Menu:
Prices & Earnings in Amsterdam / Netherlands
If you are considering a move to Amsterdam / Netherlands it is important to weigh up the cost of living against how much you will be able to earn. Every 3 years global bank UBS publishes its "Prices & Earnings" report which looks at relative prices and wages in 73 cities around the world. Let's see how Amsterdam does in the last report from 2009... |
For relative comparison and where possible we will also look at the cities New York, London and Paris.
1. General Prices - Amsterdam comes in as the 23rd most expensive city with a score of 83.0 - on this scale New York prices excluding rent are 100. Both London (84.6) and Paris (93.3) are more expensive. When rent costs are included Amsterdam is priced at 64.4% of New York reflecting the relatively higher rents for appartments in NYC - London is 69.9% and Paris 76.6%. London used to be far higher but the devaluation of sterling has made it more affordable in terms of other currencies. [Editor note: It must be said that since the Euro replaced the Dutch Guilder in 2002 prices in Netherlands have probably doubled.]
Food costs - The cost of a standardised basket of food was calculated as 35% cheaper than New York, 27% cheaper than Paris and marginally cheaper than London. Amsterdam can be good value when food shopping carefully.
Clothes - Men's and women's clothes are relatively expensive in Amsterdam - on a par with New York and Paris and almost double that of London.
Home Electronics - Prices were reported as slightly more expensive than New York, slightly cheaper than London and Paris. [However the UK market is more competitive and easier to find discounts than Netherlands].
Services - A basket of services (including internet, haircuts, cinema tickets, telephone costs, dry cleaning) was calculated 12% cheaper than New York and Paris but slightly more expensive than London.
For specific prices do check out our own surveys: |
For high-end tourists it was found that Amsterdam had some of the most expensive 5 star hotels in the world just behind Tokyo and Paris.
2. Wages - Amsterdam comes in 15th place out of 73 in terms of earnings. Gross wages are 79.1% of New York levels (London 69.0%, Paris 68.8%) - however, after tax this falls to 71.0% of New York (London 73.4%, Paris 70.2%). Income taxes in Netherlands are some of the highest in the world with a top rate of 52%. Average income tax and social security contributions amount to 35% of salary. Check our Taxation in Netherlands brief overview.
UBS calculated that in Amsterdam you need to work 10 minutes to buy 1kg of bread (London 10 mins, New York 12 mins, Paris 22 mins). You would also need to work 13.5 hours to be able to afford an ipod Nano (New York 9 hrs, London 11 hrs, Paris 15 hrs).
Expect to put in an average of 1,745 hours per year if working in Amsterdam - you will get around 26 annual holiday / vacation days.
The report also gives wages for various sectors and jobs in Amsterdam which may be of interest for those thinking of moving to the city. These should only be used as a rough guideline as salaries can vary depending on employer, level of experience, contract terms etc. Income has been converted back to euros here:
| Job Title | Gross Annual Income ("bruto") | Net Annual Income ("netto") | Net Monthly Salary | Working Hours / Week |
| Car Mechanic | €26,000 | €16,600 | €1,380 | 39 |
| Building Labourer | €22,100 | €15,000 | €1,250 | 40 |
| Skilled Industrial Worker | €34,900 | €23,500 | €1,950 | 38 |
| Factory Worker | €26,100 | €16,700 | €1,390 | 39 |
| Skilled Engineer | €43,000 | €27,900 | €2,325 | 38 |
| Product Manager | €46,000 | €26,700 | €2,225 | 39 |
| Department Head | €56,600 | €35,300 | €2,940 | 39 |
| Primary School Teacher | €37,800 | €25,500 | €2,125 | 38 |
| Bus Driver | €23,700 | €17,600 | €1,470 | 38 |
| Chef | €31,400 | €19,000 | €1.580 | 40 |
| Personal Assistant | €29,500 | €18,000 | €1,500 | 36 |
| Shop Assistant | €21,700 | €14,500 | €1,210 | 38 |
| Call Centre Worker | €22,900 | €14,200 | €1,180 | 36 |
| Source: UBS Prices & Earnings 2009 |