Cost of Living: Amsterdam vs London (2026)

Netherlands vs United Kingdom — relocation comparison

Your passport:

Livability Score

Amsterdam

London

$2,602/mo

Rent

1BR centre

$3,000/mo

$15k/yr

Take-home savings

At each city's local median pay

$15k/yr

5 yr

PR path

5 yr

30% Ruling (expatriateregeling)

Tax breaks

Open incentive regimes for newcomers

4-year FIG regime (Foreign Income and Gains)

Freelance setup

ZZP'er

VAT-free under €20k
5.3% social
€1200/yr accountant

WiseStripe

Sole Trader

VAT-free under €105k
9% social
€600/yr accountant

WiseStripe

Sourced from Numbeo · Updated April 2026

TL;DRAmsterdam is 13% cheaper on rent ($2,602/mo vs $3,000/mo). Both countries will let you complain about the government in public — and mean it.

Amsterdam edges ahead 69 to 61. London isn't far behind — it depends what matters to you.

Verdict delivered. Your move.

The winner's file

🇳🇱 Amsterdam

Full profile. Verify before you pack.

Due diligence

🇬🇧 London

Every verdict deserves an appeal.

Plot twist

London vs Manchester

Someone else's dilemma, equally unsolvable.

Household

Amsterdam

Metric

London

✓$937/mo

🛒

Living costs (no rent)

lower is better

$1159/mo

$10,705

🧳

Cost to land

lower is better

$9,238✓

✓89 / 100

🛡️

Settler safety

higher is better

82 / 100

✓0.7 / 100k

🔒

Homicides

lower is better

1.1 / 100k

3.4 / 100k

🚗

Road deaths

lower is better

2.4 / 100k✓

✓74 / 100

🚨

Safety Index

higher is better

45 / 100

68°F

☀️

Summer high

personal taste

72°F

34°F

❄️

Winter low

personal taste

39°F

✓122 Mbps

⚡

Internet speed

higher is better

87 Mbps

11.2 μg/m³

🌬️

Air quality (PM2.5)

lower is better

9.5 μg/m³✓

86 / 100

🏥

Healthcare

higher is better

82 / 100

✓9.0 / 10

🗳️

Democracy

higher is better

8.3 / 10

✓59 / 100

🏳️‍🌈

Rainbow Index

higher is better

52 / 100

100/100

🗣️

Street English

higher is better

100/100

✓$86k

💼

GDP per capita

higher is better

$62k

3.3% · Boringly steady

📈

Inflation

lower is better

3.3% · Boringly steady

94/100 — Reliable

⚡

Grid reliability

higher is better

92/100 — Reliable

✓97/100

🗽

Freedom House

higher is better

92/100

A median Software Engineer in Amsterdam takes home $6,417/mo under Standard employee. In London: $7,241/mo under Standard employee.

$823/mo more in London

🎯 Amsterdam's 30% Ruling (expatriateregeling) isn't modelled above — if you qualify, take-home would be $8,212/mo instead.

🎯 London's 4-year FIG regime (Foreign Income and Gains) isn't modelled above — if you qualify, take-home would be $6,826/mo instead.

Each city pays its own median — Software Engineer gross via Levels.fyi / Eurostat. Moving changes your salary too; that's the point.

$128k

💰

Gross income

$117k

−$39k

🏛️

Income tax

Standard employee

−$26k

−$12k

🛡️

Social contributions

−$5k

$77k/yr

$6k/mo

💵

Take-home pay

$87k/yr✓

$7k/mo

−$62k

🏠

Cost of living

−$72k

$15k/yr

🐖

Annual savings

$15k/yr

Swap the local medians for your actual number

Sources: Numbeo · UNODC · Ookla · WHO · EIU · World Bank · Freedom House · Updated April 2026

💰

Cost of Living

Amsterdam

$398/mo cheaper on rent alone

🔒

Safety

Amsterdam

0.7 homicides per 100k

🗳️

Democracy

Amsterdam

9.0/10 EIU index

🗣️

English

London

higher proficiency score

Sun

How much sky you actually get

44% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

Sky clear

avg daytime

42% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

7.7h

Shortest day

Dec

7.8h

16.8h

Longest day

Jun

16.6h

Sun clocks out before 5pm in both cities come December. Plan accordingly.

Source: WeatherSpark (clear-sky share of daytime hours)

Settler Essentials

stable →

Democracy trend

stable →

improving ↑

Inflation trend

improving ↑

fintechlogisticssemiconductorsagri-food-tech

Industries

fintechaibiotechcreative-tech

hub

Startup ecosystem

hub

Moderate

🇺🇸 Your visa

Moderate

Easy

EU visa

Moderate

Complex

RU visa

Complex

Easy

UA visa

Moderate

✅ Partner can work immediately

Spouse works

✅ Partner can work immediately

Recognized

geregistreerd partnerschap / samenwonend

Partner pathway

Recognized (2+ yr)

unmarried partner / civil partnership

Visa stamps:Easy <90 daysModerate 3–6 moComplex 6+ mo

Sources: EIU · Freedom House · Startup Genome · official immigration portals

Reproductive Rights

Because your body shouldn't need a visa too

On request

Abortion access

Broad social grounds

24 wk

Gestational limit

24 wk

On request up to 24 weeks. 5-day reflection period removed in 2023.

Requires two doctors' approval under Abortion Act 1967, but broadly available up to 24 weeks.

Source: Center for Reproductive Rights

LGBTQ+ Rights

Can you hold hands without doing a risk assessment first

Legal

Marriage

Legal

Joint adoption

Adoption

Joint adoption

Yes

Job protection

Yes

Hate crime law

Yes

Amsterdam vs London — Common Questions

Is Amsterdam cheaper than London?▾

Amsterdam is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $2602/month there vs $3000/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Amsterdam or London?▾

Amsterdam is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Amsterdam has a rate of 0.73 per 100,000 and London has 1.07 per 100,000.

Should I move to Amsterdam or London?▾

Amsterdam edges ahead 69 to 61. London isn't far behind — it depends what matters to you. See the full comparison above for rent, safety, internet speed, climate, and democracy scores to decide which city fits your priorities.

Is it easier to get residency in Amsterdam or London?▾

Amsterdam: Netherlands Highly Skilled Migrant (complex process, Up to 5 years). London: UK Skilled Worker Visa (complex process, Up to 5 years). See each city's profile page for full requirements.

What's the cost of rent in Amsterdam vs London?▾

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $2602/month in Amsterdam, $3000/month in London (Numbeo). That's 13% cheaper rent in Amsterdam.

Is Amsterdam or London better for democracy and rule of law?▾

Amsterdam scores 9.0/10 on the EIU Democracy Index vs 8.3/10 for London. That puts it in 'full democracy' territory — free press, independent courts, the works.