COST OF LIVING IN AMSTERDAM | How much I spend on rent, bills, taxes, food (& my tips!) 💰

2023 update: I made this video in 2021, but rent has increased by a lot In Amsterdam. Instead of 1550 EUR/month, our current apartment is now ~ 1800 EUR/month. I would budget for about 2000 - 2500 EUR/month for a 2-bed apartment to be absolutely safe!
Get your Excel spreadsheets and calculators ready! 🤓 In this video, I share with you how much money my husband and I spend in rent, bills, taxes and food in Amsterdam. If you're thinking of moving to Amsterdam, I hope this video prepares you for what's to come!
Timestamps and links are below. Let me know in the comments if you have any questions 😌 ALSO I'm curious: are your living costs cheaper or more expensive than ours?
TIMESTAMPS
00:53 - Rent
01:27 - Bills
07:28 - Taxes
09:08 - Bike
09:42 - Transport
11:46 - Groceries + food
14:28 - Eating out
16:42 - Summary
18:01 - Other tips
LINKS TO THINGS MENTIONED IN VIDEO
⊹ Funda - www.funda.nl/en/
⊹ LoonZorg health insurance: www.loonzorg.com/​
⊹ Waste tax (afvalstoffenheffing) - www.amsterdam.nl/veelgevraagd...
⊹ Water tax (waterschapsbelasting) - www.waternet.nl/service-en-co...
⊹ Swapfiets - swapfiets.nl/ Referral code to get 50% off sign-off: LISA77464
⊹ 9292 app - 9292.nl/en/about-9292/service...
⊹ GVB transport prices - reisproducten.gvb.nl/en/tarieven
⊹ Numbeo - www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living...
⊹ Albert Heijn supermarket - www.ah.nl/
⊹ Jumbo supermarket - www.jumbo.com/
⊹ Dirk supermarket - www.dirk.nl/
⊹ Aldi supermarket - www.aldi.nl/
⊹ UberEats - www.ubereats.com/nl-en
⊹ Thuisbezorgd - www.thuisbezorgd.nl/en/
⊹ The Tax - thetax.nl/
REFERRAL CODES
⊹ TransferWise referral link (to get 1st transfer of up to 1000 AUD fee-free): transferwise.com/invite/u/d2d317
LET’S BE FRIENDS
⊹ Subscribe to my channel - bit.ly/3jXAM2V
⊹ / leesa.yu
RELATED VIDEOS BY ME:
⊹ Netherlands winter survival guide: • NETHERLANDS WINTER SUR...
⊹ How much I spend in 1 week in Amsterdam (2022): • HOW MUCH MONEY DID I S...
⊹ How much I spend in a week as a 32 yr old in Amsterdam: • HOW MUCH MONEY DID I S...
⊹ How to save money buying food in Amsterdam: • GROCERY SHOPPING IN AM...
⊹ Too Good to Go app review: • TOO GOOD TO GO NETHERL...
⊹ How to save money on public transport in the Netherlands: • PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN TH...
⊹ Relocating to Amsterdam during a pandemic: • RELOCATING DURING PAND...
MUSIC
⊹ Lakey Inspired - / lakeyinspired
ABOUT ME
Welcome to my channel! I'm an Australian expat living in Amsterdam. I moved here with my husband in October 2020, and make videos about my new life here and what it's like to be an expat during the pandemic.
TAGS
Cost of living, Amsterdam, Netherlands, Cost breakdown, Cost of living in Amsterdam, Moving to Amsterdam, Budgeting in Amsterdam, Water tax in Amsterdam, Waste tax in Amsterdam
#LivingInAmsterdam #CostOfLivingInAmsterdam #LivingInTheNetherlands

[@mecheyat]

You literally the most helpful individual in existence! Lol. Thank you for these videos!!!

[@LeesaYu]

😂😂 Glad to hear this! Hahaha hopefully my future videos will continue to help you too!

[@nat6106]

Very detailed breakdown, thank you!

