Cost of living in the Netherlands: monthly budgets for singles, couples and families, and 7 costs that change in 2027

Sooner or later, almost everyone who moves to the Netherlands asks the same question: how much do I actually need each month? Rent is easy to look up. The full monthly figure — with health insurance, municipal taxes, childcare and the annual energy settlement included — is much harder to find.

On 21 October 2026, Expatica updated its long guide "The cost of living in the Netherlands in 2026". It covers prices item by item, but its household spending figures are 2020 statistics adjusted for inflation, and it does not split the budget by household type.

This article starts from that guide and cross-checks it against IamExpat, DutchReview, DutchNews, NL Times, ACCESS and Xpat.nl, and against primary sources: Statistics Netherlands (CBS), the CPB economic bureau, the budget institute Nibud, the national government and the Municipality of The Hague. We then rebuild monthly budget ranges for three households: a single person, a couple and a family with two children. Where a single cost deserves more detail, we link to a dedicated DevNJ article and keep this page focused on the overall budget.

Main sources for this article

• Expatica, "The cost of living in the Netherlands in 2026" (updated 21 October 2026)
• CBS, "Inflation increases to 3.4 percent in September" (13 October 2026)
• CPB, "September projection 2026 (MEV 2027)" (15 September 2026)
• Nibud, "Huishoudelijke uitgaven" (minimum food costs, recalculated July 2026)
• Municipality of The Hague waste tax rates (adopted 13 November 2025) and the COELO local tax report (March 2026)

1. Where prices stand: 3.4% inflation and the 2027 outlook

Start with inflation, because it tells you roughly how much to add to last year's numbers.

According to CBS, consumer prices (CPI) were 3.4% higher in September 2026 than a year earlier, up from 3.3% in August (CBS, 13 October 2026). Motor fuel was the main driver, up 27.2% on the year. Food went the other way and was 1.7% cheaper. NL Times links the fuel jump to the oil price surge caused by the war in the Middle East.

The independent CPB published its forecast for next year in September.

Source: CPB September projection (15 September 2026). Wages are expected to outpace prices, but once tax and premium changes are included, purchasing power is essentially flat.

Forecasts differ by source

Expatica quotes the European Commission's forecast of 2.5% for 2026 and 2.1% for 2027. That looks lower than the CPB's CPI figures, but the Commission uses the HICP measure and forecast at a different time. The same word, "inflation", can mean figures half a point or more apart.

2. How to structure a Dutch budget: four layers

What surprises many newcomers is that monthly direct debits and large once-a-year bills sit side by side. A budget built only on your monthly take-home pay will be blown off course by the spring municipal tax bill or the energy settlement.

It helps to split spending into four layers.

Fixed costs only fall when you renegotiate a contract. Variable costs move with your daily habits. Annual bills are predictable but easy to forget. Keep these layers apart and the household budgets in the next section become much easier to read.

Your income has an annual layer too

Dutch employees receive vakantiegeld (holiday pay), which by law is at least 8% of gross pay over the past year and is usually paid in May or June (Rijksoverheid). A collective agreement can exclude it only for wages of at least 108% of the minimum wage. Since it arrives around the same time as the municipal tax bills, many households earmark part of it for those.

3. Monthly budgets by household (2026 levels)

Now the core of the article. We assume a household renting in the free (unregulated) sector around The Hague and not owning a car.

These are DevNJ estimates anchored to statistics and official rates. They are ranges rather than averages: the low end reflects a cost-conscious household, the high end one that pays for convenience.

Single person (one-bedroom, employed)

An employee in their late twenties or thirties renting a 50–70 m² flat in the city.

The non-rent part (about €940–1,560) starts close to DutchReview's Numbeo-based figure of €977 for a single person in Amsterdam, excluding rent (DutchReview, updated 30 January 2026).

Couple (two-bedroom)

A couple without children renting a 70–90 m² two-bedroom flat.

Family with two children (three-bedroom, both parents working)

Two working parents, a two-year-old in daycare and a seven-year-old in after-school care.

Side by side, rent grows with the household but stays at roughly 40–50% of the total. For families, childcare becomes as large as groceries and shows the widest income-driven range.

What these budgets leave out

The model assumes you rent and do not own a car. A car adds roughly €450 a month for insurance, road tax, fuel and parking, according to DutchReview. A social-housing tenancy or a mortgage changes the rent line entirely. Income tax and pension contributions are deducted before your take-home pay, so they are not in the tables.

