Until this time, many workers chose the Netherlands as their main destination for economic migration. This trend continues, and thus – more and more foreigners decide to stay permanently in this country. People facing this choice are surely wondering about what the costs of living in the Netherlands are. In this article you will find out, among other things, how much is accommodation, food and transport in the Netherlands.
Entering and staying in the Netherlands
An EU citizen may legally stay in the Netherlands for a maximum of 4 months without completing any additional formalities.
It is enough to have one of the following documents:
- an ID card
- a passport
- a temporary passport
After 4 months, you should take care of:
- registration at the place of residence (for this you will need an apartment rental / purchase agreement)
- BSN number (tax number issued for a longer period of time)
- application to the Immigration and Naturalization Office (IND)
- obtaining a DigID (it is an electronic signature that allows you to send any online applications, e.g. a tax return or an application for social benefits).
Important! If you decide to go to the Netherlands with an employment agency, you will not have to complete all the formalities on your own. The employment agency will help you with this!
Check also: How to obtain French citizenship?
Minimum rates in the Netherlands 2022
Before we get into our main topic which is the costs of living in the Netherlands – let’s take a closer look at the minimum rates in force in this country. Don’t forget that in the Netherlands there is such a thing as an “age-old”, that is, the relationship between the age of the employee and the amount of remuneration. The older an employee is, the more he can earn.
Details in the table below:
| Age of an employee | Minimum monthly rate | Minimum weekly rate | Minimum daily rate |
| 21 years and older | € 1.756,20 | € 405,30 | € 81,06 |
| 20 years | € 1.404,95 | € 324,25 | € 64,85 |
| 19 years | € 1.053,70 | € 243,20 | € 48,64 |
| 18 years | € 878,10 | € 202,65 | € 40,53 |
| 17 years | € 693,70 | € 160,10 | € 32,02 |
| 16 years | € 605,90 | € 139,85 | € 27,97 |
| 15 years | € 526,85 | € 121,60 | € 24,32 |
Important! These are the current minimum rates applicable in the Netherlands from July 1, 2022. They are updated twice a year – in January and July.
Costs of living in the Netherlands – accommodation
At the beginning, it is worth noting that the cost of renting an apartment depends on the location, standard and other factors. Therefore, we give the average prices for accommodation in the Netherlands. A person who has decided to emigrate to the Netherlands can look for an apartment on his/her own – then we suggest looking for accommodation on local websites such as:
Another way is to outsource this task to a real estate agency, but then you should take into account additional costs (agent’s commission). On the other hand, if we found a job offer with accommodation – we can choose an apartment or a worker room. Perhaps the agency suggests free accommodation or guarantees partial coverage of costs. Before leaving, be sure to ask your employer about it!
The cost of accommodation in the Netherlands
Costs of renting an apartment in the Netherlands are around EUR 500-700 per month. We will find such prices rather in smaller Dutch towns, because for a studio apartment in Amsterdam, we will pay from EUR 600 to 1300. In turn, the monthly rent for two- or a three-room apartment in the capital can be even up to EUR 1,500.
On top of that, there are bill costs, which on average are EUR 180 per month and for garbage collection – from EUR 250 to 330.
In the table below we have given examples of prices for renting a studio apartment and a room in the three cities most often inhabited by foreigners in the Netherlands.
| City | Studio apartment | Room |
| Amsterdam | EUR 700-1400 | EUR 350-800 |
| Rotterdam | EUR 650-1200 | EUR 250-650 |
| Den-Haag | EUR 500-850 | EUR 150-500 |
Find out: How to rent an apartment in Germany?
Costs of living in the Netherlands – food and transport
The remaining costs of living in the Netherlands include food and transport.
We will approximate the average prices for food products, as well as tickets for public transport and fuel.
How much will we pay for food products in Dutch stores?
| Bread | EUR 1.20 – 3 |
| Milk (1 litre) | EUR 1.50 |
| Butter | EUR 2.65 |
| Eggs (10 pcs) | EUR 3.20 |
| Ham pack | EUR 2.60 |
| Chicken breast filet (1 kg) | EUR 7.50 |
| Pasta | EUR 1-2 |
| Coffee | EUR 5-6 |
| Apples (1 kg) | EUR 2.50 |
| Potatoes (1 kg) | EUR 1.80 |
| Water | EUR 0.90 |
| Beer (500 ml) | EUR 2.10 |
Check also the list of the most popular stores in the Netherlands! Where to shop?
- Albert Heijn
- Aldi
- Coop
- Jumbo
- Lidl
- PLUS
- Spar
How much will we pay for public transport and fuel?
| 1-hour GVB ticket (tram – metro – bus) | EUR 3.20 |
| Bus-Tram-Metro (BTM) ticket valid for 90 minutes | EUR 6.50 |
| Gasoline 95, 98 | EUR 2.14 – 2.23 per litre |
| Diesel | EUR 1.80 per litre |
| LPG gas | EUR 0.92 per litre |
Many migrants when asked how life is in the Netherlands? will answer optimistically! Living and working in the Netherlands has many advantages. This is evidenced by the constant influx of people from abroad. There is a high demand for foreign workers in the Netherlands, for both seasonal and permanent jobs.