[@callumtokorangi5134]

This was insanely helpful. Thank you very much! Much more comprehensive than others that I have seen.

[@dailyproblems3677]

Very informative video! You sound very professional and absolutely well presented!

[@LeesaYu]

Thank you for your kind comment! I tried my best 😉☺️

[@talhacoskun3605]

Hey Leesa, thank you very much for sharing your experience . It has been very useful and helpful informations to understand how to cope with daily stuff ! :)

[@lynettehorak7678]

Your videos is very informative for any expat, I love it

[@LeesaYu]

Glad you are finding them helpful!

[@valeriyzabawski6169]

That's the most informative video I ever watched on that topic, thank you very much for your effort.

[@LeesaYu]

Glad to hear that!!!

[@brandipiecora7640]

Thanks for this - so informative!! I wanted to mention health insurance here in the US (I live about and hour from Seattle). Even if it is employer paid the employee still pays about $550 per month to cover a family. It can be less if you work for a large organization or union. Then we have co pays ($20-$50 every time we see a doctor) and what’s called co insurance meaning we have to spend $1500-$3000 per year depending on our plan before insurance starts paying. When insurance does kick in it covers approx 80% meaning if you are hospitalized and bill is $60000 you get to pay $3000 + 20%. It really is a joke. Retiring to another country and paying $500 per month if everything is covered sounds much better.

[@LeesaYu]

That's such an awful system - I'm very sorry to hear that. I have seen quite a few videos made by Americans in the Netherlands, and something they all agree on is that the health system in the Netherlands is much better and much more affordable (and equitable) than in the US.

[@rachelb.2803]

@@LeesaYu Taiwan has the best health insurance, because it's from Government.

[@zoramajora5893]

Just got a job offer and this video has been so helpful in budgeting. Thank you!

[@LeesaYu]

Really happy to hear it was helpful, and congrats on the job offer!!

[@rachelventer5611]

This video was so helpful. My husband and I are moving there in the next couple of months and the info you have provided helped quite a lot.

[@LeesaYu]

Exciting!! Good luck with the move. I’d say the main difference is that rent is a bit higher nowadays. Maybe for our place, standard rent is at least 1700 for a furnished place in a central location

[@nicoleteh8238]

You make the best videos, this is super helpful. Thanks so much! 🙏🙏🙏

[@LeesaYu]

Aww thank you! Glad it was helpful! 🥰🧡

[@rainforestsanctuary-sounds6489]

Omg great depth and details about things that actually matter Vs other shallow videos I’ve come across about relocating. Thank you!!

[@LeesaYu]

Awww great to hear! Good luck if you are thinking of relocating to Amsterdam/Netherlands as well!

[@HylianTom]

Thank you *very* much for this! Husband and I are planning a move to the Netherlands in a few years, and this detailed line item breakdown of monthly expenses is precisely what i was looking for while trying to get a better grasp on our financial planning. We can do this! 😁

[@LeesaYu]

Glad it was helpful! Please keep in mind the rent has increased quite a bit - I'd budget about 2000 - 2500 now.

[@MrAdnanabbas]

Thanks for detailed review

[@Roxxxxyss]

Thank you so much! It is so helpful!

[@roselledeguzman7037]

Thank you very much for this very detailed content. Keep safe! :)

[@pattersonmendiola]

Thank you for the detail info, is super helpful!

[@LeesaYu]

Glad you found it helpful! I have another video on my channel about how much I spent in a week in case you also are interested ☺️

[@shndio]

I love your videos, so practical and detailed. Could you make some video on Loonzorg insurance, your experience so far and additional supplementary insurance options.

[@LeesaYu]

I’m very glad to hear this was practical and useful for you! I will take your suggestion on board, and especially after we have gone to the dentist (planning to go soon). But the base insurance package with Loonzorg has worked perfectly fine for me so far (I’ve seen the GP twice so far) 😉

[@sanndays]

Love the tricks!!!

[@tuyenluong3742]

Thanks, very structured and informative video, I should have checked your channel before moving to Amsterdam.

