Cost of Living · US vs NL
🇺🇸 New York vs 🇳🇱 Amsterdam: what everyday life costs
Monthly essentials: $2,410 in United States vs $1,837 in Netherlands — 23.78% cheaper.
Biggest differences
Much cheaper in Netherlands
- 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center: -26.45%
- 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center: -26.45%
- 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center: -26.45%
Closest to United States prices
- 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle: -8.37%
- 👟 Running shoes (brand): -8.4%
- 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand): -8.4%
The full basket (32 items)
| Item | United States | Netherlands | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center | $1,750 | $1,287 (1,189 EUR) | -26.45% |
| 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center | $1,400 | $1,030 (951 EUR) | -26.45% |
| 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center | $3,200 | $2,354 (2,175 EUR) | -26.45% |
| Food out | |||
| 🍜 Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $18.00 | $14.14 (13 EUR) | -21.44% |
| 🍽️ Dinner for two, mid-range | $75.00 | $58.92 (54 EUR) | -21.44% |
| 🍔 Fast-food combo meal | $11.00 | $8.83 (8 EUR) | -19.73% |
| Groceries | |||
| 🥛 Milk, 1L | $1.10 | $0.92 (1 EUR) | -16.36% |
| 🍞 Bread, fresh loaf 500g | $3.20 | $2.68 (2 EUR) | -16.25% |
| 🥚 Eggs, dozen | $3.40 | $2.85 (3 EUR) | -16.18% |
| 🍗 Chicken breast, 1kg | $10.00 | $8.39 (8 EUR) | -16.1% |
| 🍚 White rice, 1kg | $4.00 | $3.36 (3 EUR) | -16% |
| 🍎 Apples, 1kg | $4.80 | $4.03 (4 EUR) | -16.04% |
| 🧀 Local cheese, 1kg | $12.00 | $10.07 (9 EUR) | -16.08% |
| 💧 Water, 1.5L bottle | $2.00 | $1.68 (2 EUR) | -16% |
| Drinks | |||
| 🍺 Domestic beer, pint (draught) | $6.00 | $4.71 (4 EUR) | -21.5% |
| 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle | $8.00 | $7.33 (7 EUR) | -8.37% |
| ☕ Cappuccino | $5.00 | $3.93 (4 EUR) | -21.4% |
| 🥤 Coke/Pepsi, 330ml | $2.30 | $1.93 (2 EUR) | -16.09% |
| Transport | |||
| 🚇 Public transport, monthly pass | $65.00 | $52.20 (48 EUR) | -19.69% |
| 🎫 Public transport, one-way | $2.75 | $2.21 (2 EUR) | -19.64% |
| 🚕 Taxi start (normal tariff) | $4.00 | $3.14 (3 EUR) | -21.5% |
| 🛣️ Taxi, per km | $1.80 | $1.41 (1 EUR) | -21.67% |
| ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L | $0.95 | $0.87 (1 EUR) | -8.42% |
| Utilities & comms | |||
| 💡 Basic utilities, 85m² apartment | $200 | $161 (148 EUR) | -19.7% |
| 🌐 Internet, 60Mbps+ unlimited | $70.00 | $56.21 (52 EUR) | -19.7% |
| 📱 Mobile plan, 10GB+ data | $45.00 | $36.14 (33 EUR) | -19.69% |
| Lifestyle | |||
| 🏋️ Gym membership, month | $50.00 | $39.28 (36 EUR) | -21.44% |
| 🎬 Cinema seat | $14.00 | $11.00 (10 EUR) | -21.43% |
| 💈 Men's haircut | $30.00 | $23.57 (22 EUR) | -21.43% |
| 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand) | $55.00 | $50.38 (47 EUR) | -8.4% |
| 👟 Running shoes (brand) | $90.00 | $82.44 (76 EUR) | -8.4% |
| 💻 Coworking hot desk, month | $250 | $196 (181 EUR) | -21.44% |
Estimated from World Bank — Consumption price levels with per-item elasticity — model figures, not quotes. Compare any pair in the interactive tool.
Related
Frequently asked questions
- How much cheaper is Netherlands than United States?
- A single person's monthly essentials run about $1,837 in Netherlands versus $2,410 in United States — 23.78% less. Rents differ the most; world-priced goods like petrol and electronics the least.
- What does a beer cost in Netherlands?
- A domestic draught pint is roughly $4.71 in Netherlands (≈ 4.35 EUR), versus about $6.00 in United States.
- How much is rent in Netherlands compared to United States?
- A 1-bedroom city-center apartment is estimated at $1,287/month in Netherlands versus $1,750/month in United States (-26.45%). Housing is the most locally-priced item in the basket.
- How are these prices estimated?
- Curated US baseline prices scaled by each country's purchasing-power price level with per-item elasticities (housing 1.4, services 1.1, groceries 0.8, world-priced goods 0.4) — model estimates for orientation, not quotes.