4. Rent: the item that sets 40–50% of the budget

Rent decides most of the budget. A €500 difference here outweighs every saving you can make elsewhere combined.

According to Pararius, the average new free-sector rent in the third quarter of 2026 was €1,914 a month, up 2.4% on a year earlier, or €20.92 per square metre (IamExpat, 8 October 2026). City averages per square metre look like this.

Source: DutchNews (22 September 2026, partner content citing Pararius). Rotterdam and Eindhoven are cheaper per square metre, but both rose by more than 10% in a year. The "affordable" cities are catching up.

Numbeo-based averages quoted by Expatica put a one-bedroom in central The Hague at €1,504 and a three-bedroom at €2,719 (January 2026), consistent with our ranges.

The three-times-income rule

Most landlords require a gross monthly income of at least three times the rent. For the average €1,914 home that means €5,742 a month; even near the bottom of the free sector, about €3,684 (same IamExpat article). That is around €68,900 a year, well above the average salary of about €40,800. The DutchNews piece puts the requirement at "three to four times" the rent.

2027 rent increase caps are not yet set

Existing rents rise once a year within a legal cap. In 2026 the caps were 4.1% for social housing (from 1 July), 6.1% for mid-rent and 4.4% for the free sector (Rijksoverheid). The 2027 caps had not been published when we checked; the housing association federation Aedes also says they are not yet known (Aedes).

For budgeting, pencil in a 4–5% increase similar to 2026. To check whether your rent is too high for its category, see our rent check article, published the same day. Search costs and paid listing sites are covered in our rental platforms article.

5. Energy, water and telecom

Energy is billed as a monthly advance plus an annual settlement. CBS calculates that an average household using 928 m³ of gas and 1,747 kWh of electricity paid €1,993 a year, or about €166 a month, at January 2026 prices (CBS).

In 2027 the network charges (netbeheerkosten) for an average household are expected to rise by about €141 a year (ACM). They are the same whichever supplier you choose. If you do not raise your monthly advance, expect a top-up bill in early 2028. Our energy bills article explains the bill and contract types.

Mobile contracts can be cancelled monthly once the fixed term (often one or two years) ends. For your first weeks, see our SIM and eSIM guide.

6. Health insurance and medical costs

Everyone who registers as a resident must take out basic health insurance (basisverzekering). The premium is a flat amount set by the insurer, not by your income.

The 2026 average comes from Rijksoverheid; the 2027 outlook from the government's budget pages. All insurers publish their 2027 premiums by 12 November.

Expat media quote different premiums

Guides give anything from "just over €130" (DutchReview) to about €159 (Expatica). The first looks like a cheap online-only policy, the second is close to the national average. Budget with the average, then swap in your actual premium once you pick a policy.

The deductible covers what you pay yourself for care outside the GP, up to €400 a year in 2027. In a healthy year it is zero, but saving €33 a month means an unexpected scan or hospital visit will not hurt. See our health insurance article for switching.

7. Groceries and household goods

Nibud calculates the minimum cost of a healthy diet based on the national nutrition centre's guidelines. Its July 2026 figures are below (Nibud).

These are minimums, not averages. They exclude eating out, alcohol and imported speciality foods. If you regularly buy ingredients from home, add 10–20%.

Food prices are a rare piece of good news: they were 1.7% lower in September than a year earlier (CBS). Choosing a cheaper supermarket chain can save tens of euros a month, as our supermarket comparison shows.

8. Transport

Transport costs depend on whether you cycle or commute by public transport. Many employers reimburse commuting costs, so your own share is often smaller than you expect.

NS raises the price of tickets and most subscriptions by an average of 4.7% from 1 January 2027 (NS). Discounts and strike planning are covered in our public transport article.

9. Childcare and children

For families, childcare is one of the largest costs. Working parents receive kinderopvangtoeslag (childcare benefit), so you do not pay the full invoice yourself.

The 2027 cap comes from the gazette (Staatsblad 2026, 308) and the actual costs from CBS. The average parental share is €278 a month, but higher earners get a lower subsidy rate, so dual-income, higher-earning families can pay over €900 a month.