[@LeesaYu]

I hope it is still useful even though you’re already here!

[@Veronica-pz6dn]

I'm moving to Amsterdam next week and will be starting my new job soon - this is really helpful! Thank you!

[@LeesaYu]

That makes me very happy! Glad this is helpful and good luck with your move/new job!!!!

[@applecrazy1]

Did you land you job remotly? Any tips?

[@LeesaYu]

@@CoD654 there's plenty of ways to meet new people here, there's no need to freak people out unnecessarily!

[@shloksingh9148]

What kind of job business or something

[@PrincessxXxZEOD]

This was so helpful. Thank you :)

[@LeesaYu]

Glad it helped you!!! 🥰

[@diegoruizyanez1671]

Hey Leesa, wanted to thank you for your amazing channel and documenting your life in the Netherlands, your videos really helped me with my transition into the country (I decided to rent a studio outside of Amsterdam due to your tips). Just moved here on March 11th and this video allowed me to create a budget and properly assess my job offer - which I did take. Excited for what you continue to build in this channel and cheers from Haarlem!

[@TonBoon]

Welcome to the Netherlands :-)

[@diegoruizyanez1671]

@@TonBoon Thanks Tom, loving it so far.

[@LeesaYu]

Ahhh that’s so great to hear!! Glad you’re enjoying the Netherlands so far 🥰🥰🥰

[@riccardogrechi2734]

Super detailed and useful video, thanks

[@LeesaYu]

Glad you found it useful!!

[@alinciocan5239]

Thank you very much for all the infos 🙏

[@allieyu3280]

This video is really helpful. Thank you! Subscribed ;)

[@LeesaYu]

So glad to hear it was helpful, and thanks for subscribing 🥰🥰

[@dachunyu6887]

Good video again, well done

[@LeesaYu]

Thanks! 🥰😍

[@joanasampaio5090]

Hey Leesa! I wanted to say that your videos are being super helpful in order to understand the living situation there, thank you! It seems like you are very aware of your expenses, do you have like an excel spreadsheet where you keep track of it all? If so, would it be possible for you to share some kind of template? Without all your personal info of course :)

[@LeesaYu]

Glad to hear my videos are helpful! Actually we don't really have one - we just tracked our expenses for a few months for this video! I think you can use my categories as a guide to making your own one though :) :)

[@TonBoon]

Great video! I work at Waternet, so i was pleasantly surpreased by your clear explanation about the costs of drinking water and the water taxes. The latter is a public tax for the costs of keeping your feet dry in the area (water management) and waste water cleaning. Both bills are sent by Waternet but cover different costs.

[@LeesaYu]

Glad I presented all the info accurately 😃 thanks for your comment!

[@williamjvn]

Great Video! I think one thing that caught us offguard was also the pet tax that some cities ask.

[@LeesaYu]

Oh yes, I have heard of this! Definitely no shortage of taxes in this country 😅

[@Leyla.oz22]

Hi leesa, thanks for the video. It was very informative. Could you make an updated video for 2023?

[@LeesaYu]

I really should!! The most obvious increase in costs here is rent :(

[@sabaozguler328]

Hey Leesa, thanks for this video, it's really accurate! I hope you can make a new video for your expenses in 2022 cause I feel like the expenses for both rents and bills increased quite a lot! And also this time you can also consider transportation expenses as the lockdown is over :) One more thing: I guess you don't have any videos about buying a second hand (or brand new) bike yet. As a swapfiets user I would love to see your recommendations on buying bikes!

[@LeesaYu]

I really want to do another video with updated costs! Meanwhile, yes indeed I have cancelled my Swapfiets subscription and got a second hand bike :) you can buy one from Facebook groups/Marketplaats or second hand bike stores on the street. Bikes from shops will cost about 150-200, but you can get it for much cheaper from online (but beware of dodgy sounding sellers as you want to avoid buying a stolen bike)!

