Cost of Living in Netherlands
A quick read on net pay, neighborhoods you can actually afford, and what's left at the end of the month.
Living in Netherlands costs from roughly €2,469/month for one person (rent plus essentials) in its most affordable city, while the median local salary is about €5,000/month.
Calculate Your Finances in Netherlands
Enter your gross monthly salary to see net pay, tax breakdown, and compare cities
Free calculator with 2026 tax rates. No data stored.
What it costs to live in Netherlands
Across AffordWhere's Netherlands dataset, average 1-bedroom rent ranges from about €1,459 per month in Eindhoven to €1,979 in Amsterdam — a 36% difference for the same apartment size. A single person's all-in monthly budget (rent plus tracked essentials) starts around €2,469 in Eindhoven and reaches about €3,162 in Amsterdam. On the median gross salary of €5,000 per month, take-home pay in Netherlands is roughly €3,515 after an effective 29.7% in tax and contributions.
| City | Avg 1BR rent /mo | Est. monthly budget (solo) |
|---|---|---|
| Eindhoven | €1,459 | €2,469 |
| Rotterdam | €1,625 | €2,686 |
| Utrecht | €1,645 | €2,704 |
| The Hague | €1,776 | €2,853 |
| Amsterdam | €1,979 | €3,162 |
Budget = average 1-bedroom rent across tracked neighborhoods plus tracked monthly essentials (groceries, transport, utilities, and more). Sources on our data sources page.
Common questions about Netherlands
Cities across Netherlands
Calculate your net salary in Netherlands
Netherlands Income Tax Calculator
Take-home pay at common salary levels, with the full breakdown: income tax, social contributions, health insurance. Rates come straight from the government.
Top Netherlands salary benchmarks
What does it actually cost to live in each city? Budget, comfortable, and premium tiers.
- Salary needed in AmsterdamActual costs plus tax, worked back to a gross figure
- Salary needed in RotterdamActual costs plus tax, worked back to a gross figure
- Salary needed in EindhovenActual costs plus tax, worked back to a gross figure
- Salary needed in The HagueActual costs plus tax, worked back to a gross figure
- Salary needed in UtrechtActual costs plus tax, worked back to a gross figure
Moving to Netherlands?
Pick your starting point. Each guide digs into cost of living, visas, and realistic salaries for that specific move.
Moving to Netherlands? Start with the numbers.
The gross salary on your offer letter isn't what lands in your account. Type yours in and you'll see:
- Net monthly income after every deduction
- A line-by-line tax breakdown — income tax and social contributions
- Your effective tax rate
- How cost of living compares city by city
- Neighborhoods you can actually afford
Figures use 2026 tax rates from official Netherlands government sources. Full attribution lives on our data sources page.