DutchReview puts daycare in Amsterdam at about €750 a month and after-school care at €650–800, without saying whether that is before or after the benefit. Many published figures leave this unclear, so check before comparing. Types of care and worked examples are in our childcare costs article.

10. Municipal and water board taxes

Renters pay local taxes too, and this is the cost newcomers most often miss.

The non-profit ACCESS explains that renters mainly pay two levies (ACCESS):

• afvalstoffenheffing (waste collection tax), charged by the municipality according to household size
• waterschapsbelasting (water board tax), which pays for dykes, water levels and sewage treatment

Owners also pay property tax (OZB) and the sewage charge (rioolheffing). Xpat.nl likewise notes that renters are exempt from property tax (Xpat.nl).

The Hague's rates were adopted by the city council on 13 November 2025 (Municipality of The Hague). The water board example comes from the water boards' association survey reported by Taxlive (ANP), and the national renter average from COELO (14 March 2026).

Two or more people pay more water tax

Delfland, the water board for The Hague, charges the sewage treatment levy per "pollution unit": one unit for a single person, three for households of two or more (Delfland). When a partner moves in, that part of the bill triples. The assessment is sent on Delfland's behalf by the regional tax office RBG.

11. What changes in 2027

Here are the costs from this article that are already known to move in 2027.

The minimum wage has been €14.99 an hour since July 2026 (Rijksoverheid). Some payroll websites estimate the January 2027 rate at €15.18 or €15.32, but the estimates differ and none is official.

What it means for the couple

Applied to our couple (rent €1,800, groceries €600, transport €150), the increases look like this. The rent figure assumes the 2026 free-sector cap of 4.4% applies again, so treat it as an upper bound.

Excluding rent, the increase is in the €60s. Meanwhile the CPB expects collective wages to rise 3.8% in 2027. On a net household income of €4,500, a rough calculation gives about €170 more a month, so households getting a pay rise can broadly absorb the higher costs. Those without a raise, or facing a large rent increase, may fall short.

12. Money that comes back: benefits and allowances

A good budget looks at money coming in as well as going out. Dutch allowances (toeslagen) are only paid if you apply.

Check amounts and conditions with the Belastingdienst and the SVB. In 2027 the asset limit for healthcare allowance falls to €119,122 for a single person. Use the tax office's trial calculation to see whether you qualify, and read our allowances guide. Tax on savings and investments abroad is covered in our Box 3 article.

13. Your first three months: one-off costs

Monthly budgets assume you are settled. The first months cost more, and this is where many newcomers run short.

The deposit cap comes from the Good Landlordship Act (Wet goed verhuurderschap). "Kaal" or unfurnished rentals in the Netherlands can come without flooring or light fittings, so read the listing carefully. The furniture and bike ranges are DevNJ estimates, not official figures.

Bridging the gap before your BSN

Until you receive your citizen service number (BSN) and a Dutch bank account, some contracts — mobile subscriptions, energy, sometimes insurance — are harder to set up. Prepaid options cost a little more per month but avoid long contracts. Keep at least one extra month of costs in reserve for this period.

14. Comparing with home and handling currency

When friends and family ask whether the Netherlands is expensive, comparisons go wrong in predictable ways.

Exchange rates move more than people expect. The ECB reference rate for the Japanese yen, for example, went from 186.99 on 30 July 2026 to 175.86 on 28 October 2026, a swing of about 6% in three months (ECB). If you are drawing on savings in another currency, fix your budget in euros and convert at a deliberately unfavourable rate. Bank spreads and transfer fees come on top of reference rates.

Expatica's comparison tables (January 2026) put The Hague 26% cheaper than London and 10% more expensive than Berlin. Such indices are useful for direction, but they mix very different housing markets, so check rent separately.

15. Example households (fictional)

The following are fictional examples applying the estimates in this article.

The single newcomer: planning for annual bills

Our first example budgeted only for monthly costs, then received municipal and water tax bills totalling about €630 the following spring. That is about €52 a month. Saving that plus the deductible share — about €85 a month in a separate account — removes the surprise.

The one-income couple: check allowances first

With one partner not working, childcare benefit does not apply, but healthcare allowance might, depending on income. If you use the 30% ruling, the income used for allowances can be lower than your gross salary, so the trial calculation is worth doing.

The family: childcare hours drive the budget

The family's daycare charges 22 cents an hour above the benefit cap. Everything above the cap is paid in full by the parents. At 130 hours a month, that difference alone is about €29 a month. Changing provider or reducing days can move the budget by tens or hundreds of euros.