[@salmanhamid2881]

Great insights! can you do a update or a short piece on which mobile network provider to chose :)

[@LeesaYu]

We use Lebara :)

[@britishabroad4022]

Great video and very informative and realistic my wife and I also living abroad currently now in China and looking forward to move to another place.

[@LeesaYu]

Exciting! Glad this was helpful!!

[@JKSVAM_]

Thank you!

[@michelleneous]

This is such a great video with realistic detail! Thanks for sharing this Lisa! Wondering if you can expand on the tax stuff a bit more - do expats pay different taxes than locals? And what if you work for a non-Dutch company? Thank you!

[@LeesaYu]

Glad you found it helpful! I can only speak from my own experience - my husband has the 30% ruling (and so even though I don’t have it, I qualify for the same non monetary benefits). If you have the 30% ruling, then you only are required to pay taxes related to our income. We don’t have to declare foreign properties or investments. So I think that’s a big difference! Sadly I don’t know the answer if you work for a non-Dutch company, but i recommend you contact the Belastingdienst (Dutch tax office) for further advice!

[@LaReganto]

I live in the Netherlands and be born there. I am not an expert on taxes so I can't tell you anything with 100% cirtaincy. But so far I know all the work that is done in the Netherlands has the same taxes. No matter if you work for a Dutch or foreign company. If you have more than 1 job than there is a difference. I don't know how to translate it to English but you can let the tax office know what your primary income is and on that one you pay less taxes than your secondary income. I am born Dutch so I don't know when you can get it if you move to the Netherlands but that is something to look in to when you move to the Netherlands because that can make a big difference.

[@catherinegunst5058]

Hi Leesa, I just discovered your channel and I’ve found your videos so helpful! My fiancé and I are about to move to Utrecht from Melbourne for his work and I was so concerned about moving during the pandemic (especially as you’d know moving from the relatively COVID-free Australia to a sadly COVID-ravaged Europe 😔) but your videos have helped me to realise that it’s definitely doable. I also will need to leave my day job here in Australia so I relate a lot to what you went through in that respect as well! A few questions for you: 1 do you feel you got good value through using the apartment finding company? 2 how long did it take to find an apartment? 3 how long did it take for your visas to be approved? 4 are you learning Dutch? Sorry for all the questions I actually have so many questions haha but I’ll stop for now! Keep making the awesome videos they’re really good and you’ve got a great editing style. Best wishes from Melbourne.

[@LeesaYu]

Yay, another Aussie! I'm glad my videos have been helpful and hopefully gave you some insight into what daily life in the Netherlands is like at the moment! In answer to your questions: 1) Yes, for us we felt we got great value from our apartment finding company (EHN). I'm not sure how competitive the rental market is in Utrecht, but it's quite competitive in Amsterdam (and especially so for our budget). There's so much to organise/figure out in the lead up to moving during a pandemic, and we really didn't want to not have a suitable place to move into when we arrived. Also we didn't want to get scammed! 2) The apartment finding process took just over 3 weeks. With the package that we chose, our agent would collate potential places based on our budget & preferred style, we would tell her which ones we liked, and they would then go inspect it on behalf of us. We had to move super quickly to secure our apartment, including paying the deposit well before arriving in Amsterdam. 3) My husband and I are under his highly skilled migrant visa, which took about 2 weeks to get approved. But keep in mind my husband's company managed the whole process - the company had experience doing this & had a lawyer etc. So it all went very smoothly! 4) Yes we are! Doing it through BLTC (www.bltc.nl/uk/dutch). But there are HEAPS of other schools/tutors - see link for some other options: facebook.com/groups/1704370749858391/permalink/2447543915541067. I think learning some basic Dutch enhances the expat experience as everything in the supermarket + most signage is in Dutch :) Feel free to ask me any more questions you have (either here or DM me on Instagram) - more than happy to help where I can as I understand just how big of a move it is to make right now from Australia!

