Cost of living in NL

Holla! Welcome to the Netherlands. A land of Waters and Wind and more Waters (WWW).

Have you been wondering how your small student pocket money can serve you while here? Don’t worry, this blog post has got you! It is normal to feel the way you feel but, you should realise that so many people, including myself, have schooled and are continuing to school here and have survived, therefore, you will too. You only need to be armed with some survival knowledge and you’ll be fine.

Even though it may appear as though the cost of living is a bit high in the Netherlands, and as a foreigner, this could be partly due to the exchange/conversion rate of your currency to euro, the good news is that prices are nearly always stable all year round. So you can really plan with or budget your (converted) money without experiencing repeated shocks each time you want to make payment.

Housing rates are really high and there’s no sugar-coating this. However, the rates slightly differ from city to city, with cities like Amsterdam, Utrecht and The Hague topping the chart. Although, there are a few (student) part-time jobs in these cities that can help with your bill. Student ambassador Elvita wrote about getting a part-time job.

Food

Food isn’t that expensive here BUT, that is if you make your own food. Remember that eateries and such have staff salaries to pay, hence they get to bill you for that so, it is advisable to limit how often you visit them as a student. And besides the grocery stores where you can get nearly everything you want at varying prices, there are also local markets in most cities. These markets are open on specific days and sell fresh, or sometimes packaged, food products for as little as 1 euro per plate/bunch, depending on what you’re buying. It is advisable that you ask around in your city for when and where the local markets are being held so you can take advantage of them.

Also, depending on what you like to eat, foods like potatoes, chicken, milk, fruits and vegetables are generally affordable and available all year round, so you can plan your meals around these. If you like to eat rice, you may find it a little difficult getting a good choice, but various Turkish shops have a variety of rice that are quite affordable, depending on your budget.

Clothes

Clothing prices vary here, but you don’t need much of fashion display as a student. Just get a good winter jacket and face your books. Lol. But you can visit some clothing stores and get good stuff to last a while.

Getting around

The Netherlands has a well-developed public transport system. However, if you have to make multiple trips, you will be amazed at how much you’ll have spent on transportation alone, so it is highly recommended to get a bicycle. Bicycles are common and quite affordable here; either gotten by outright purchase of brand-new ones or fairly used ones (maybe from outgoing students) or based on rent. Just ask around and you’ll get someone to direct you on how to get one. Don’t worry if you don’t know how to ride a bicycle. With dedication, you can learn to ride a bicycle perfectly in less than 2 weeks. Many international students had to learn it here also, so you are not alone! Just make sure to keep/lock your bicycles safely if you get one. It is one of the fastest things to be stolen in this country, oops!

Dutch weather

And lastly, umbrellas are very affordable. You can get petit foldable ones for as low as 3 to 5 euros in many retail stores. You should always have one in your bag because, rain is your steady companion, visiting quite unannounced (although the weather forecast will indicate it most times). And because they are affordable, get ready to buy another one pretty soon, because the strong wind here cooperates with the retailers to give them more sales. Lol.

I wish you all the best while living and studying in the Netherlands!