16. Mistakes to avoid

17. Year-end checklist

These steps in the last two months of 2026 will make your 2027 budget easier.

1. After 12 November, check your insurer's 2027 premium
2. If switching, apply to a new insurer by 31 December
3. Raise your energy advance (termijnbedrag) to cover higher grid fees
4. Update your expected 2027 income in Mijn toeslagen
5. Check that your 2026 municipal and water taxes are fully paid
6. When your rent increase notice arrives, check it against the cap
7. Decide how much to save for trips, furniture and deposits next year
8. If you rely on another currency, pick a cautious exchange rate for 2027

18. Summary

• Renting around The Hague, expect €2,040–3,160 a month as a single person, €3,140–4,620 as a couple and €4,450–7,160 as a family of four
• Rent takes roughly 40–50% of every budget; for families, childcare is as large as groceries
• Build your budget in four layers: fixed, variable, annual bills and one-off costs
• In 2027, premiums, the deductible, grid fees, fares and rent increases add about €100–140 a month for our couple
• Inflation was 3.4% in September; the CPB expects 2.7% in 2027 and wage growth of 3.8%
• Budget for the first three months separately: deposit, first rent and furnishing come before your first payslip
• Apply for the allowances you qualify for, and update them when your income changes

Sources

Expat and news media

• The cost of living in the Netherlands in 2026 — Expatica: starting point; city rents, utilities, groceries, EC forecasts, city comparisons
• The cost of living in Amsterdam: all you need to know in 2026 — DutchReview: living costs excluding rent, telecom, transport, childcare, car costs
• Average home in the Netherlands now requires monthly income of 5.742 euros — IamExpat: Pararius Q3 average rent and required income
• Which Dutch city actually fits your budget and lifestyle in 2026 — DutchNews.nl: rent per m² and growth by city
• High fuel prices push Dutch inflation to 3.4 percent in September — NL Times: September flash estimate
• Which municipal taxes do I have to pay? — ACCESS: local taxes for renters and owners
• Dutch Local Taxes — Xpat.nl: property tax and sewage charges

Statistics and official sources

• Inflation increases to 3.4 percent in September — CBS: September CPI, fuel and food
• Energierekening gemiddeld iets lager — CBS: average household energy bill
• Vergoeding kinderopvang verder gestegen in 2025 — CBS: average childcare costs and parental share
• September projection 2026 (MEV 2027) — CPB: 2027 inflation, purchasing power, wages
• Huishoudelijke uitgaven — Nibud: minimum food costs by household
• Premie zorgverzekering — Rijksoverheid: 2026 average premium
• Prinsjesdag: Zorg — Rijksoverheid: 2027 premium and deductible outlook
• Overstappen zorgverzekeraar — Rijksoverheid: switching deadlines
• Maximale huurverhoging 2026 — Rijksoverheid: 2026 rent increase caps
• Huurbeleid 2027 — Aedes: 2027 caps not yet known
• Bedragen minimumloon 2026 — Rijksoverheid: minimum wage
• Hoe hoog is mijn vakantiegeld? — Rijksoverheid: holiday pay
• Staatsblad 2026, 308: 2027 childcare benefit caps
• Households pay more in grid fees in 2027 — ACM: 2027 grid fees
• NS maakt prijs treinkaartje 2027 bekend — NS: 2027 fares
• Maximaal inkomen voor zorgtoeslag — Belastingdienst: healthcare allowance income limit
• Proefberekening toeslagen — Belastingdienst: allowance trial calculation
• Kinderbijslag — SVB: child benefit
• Waste tax amendment 2026 — Municipality of The Hague: 2026 waste tax
• Ontwikkeling gemeentelijke woonlasten 2022-2026 — COELO: national averages for local charges
• Waterschapsbelasting 2026 — Delfland: water board tax and pollution units
• Waterschapsbelasting stijgt weer — Taxlive (ANP): 2026 water board tax examples
• Euro reference rates: Japanese yen — ECB: example of exchange rate swings

All pages were checked on 28 October 2026. 2027 premiums, rent caps, the January minimum wage and allowance amounts are published between November and January, so check the official sites before finalising your budget.

Original article

The cost of living in the Netherlands in 2026 — Expatica