[@ronnie9187]

Your question is already 9 months old I see... but Utrecht is a very nice city to live in. High quality of life with also quit a lot of expats and international students. It is not cheap neither is it easy to find something over there. But surely more cheaper then Amsterdam. My suggestion would be to expand housing search to the suburbs of Utrecht, Houten, Nieuwegein, Maarssen so you have much more choice. But it is all depending if you like to live in an old city center (beautiful but very expensive) in a small appartement or in a green suburb, in a house with a garden. You will pay roughly the same for both. House renting or buying is on the very good website www.funda.nl/en/

[@anirudhsonthalia]

Thank you for the informative videos, Leesa. I see your NL/Amsterdam series of videos for any information I need :) They are most helpful. Could you tell me your experience with LoonZorg (good, bad, ugly) now that you have been in the country for more than a year. Are you continuing with LoonZorg for your basic health insurance in 2022 too? How much does a GP visit usually cost?

[@LeesaYu]

Good question! Honestly we had a pretty good experience with Loonzorg. Had to get a few prescriptions this year and we didn’t pay a cent! Very happy with the insurance :) if you are very healthy and generally never need medication/see the doctor though, you could explore other budget options like ZieZo Zilveren Kruis which could still work out cheaper for you :) we also decided to cancel our dental insurance because both of us are lucky to have good teeth and won’t need so much coverage!

[@fatimamuhammed2133]

Thank you for your amazing advise 😊 what do you do for living in Amsterdam?

[@LeesaYu]

I'm a project manager!

[@quasa0]

@@LeesaYu nice! I'm coming to the Amsterdam to work as a software engineer soon. Which company are you working at? Do you have a video on what benefits companies usually provide?

[@martadejuan2151]

Omg 💸 super helpful video! I love it! 👏🏼✨ can’t wait for the next one!

[@LeesaYu]

So glad it was helpful! It was something I really worried about before coming here. And yes, stay tuned!!! 👏👏

[@ImprovingAbility]

Thank you. Dire insight. It seems like first world freedom starts at a minimum of something like 2000 € per month disposable income.

[@LeesaYu]

Unfortunately you are right :( it’s not a cheap place to live and when you start adding in ‘fun’ things like gym memberships, eating out and travel, it becomes a lot of money

[@clhoe6913]

Hi Leesa! thank you so much for your video! I plan to move to Amsterdam next year, but I understand that you have to take an exam to get residency, did you take it? And if so, how it is?

[@LeesaYu]

Hello! We came here under my husband’s highly skilled migrant visa, so did not have to take a fluency test. At the moment we don’t know how long we will stay here for - if we want to stay here and become longer term residents, I believe we have to take the fluency test. But I don’t have any advice to give for this sorry!

[@madhawan111]

Hi Leesa, I and my wife will be moving to Amsterdam in September and we have a very similar background as yours (Age group, lifestyle, expenses etc). Your videos are amazing and really do help us prepare better for the big move! Is it safe to assume that an amount of let's say 3K will be enough to cover all the basic needs as per this video, plus let's say travel every couple of months to places near the EU and stuff such as basic gym membership, dining out let's say every fortnight, and the occasional visit to the club etc! Thanks a ton

[@LeesaYu]

Without fully knowing what your lifestyle is like, I personally think you need more than 3000 net per month between the both of you, esp if you want to travel and be able to save some of your income too for a rainy day. Rent has increased a lot since I made this video - same apartment probably costs about 2000/month. A very safe amount for travelling is to assume ~ 250/day. Assuming 4 weeks of travel a year, then that’s about 500-600 per month that you should save for travel expenses during the year. So that alone means you ideally need a higher income to live a less financially constrained lifestyle!

