in euros for the following in Rotterdam, NL?
> 
> Pint of milk
> Loaf of bread
> monthly rent in city centre 1 bed fully furnished flat
> monthly rent in locatiion just outside of city
> pint of beer
> glass of wine
> meal for 2 in average high street restaurant
> 
> Thank you!


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## JChalmers

*Thank you!!!*



madhat said:


> Hello,
> 
> Here's a rough estimate in euro's
> 
> Pint of milk - we do litres  and 1 litre costs about € 0,95
> Loaf of bread - depending on the quality between €1,20 and €2,50
> monthly rent in city centre 1 bed fully furnished flat - fully furnished is expensive, byr depending on location of course, count on €1200-1500 at least
> monthly rent in locatiion just outside of city - not much of a difference I think, it's the furnished part that makes it more expensive.
> pint of beer - a standard 'biertje' at a cafe would be about €2,75-€3
> glass of wine - €3,50
> meal for 2 in average high street restaurant - €30-40 single course without drinks


Thank you so very much! That is really helpful. Really appreciate you replying!


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## pusskey

gerrit said:


> Renting apartments in NL is very expensive compared to neighbouring countries such as my native Belgium or Germany. The problem is a shortage of apartments in a good area, which results in high rental prices and long waiting lists. Some of my Dutch friends were on a waiting list for 5 years to get an apartment in the area they wanted. The Dutch use a system called "woningbouwvereniging" which basically is like a housing/estate agency for a city, city area or region. Usually they have a large catalogue of apartments and houses in their own catchment area, but especially in attractive areas the waiting lists can be very long even for locals (up to several years of waiting). The one way to bypass these waiting lists, is renting without using these agencies, but expect to pay a really high price then because those who rent out property privately know that the applicants will be prepared to pay that high price.
> 
> The Hague is the political capital of NL and Amsterdam is the de facto capital so you picked out the most expensive places as well. In Amsterdam, 800 euro a month is an absolute minimum for a flat and that will not be in the center nor it will be a large one. Make sure your salary is at least 1500 euro netto because other expenses are also higher than in neighbouring countries. Generally, salaries in Holland are a lot higher than in Belgium and Germany as well though, so just make sure your netto salary makes up for those high expenses and then you will be allright.
> 
> PS: what may help for you, is to check "anti-kraakwoningen" and temporary living in apartments waiting to be rebuilt. This means you have only a fixed amount of time in the flat (can vary from a few months to a year or two) and then you must leave, but these places are cheap and meanwhile you have the time to look for a better and more long-term estate. I once saw a few of those temporary houses (with multiple bedrooms) at the seaside only 20 minutes outside of the Hague, costed only 200 euro which is a bargain for Dutch standards. And even though it would be totally rebuilt in two years time, it was in good state so it wasnt like whoever rented it ended up in a dump.
> 
> Proper research will get you far and the Dutch are a great bunch of people, amongst the most openminded in Europe and very liberal even for European standards. Cost of life is high yes, but so are the salaries





Hi,

i am wondering, what do u mean by "Make sure your salary is at least 1500 euro netto" ??
i am currently in HK and comparing EUR to HK is a bit easy in calculation (EUR 1 = HKD 10, roughly), so when you said that the housing/apartment is around EUR 800-1000/month, it's roughly the same prices in Hong Kong.

my current company give me an offer for a position in Amsterdam. I noticed that the rent in Amsterdam is the highest among other cities.
any suggestion for other cities that might still have better rent + travel-cost compared to Amsterdam?

How about first-time relocation to Amsterdam? any rough estimation on how much it will cost there?

- deposit fee for apartment? do i have to pay 1st and last month rent up-front? or i can just move in without providing any so-called security deposit?
- how about hostels? is it recommended temporary place for newcomer relocated there?


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## gerrit

Amsterdam will come with a price tag of over 1000 euro a month if you want to live in a remotely comfortable flat inside the city. Of course very tiny flats, flats in bad state, or flats in suburbs may be cheaper but the disadvantages are numerous.

Unfortunately, while cheaper than Amsterdam, other cities are also expensive to very expensive compared to cities in neighbouring countries. Wages tend to be higher as well so you should be fine as long as you pay attention to being paid a proper wage.

Weither you have to pay deposit or not probably depends weither you use an estate agent (woningbouwstichting) or rent directly from the person renting out. I'd say that in the latter category, which is harder to find, you must be careful not to be victim of a fraude. 

Hostels as temporary location for a newcomer is possible but the hostels aren't very cheap, unless you take a bed in a shared dorm which is not ideal for more than a few nights. So I don't think it's recommendable to live on hotel for a long time.

A lot depends on your salary, I'd say make sure you make a 1800 euro netto (more or less) at least if you want to live in Amsterdam in somewhat comfortable circumstances. Amsterdam-Zuidoost is cheaper but it's also too far from the city to avoid the train if you want to go into the center, and this suburb is notorious for its criminality.


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## Janset

*about living in the Netherlands*

Hi!

I am a dual citizen and I am also american. At the moment, I am living in the Hague with my partner. From what I know now is that, The Hague and Amsterdam are a little more expensive than Rotterdam. If you want to live in a nice neighborhood and in a studio, you wouldn't be able to find a cheaper rental price than 800 Euros. 

By the way, Ft. Lauderdale is beautiful, I've had vacation there.

Best of luck,

Janset



stuart said:


> Hi all,
> 
> Are there any Americans Expats living in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, or The Hague? I am considering a move there from Ft. Lauderdale Florida. My company is researching the COL but I want to get my own information too.
> 
> I lived in Cork Ireland for 4 years and found some things very expensive and others not so much. I am looking for some advice on the COL and what to expect for housing, fuel, groceries, clothing, etc.
> 
> All advice will be very much appreciated.
> 
> Regards,
> Stuart London


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## Wytske

Now that we have decided to move back to holland for the next 4 years or so, i was looking for rentals in Groningen and yes it is very expensive and there are not many offers. I was thinking if it's maybe worth to buy something instead of renting? 

Cheers,


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