When considering moving to the Netherlands from abroad, it may be a good idea to obtain some knowledge about the living costs in the Netherlands.
In general, the Netherlands considered a relatively affordable part of western Europe, offering a good standard of quality for food, housing, utilities and public transport. The costs of living in major cities is typically higher than outside the so-called “Randstad”, with Amsterdam being the more expensive area to live in the Netherlands.
The following is a summary of the basic costs of living that could be taken into account for staying in The Netherlands (based on average prices in Amsterdam):
Accommodation (monthly rent)
| Shared accommodation | +/- € 700 |
| Non-shared single bedroom apartment | +/- € 1000 |
| Electricity, gas, water (average house, non-shared) | +/- € 150-200 |
Health insurance (compulsory)
| Insurance | +/- € 100 |
These are the cost of a basic health insurance. This insurance covers general medical care (visits to the general practitioner, for example), hospital stays, dental care for up to age 18, prescription medicine and various appliances. From 2011 there is a compulsory excess on medical bills (‘verplicht eigen risico’) for care not covered under the general health package. In 2019 that excess is set to € 385 per person per year. For additional treatment, you will pay via your insurer the first € 385 of bills. You can choose a higher ‘own risk’ amount in which case your monthly premiums will be lower. For more information, visit:
https://www.government.nl/topics/health-insurance
Public transportation fares
| Inner city tram/bus trip (one way) | +/- € 2.90 for 1 hour +/- € 7.50 for 1 day (24 hours) |
| Taxi | € 2.95 max startrate € 2.17 max rate per km € 0.36 max rate per minute |
More information on the (discount) OV chipcard, visit:
https://www.ov-chipkaart.nl/purchase-an-ov-chipkaart/what-is-the-ovchipkaart.htm
Internet, phone, television
| For a combined contract (internet, phone, television) | +/- € 50 per month |
| Mobile phone | +/- € 25 per month |
More information can be found through the following link:
https://www.amsterdamtips.com/cost-of-living-amsterdam
Food and groceries
Very dependent on your lifestyle, whether you will be living in a shared or non-shared accommodation, and whether you will cook, eat out or order in.
For a general idea on food prices, visit the following link for prices of supermarket items in Amsterdam:
https://www.amsterdamtips.com/supermarket-prices
