Cost of Living in the Netherlands

Rent in the Netherlands

Rents rise once a year, usually on 1 July, and the law caps the increase. In July 2026, Dutch rents were 4.4% higher than a year earlier, according to CBS, after 4.9% in 2025 and 5.4% in 2024. For tenants who stayed in the same home the rise was 3.8%. The rest comes from new tenancies, which often start at a higher rent.

Which cap applies depends on the type of home:

• Social rent (up to €932.93 a month in 2026): up to 4.1% from 1 July 2026, or €25 when the rent is under €350. Households with higher incomes can get a larger fixed increase.
• Mid rent (up to €1,228.07 a month): up to 6.1% in 2026.
• Free sector: up to 4.4% in 2026. This cap stays in place until 1 May 2029.

Housing takes a large share of income for some households. In 2025, 6.5% of people in the Netherlands lived in a household that spent more than 40% of its disposable income on housing, below the EU figure of 7.6%, according to Eurostat. For a city example, in Amsterdam the city's housing survey put the average basic rent at €935 a month in 2025, and €1,213 for households that moved recently. See cost of living in Amsterdam.

Consumer prices and inflation

Consumer prices were 3.7% higher in October 2026 than a year earlier, according to the CBS flash estimate, up from 3.4% in September. The European measure (HICP) was 3.3%. Energy prices, including motor fuels, were 14.4% higher than a year earlier. Services rose 3.9%, while food, drinks and tobacco were 0.6% cheaper. Inflation averaged 3.3% in both 2025 and 2024, after 10.0% in 2022.

Against the rest of Europe, prices in the Netherlands are high. Eurostat puts the Dutch price level for household consumption at 120.4 in 2025, where the EU average is 100. That is about 20% above the EU average. Health (135.2) and housing (134.2) stand well above the EU average, while food (99.4) and clothing (92.8) cost slightly less than the EU average.

Household spending

The CBS budget survey shows how Dutch households spend their money. In 2020, the average household spent €35,211 a year. Housing, water and energy took 32.9%, food 12.7% and transport 11.2%. 2020 was a pandemic year, and it is the latest year in this CBS table.

Health insurance, energy and transport

From age 18, people take out their own basic health insurance. The average premium is €1,884 a year in 2026, about €157 a month. Adults also pay the first €385 of most care themselves each year, the mandatory own risk. It stays at €385 in 2027. GP visits do not count toward the own risk. For an average household, CBS put the energy bill at €1,993 a year at January 2026 prices, about €166 a month. Motor fuel prices were 27.2% higher than a year earlier in September 2026, when diesel averaged €2.499 a liter and petrol €2.448 a liter.

Local taxes such as the waste levy and property tax are set by each municipality. Amsterdam's 2026 rates are on our Amsterdam cost of living page.

What it means for pay and hiring

Prices rising 3.7% a year and rents rising 4.4% put pressure on pay. A full-time job paid an average of €69,380 in 2025, according to CBS, and the minimum wage is €14.99 an hour from July 2026. When you set a salary for a hire in the Netherlands, plan for these costs and for employer premiums of about 17.13% on top of gross pay for a small employer. See our guide to hiring in the Netherlands, average salary in the Netherlands, Netherlands minimum wage and our Amsterdam guide.

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