[@nandeandradeful]

Amazing video! Would love to hear from you tips on eating plant based in Amsterdam. Products you love, supermarkets were you can find more plant based options, etc! 😘😘

[@LeesaYu]

Oh I have so many suggestions, and I know I’m only just scratching the surface! My faves are Vegan Fresco (all vegan supermarket here), Vegabond (coffee/cake shop with mini grocery store)! I’m still yet to try Vegan Junk Food Bar but apparently it’s amazing 💚 Very easy to get affordable vegan/plant based alternatives from Albert Heijn/Jumbo, if you have a bigger budget then Marqt/Ekoplaza stock good products too :) Will do a video on this soon! 🥰

[@nandeandradeful]

@@LeesaYu can’t wait for your video about it!!! Loved all the tips! I only went to vegan junk food bar and YES! I 100% recommend!!! It’s amazing! Can’t wait to be back in the city and check the other places you suggested! ☺️

[@wcg66]

Very thorough, thanks. Just a note on taxes. I put in my numbers and although slightly higher than in Ontario, Canada, it's not much higher.

[@LeesaYu]

Oh that’s interesting! Would you say income is higher in Ontario? I feel like this is what makes life here a bit harder - I find the salaries to be comparatively very low

[@cescsyfootball]

Love your videos! Did you move apartment after 2 years or you just extended your old one?

[@LeesaYu]

We have decided that we will move after our lease ends on the 2 year mark! It would have been legally a bit complicated to stay longer as we would have had to switch to a different kind of contract.

[@DidierWierdsma6335]

Amsterdam is a very expensive place too life here in the netherlands there are cheaper city's here in the netherlands. Other than that a great video keep it up👍 and welcome in the netherlands😊

[@LeesaYu]

Thank you for your comment! 😂 Yes it is sooo expensive here! After doing this budget breakdown, I can see why people choose to live in nearby cities rather than Amsterdam itself!

[@eobi-edobi4275]

watertax = waterschapsbelasting, is not only for you drinking water, but also and very important, to keep dry feet, remember, netherlands is most below sealevel.

[@LeesaYu]

Yes I can see how it’s very important! I often forget that NL is partially below sea level, which just shows how necessary these taxes are. Thanks for clarifying that ☺️

[@rachelb.2803]

WOW! I love your videos. Comes to live in US! Me & my husband live between Maryland & Washington, DC. No pets, No Kids. 1 Apartment with 1 Bedroom, 1 Bathroom including utilities(Electric, Water, Gas, heater/AC part of Apartment, it's fully furnished) $1,370/month. So, we pay Auto Insurance for both cars (Commuting to work) $250-285/month, Prepaid WIFI $45/month, Cellphones $45+60 = $105/month. Health Insurances + Dental Insurance $140-150/pp, Gas & Maintenance for Cars. During Pandemic, we was rare for taking out the foods. Riding the Bike in United States specially in Washington DC & Maryland are really dangerous. I got hit on my car bumper twice at current time. Oh, we have a filter water machine at home, so I never bought any drinking water.

[@tishyochatterjee764]

Mam I'm really a newbie to ur channel but really became a great fan of your content...loads of love from India ❤️...and mam it would be really kind of you if you could share some valuable ideas about opportunities for human resource management in Netherlands, job prospects and so on...would really be helpful...and once again a big thank you for such wonderful videos from ur side... looking forward for many more such videos ❤️

[@LeesaYu]

Hey! Glad you found my videos helpful! Can’t advise on human resource management specifically (not my sector) but check out my other video about job hunting tips in the Netherlands :) kzbin.info/www/bejne/noG0kGpmgNOpopY

[@tishyochatterjee764]

@@LeesaYu thank you mam for such a kind reply 💙

[@quickpresent8987]

Dont know why but Love your voice 👍, i am from Thailand 🇹🇭 finishing the Bachelor’s degree middle of this year and looking to get a master’s degree or some job in Holland. Great video 👏👏👏 could you give tip for be a university student in Holland

[@LeesaYu]

Thanks for your lovely comment! Always nice to hear that someone likes my voice ☺️🥰 How exciting for you! I don’t have any personal tips as I didn’t come here as a student but I would advise you join the following Facebook groups and ask any questions you have there: - Expats in Amsterdam: facebook.com/groups/1704370749858391/?ref=share - Young Expats Netherlands: facebook.com/groups/20404367752/?ref=share I also thought this was a pretty good article/starting point for you: www.iamexpat.nl/education/studying-netherlands. Hope this helps!

