Townleap

Cost of Living: Split vs The Hague (2026)

Croatia vs Netherlands — relocation comparison

Your passport:
Split
The Hague
$1,077/mo
Rent

1BR centre

$1,548/mo
−$9k/yr
Take-home savings

At each city's local median pay

$35k/yr
PR path
5 yr
Tax breaks

Open incentive regimes for newcomers

30% Ruling (expatriateregeling)
Freelance setup
Obrt
  • VAT-free under €40k
  • 37% social
  • €450/yr accountant
WiseStripe
ZZP'er
  • VAT-free under €20k
  • 5.3% social
  • €1200/yr accountant
WiseStripe

Sourced from Numbeo · Updated April 2026

TL;DRSplit is 30% cheaper on rent ($1,077/mo vs $1,548/mo). The Hague scores 9.0 vs 6.5 on democracy. You can get by in English in both — your Duolingo streak can wait.
The Hague edges ahead 75 to 70. Split isn't far behind — it depends what matters to you.
Household
Split
Metric
The Hague
$670/mo
🛒
Living costs (no rent)
lower is better
$731/mo
$5,244
🧳
Cost to land
lower is better
$6,793
78 / 100
🛡️
Settler safety
higher is better
90 / 100
0.8 / 100k
🔒
Homicides
lower is better
0.7 / 100k
8.1 / 100k
🚗
Road deaths
lower is better
3.4 / 100k
70 / 100
🚨
Safety Index
higher is better
80 / 100
86°F
☀️
Summer high
personal taste
68°F
39°F
❄️
Winter low
personal taste
36°F
Internet speed
higher is better
99 Mbps
8.9 μg/m³
🌬️
Air quality (PM2.5)
lower is better
9.9 μg/m³
77 / 100
🏥
Healthcare
higher is better
88 / 100
6.5 / 10
🗳️
Democracy
higher is better
9.0 / 10
1.8 / 9
🤝
Migrant acceptance
higher is better
7.5 / 9
50 / 100
🏳️‍🌈
Rainbow Index
higher is better
59 / 100
74/100
🗣️
Street English
higher is better
76/100
$50k
💼
GDP per capita (PPP)
higher is better
$86k
3.0% · Boringly steady
📈
Inflation
lower is better
3.3% · Boringly steady
Grid reliability
higher is better
94/100 — Reliable
🗽
Freedom House
higher is better
97/100
A median Software Engineer in Split takes home $2,122/mo under Standard employee. In The Hague: $6,417/mo under Standard employee.
$4,295/mo more in The Hague
🎯 The Hague's 30% Ruling (expatriateregeling) isn't modelled above — if you qualify, take-home would be $8,212/mo instead.
Each city pays its own median — Software Engineer gross via Levels.fyi / Eurostat. Moving changes your salary too; that's the point.
$38k
💰
Gross income
$128k
−$5k
🏛️
Income tax
Standard employee
−$39k
−$8k
🛡️
Social contributions
−$12k
$25k/yr
$2k/mo
💵
Take-home pay
$77k/yr
$6k/mo
−$34k
🏠
Cost of living
−$42k
−$9k/yr
🐖
Annual savings
$35k/yr
Swap the local medians for your actual number

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

💰
Cost of Living
Split
$472/mo cheaper on rent alone
🗳️
Democracy
The Hague
9.0/10 EIU index
☀️
Weather
86°F vs 68°F summers
🗣️
English
The Hague
higher proficiency score

Sun

How much sky you actually get

59% clear
Win
Spr
Sum
Fall
Sky clear
avg daytime
45% clear
Win
Spr
Sum
Fall
8.9h
Shortest day
Dec
7.7h
15.4h
Longest day
Jun
16.7h

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
Industries
governmentlegal-internationaltechsecurity
Startup ecosystem
nascent
🇺🇸 Your visa
Moderate
EU visa
Easy
RU visa
Complex
UA visa
Easy
Spouse works
Partner can work immediately
Conditional (3+ yr)
izvanbračna zajednica / životno partnerstvo (same-sex)
Partner pathway
Recognized
geregistreerd partnerschap / samenwonend

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
On request
10 wk
Gestational limit
24 wk

On request up to 10 weeks. Access limited in practice due to widespread conscientious objection.

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

Source: Center for Reproductive Rights

LGBTQ+ Rights

Can you hold hands without doing a risk assessment first

Civil union
Marriage
Legal
Step-child only
Adoption
Joint adoption
Yes
Job protection
Yes
Yes
Hate crime law
Yes

Split vs The Hague — Common Questions

Is Split cheaper than The Hague?

Split is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $1077/month there vs $1548/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Split or The Hague?

The Hague is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Split has a rate of 0.77 per 100,000 and The Hague has 0.73 per 100,000.

Should I move to Split or The Hague?

The Hague edges ahead 75 to 70. Split 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 Split or The Hague?

Split: no specific remote work visa. The Hague: Netherlands Highly Skilled Migrant (complex process, Up to 5 years). See each city's profile page for full requirements.

Which has better weather, Split or The Hague?

Split is warmer in summer (86°F vs 68°F). The Hague has milder summers, which suits those who prefer cooler weather. Climate preference is personal — use the weather section above to compare seasons.

What's the cost of rent in Split vs The Hague?

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $1077/month in Split, $1548/month in The Hague (Numbeo). That's 30% cheaper rent in Split.

Is Split or The Hague better for democracy and rule of law?

The Hague scores 9.0/10 on the EIU Democracy Index vs 6.5/10 for Split. That puts it in 'full democracy' territory — free press, independent courts, the works.

Is healthcare better in Split or The Hague?

The Hague scores higher on our composite healthcare index (88/100 vs 77/100 for Split). That score combines clinical outcomes (IHME), universal coverage (WHO), and resident perception (Numbeo) — not just whether hospitals exist but whether the system actually works for settlers.

Plot twist: other matchups exist

Maybe the real city was the comparisons we made along the way.

Let the algorithm judge you

2 min quiz — surprisingly accurate

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