The cost of living in The Hague (Den Haag)

Living in The Hague is a great alternative for those wanting to live in a major city and save on cost of living. Read more to budget correctly.

Shreya

6 minute read

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Updated on 23 Aug 2024

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Living

The Hague is a perfect place for those wanting to live in a city that has both a historic Dutch feel and a city vibe. As the third major city in the Randstad area, and one of the best cities to live in the Netherlands, Den Haag is attractive to many expats. The city has a central location, a relaxed feel, the many green spaces, and the international community.

So before you decide to move to this city, it’s important to do your research and find out the average cost of living in The Hague. Find out below how much money you’ll need to comfortably live in The Hague and budget accordingly.

With an average cost of living of €2,098, living in The Hague is affordable if you’re earning the national average monthly gross salary of €2,816. And while The Hague has a higher cost of living than the average for the Netherlands, the city great alternative to Rotterdam and Amsterdam which have higher living expenses.

Your rent in The Hague will depend on 3 factors -- furnished or unfurnished; the neighbourhood in The Hague you choose; property type. Typically, unfurnished homes located outside the city centre are cheaper than furnished homes or homes in the centre.

Planning to move to The Hague? Explore rental homes in The Hague at your desired budget.

While these rent prices offer a good estimate, it’s worth noting that The Hague, can have high rental costs. Fortunately, if you meet the criteria, you can apply for Dutch rental allowance (Huurtoeslag), which can help offset some of the housing expenses in The Hague, making it more affordable to live in this vibrant city.

You’ll need to budget around €264 per month for utility bills in The Hague.

The average monthly cost of doing groceries in The Hague is €220 per person. This includes shopping at both the local market (Haagse Markt) and relatively cheap grocery stores.

If you primarily buy groceries from more expensive stores, such as Albert Heijn, or tend to buy a lot of imported items, then your costs will go up.

Unlike the costs mentioned above, this is one category that you can control. How much you spend on eating out in The Hague really depends on the types of restaurants you go to and the frequency of eating out.

The good thing is that The Hague has a plethora of restaurants to suit every type of budget.

Public transport costs

As one of the main cities, The Hague has a well developed public transport system. You’ll find 6 train stations and several tram, metro, and bus stops scattered throughout the city.

Most travellers living in the Netherlands purchase a personalised OV chipkaart (travel card) for €7.50. The advantage of this is that you can load a season ticket on your OV Chipkaart and significantly reduce your travel costs across trams, busses, metros, and trains.

If you only want to use The Hague’s tram and bus service, you can use the services provided by HTM. The cost of a single journey is €4.00 and the cost of a day ticket is €7.10. Regular travellers can opt for a season ticket on the HTM website to enjoy discounts or unlimited travel.

Tip to reduce your travel costs: As with any Dutch city, the first mode of transport is the bicycle. You can purchase a second-hand cycle and a good lock for €80- €160 in The Hague.

Leisure costs

There's plenty to do in The Hague. In the summers or slightly warmer days, you can head down to the Scheveningen Beach. If the beach is not your scene and you want to get away from the flat landscape, try exploring the dunes! For culture and art enthusiasts, there're plenty of museums to satisfy keep you intrigued. You'll also find many consulates, embassies, and the Palace of Justice here.

Apart from this, you can enjoy a nice meal, a borrel, or drinks at the many restaurants; watch a movie or theatre show; head to the gym; or simply head to the boulder centre for indoor climbing.

Health insurance costs

Dutch people love their insurances and it’s quite common to get liability, car, or home insurance. But one insurance that is compulsory for all those living and working here is health insurance.

Dutch public health insurance with supplemental packages, such as dental care, can cost you €120 - €180 per month on average. If you have a lower income or are a student, you can apply for healthcare allowance in the Netherlands to help with healthcare costs.

Other than health insurance, it’s also mandatory to have third-party liability insurance if you own a car and it’s highly advised to have residential premise insurance if you plan on taking a mortgage for a home.

Education costs

The Hague offers a range of educational establishments for international and EU/EEA students. Your tuition fees at any of these institutions depend on your citizenship status and whether you’re enrolling for a degree for the first time.

The tuition fees for EU/EEA students is on average €2,314 per year. The tuition fees for non-EU students is on average €7,000 per year.

Expat parents who want to send their child to an international school in The Hague should expect to pay €12,457 per year or €1,038 per month. A cheaper alternative is to send children to local Dutch schools, where you only need to pay for school supplies and administrative fees.

Childcare costs

Expat parents in The Hague should expect to pay €1,791.91 per month for full-day, private daycare or pre-school. The costs can be adjusted depending on how many days a week and how many weeks in a year you sign up for.

To reduce your childcare costs, consider sending your child to a local daycare or pre-school. This has several advantages such as your child integrating with other local children and you being eligible for childcare allowance from the Dutch government. How much allowance you get depends on your particular financial situation and the type of childcare.

If you do get the subsidy, you can expect to pay €550 per month on average for full-day, 5 days a week daycare.

The average monthly cost of living in The Hague is €2,098 for a single person, €2,316 for a couple, €3,127 for a family of 3, and €1,124 for an international student (without tuition fees).