✦ Compare
Amsterdam vs
Cologne
Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.
Amsterdam, NL vs Cologne, DE at a glance — Cologne, DE is 17% cheaper than Amsterdam, NL overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $1,050/mo versus $2,100/mo. Top income tax: 45% vs 49.5%.
To keep the same standard of living in Cologne, DE, you'd need
$62,329 / year
Cologne, DE is 17% cheaper overall
Category breakdown (Cologne, DE vs Amsterdam, NL)
- Housing-32%
- Food & groceries-6%
- Transport-12%
- Utilities+3%
- Healthcare-5%
- Goods & services-9%
Median 1-bed rent
$2,100 /mo
Amsterdam, NL overview →
Median 1-bed rent
$1,050 /mo
Cologne, DE overview →
◎ How Amsterdam, NL and Cologne, DE compare
Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.
▤ Full comparison
| Amsterdam, NL | Cologne, DE | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 127 | 106 |
| Housing | 165 | 112 |
| Food | 112 | 105 |
| Transport | 95 | 84 |
| Utilities | 122 | 126 |
| Healthcare | 100 | 95 |
| Goods & services | 116 | 105 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $2,100/mo | $1,050/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $1,500/mo | $780/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $4,000/mo | $2,000/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | $9,000 | $6,500 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $787 | $947 |
| Inexpensive meal | $20 | $14 |
| Monthly transit pass | $100 | $115 |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 49.5% | 45% |
| VAT / sales tax | 21% | 19% |
| Social security (employee) | — | 20% |
| Corporate tax | 25.8% | 30% |
| Capital gains | — | 26.4% |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $3,100/mo | $2,900/mo |
| Minimum wage | $2,100/mo | $2,200/mo |
| GDP per capita | $73,684 | $60,496 |
| Inflation (annual) | 3.3% | 2.2% |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | No | No |
| English proficiency | High | High |
| Coworking spaces | 90 | 35 |
| Time zone | UTC+1 | UTC+1 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Safety index | 68 | 66 |
| Healthcare index | 80 | 84 |
| Pollution index | 40 | 40 |
| Internet speed | 160 Mbps | 150 Mbps |
| Walkability | 90 | 78 |
| Public transport | 88 | 80 |
| Family-friendly | 70 | 72 |
| Tap water | Safe to drink | Safe to drink |
| Life expectancy | 82 yr | 81 yr |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | High | High |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | +4 °C | +3 °C |
| July avg | +18 °C | +19 °C |
| Sunny days / year | 60 | 105 |
| Rainfall / year | 840 mm | 800 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 1 h | 1 h |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: Netherlands vs Germany. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
Good to know before you move to Amsterdam
Compact, bike-first and very English-friendly — a favourite expat landing pad, if you can win the tight housing lottery.
- Currency
- Euro (€ EUR)
- Languages
- Dutch
- Time zone
- UTC+1
- Internet
- 160 Mbps
- English
- Widely spoken
- Safety
- 68/100
- Climate
- ❄ 4°C · ☀ 18°C · 60 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Power
- F · 230V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
- Popular areas
- Jordaan · De Pijp · Oost
Good to know before you move to Cologne
An easy-going media and culture city on the Rhine, crowned by its Gothic cathedral and famous for carnival and a warm, open crowd. More affordable and less corporate than Munich or Frankfurt, with a lively creative and startup scene.
- Currency
- Euro (€ EUR)
- Languages
- German
- Time zone
- UTC+1
- Internet
- 150 Mbps
- English
- Widely spoken
- Safety
- 66/100
- Climate
- ❄ 3°C · ☀ 19°C · 105 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Power
- F · 230V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
- Popular areas
- Ehrenfeld · Belgisches Viertel · Südstadt · Nippes
Plan your move to Amsterdam
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsCheapvuelos
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsNH Hotels
- Car rentalEconomybookings
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- Tours & ticketsTiqets
- InsuranceSafetyWing
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
- Flight compensationAirHelp
Sponsored
Plan your move to Cologne
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsCheapvuelos
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsNH Hotels
- Car rentalEconomybookings
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- Tours & ticketsTiqets
- InsuranceSafetyWing
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
- Flight compensationAirHelp
Sponsored
? Frequently asked questions
Moving from Amsterdam to Cologne: cheaper or more expensive?
Moving from Amsterdam to Cologne, your cost of living will be roughly 17% cheaper. Cologne’s cost-of-living index is 106 versus 127 for Amsterdam (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.
Is Amsterdam cheaper than Cologne?
Cologne is about 17% cheaper than Amsterdam overall — its cost-of-living index is 106 versus 127 for Amsterdam.
How much do you need to earn in Cologne to live like in Amsterdam?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Amsterdam is worth about $62,329 in Cologne. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, Amsterdam or Cologne?
Germany has the lower top income-tax rate — 45% versus 49.5% in Netherlands.
◷ More comparisons from Amsterdam
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.