Cost of living 2019 in the Netherlands

How much does it cost to rent an apartment or a house in the Netherlands? How about buying an apartment or a house in the Netherlands?

We paid €400,000 for our old farmhouse here in Drenthe back in 2004. It needed a further €90.000 in renovations and modernization though.



How much do you pay on average for public transportation (bus, subway, train, tram, taxi)?

We pay €995 for our daughter's school bus pass per year, in monthly installments (25km o/w journey).



How much do you pay for basic food items such as rice, bread, and pasta?

Rice - €1,89 (1kg pack Basmati Jumbo own brand) // €1,79 (1kg pack Pandan Jumbo own brand) // €4,72 (1,15kg pack Uncle Ben's long grain rice at Jumbo)

Bread - Between €1 and €2,50 at the supermarket for a loaf of bread // around €2,75 at a bakery for a loaf of bread

Pasta - €0,59 - €0,99 (500g pack Jumbo own brand) // €1,28 - €1,49 (500g pack Barilla etc. at Jumbo)



What is your monthly budget for groceries?

This has increased drastically for us over the last couple of years due to the increase in the price of food in the Netherlands (and the fact that teenagers eat more!) The recent 3% VAT increase is not really the problem (this is only €3 in every €100 after all). It is the general food price rises and the fact that several Dutch supermarkets have introduced different pricing structures (for example, low - medium - high pricing structure at different Jumbo stores), depending on whether there is nearby competition to one of their stores.

Where we could do a weekly shop at a Jumbo store for €60-€70 per week, we now pay over €100 per week for a family of four.

Also, we allocate €150 per month towards bulk buying of weekly special offers (mostly non-perishables) at our local COOP supermarket which is often great value.

Another €50 allocated for the bakery per month.

We used to go every week to a independent butchers, but no budget for that anymore



How much does it cost to see a doctor or health specialist in the Netherlands?

Seeing your GP (a General Practitioner in a Health Centre) is free if you have Dutch Health Insurance. If you are referred to a specialist, have any form of tests carried out, the cost (or part thereof) will be deducted from the €385 excess that every insured person above the age of 18 pays per year.



How much do you pay for health insurance per month?

We have 2 teenagers who both wear dental braces. As it is now difficult to find a health insurer who will cover the full cost of this immediately, we now pay €305 per month for the 4 of us (children are free until they are 18, but the adult(s) will have to take on the cost of any additional higher cover under their own policy in order to cover the child(ren)'s additional higher cover needs).



How much does childcare cost on average per month?

We haven't had these costs since 2003 fortunately!



What is your child's schooling budget per month?

Both are teenagers are at Dutch State Secondary Schools. During 2018, the costs for both of them was a combined average total of €50 per month



How much does it cost to fill up your car's fuel tank?

We paid €1,439 per litre of Euro 95 at the end of December. This is from a Shell station off the motorway (on the motorways you will pay more)



How much do you pay for electricity/gas/water etc., per month?

Here goes....€515 per month for gas/electricity, This is more than the Dutch average but this is normal for the old, detached farmhouse where we live in Drenthe. We have seen a 34% increase in the cost for our gas/electricity consumption since the beginning of 2018, yet our actual usage remains just about unchanged



How much do you pay for your internet and phone subscription?

KPN Internet 'all-in' (internet/TV/landline) = €89 per month. This does not include the cost of phone calls, but includes 2 phone lines, Spotify for our teenagers (they still won't give that up!), and Digitenne access.



How much do you pay for your lunch pack on weekdays?

Self-employed, so eat at home. I suppose a few Euros for the cost per day for our children (bread, cheese and/or meat, & fruit)



How much do you pay for an espresso coffee?

We very rarely (maybe 1-2 times per year) eat out, and then only a lunch. The last time we ate out in a restaurant (nothing fancy) for dinner in the NL was 3 years ago. The bill (for a 3-course meal including a couple of drinks each) came to €350 for 6 adults and 4 children.
We never frequent cafe terraces unless we are on holiday outside the NL.



How much do you pay for a cinema ticket?

At Vue Cinemas (Hoogeveen):

€10.90 - €11.95 for an adult // €9.00 - €10.05 for students & 65+ // €8.40 - €9.45 for a teenager // €6.60 - €7.60 for a child (price depends on whether movie is standard or in 3D/higher quality audio)

We go a few times a year, as a family. Our teenagers go more often with their friends.



How much does a gym membership cost in the Netherlands?

We pay €50 per month for our 2 teenagers together