[@Scafloc29]

I lived in Amsterdam (until a +/- year ago) and actually there are more providers then Ziggo. There is for instance KPN and also Youfone and maybe a few more. Ziggo has a nice product but has absolut crappy service. Watch out if you ever plan to move to a different city!

[@LeesaYu]

Oh yes absolutely! I should have clarified that in my video. Unfortunately I can only join Ziggo in my current apartment block, but there are other providers out there :)

[@LaReganto]

An important thing to know is that 1,5k for rent is high. The reason that you pay for this is that it's Amsterdam. I live in Assen as a single man of 24. And I have an apartment on the 9th floor and it's 81 m2 big. I pay almost 630 euro's for it. If you have a garden it will be more expensive but 1,5k is really much for outside of the big cities. And I don't know if people who move here from other countries can have that too. But for Dutch people, you can get 350 euro maximum back for your rent if your rent isn't too high(there is a rent limit) if you get something back and how much depends on your income. The same is for health insurance if you don't earn too much you can get 111 euros back maximum. I am born in the Netherlands so I don't know how this works when you move here. And if you can get it or when you can get it.

[@LeesaYu]

Wow that’s really quite amazing that the Dutch government gives you a subsidy for rent! I wasn’t aware of that. Yes indeed, rent higher in Amsterdam. And actually 1550 is considered to be quite low! But then again as the title of my video indicates, I talk about the cost of living in Amsterdam only :)

[@nataliegooding8932]

As a family loving in San Jose and NOT working in tech, only 60% of your income going to rent sounds great!

[@LeesaYu]

Haha awesome!! I guess it's all relative, isn't it? I had no idea San Jose was so expensive!

[@nataliegooding8932]

@@LeesaYu haha yeah. My husband is in construction, so periods of pay fluctuate, as does the amount. We have a two bedroom for $2000. No in unit washer dryer, and no other amenities. But we don't have to pay for garbage collection or water. This is generally considered a great deal in this area. Average 2 bedrooms tend to start around $2400.

[@hardhats10]

How do you find the connection of Lebara? And does the data plan work across EU or only within The Netherlands?

[@LeesaYu]

Worked perfectly and also across EU! I think all EU data plans work across EU + UK :)

[@josbertlonnee]

In the mean while rents are rising again in Amsterdam and there is no evidence that that rising is going to stop. Greetings from The netherlands!

[@LeesaYu]

Sadly it's true! :(

[@simonh6371]

Most people don't pay 3-4 Euro a coffee in the Netherlands. Coffee is ubiquitous anyway, there are free coffee machines in many AH supermarkets and all public offices like DVL etc. At Hema a coffee costs 1.50-1.75 or just 1 Euro if you buy it in combination with cake around 4pm. Also a breafast of a cheese roll, croissant with butter and jam, and a coffee at Hema is just 2 Euros. At AH to go a coffee from the machine is 1.50. In a cafe (not a Starbucks) you should only pay about 2 Euros. If you pay 3 Euros or more you're in the wrong places, like Starbucks, or overpriced hipster places (frequented by expats), or tourist places. Part of Dutch culture is being ''zuinig'' i.e. economical with money and unlike other countries if you spend more on things and don't get the best value for money that isn't regarded as cool or impressive, but foolish and gullible. Living in other countries will always be more expensive if you don't live like the locals and if you try to replicate your lifestyle from elsewhere there. In the Netherlands there are bargains a plenty. Also what you're saying about bikes is kinda funny, most Dutch people ride around on bikes which cost them a lot less than 150 Euros.

[@LeesaYu]

I think if you watched my video then you’ll know how cost efficient we are. We don’t eat meat, we make our own coffee, we buy Too Good to Go food and only shop catalogue specials 😂 we don’t buy clothes, we cook our own food 90% of the time.... etc. Please also keep in mind this video is just about how much we actually spend. Some people will spend more than us, some will spend less... Personally though if I have to pay 1.50 euros for a coffee at HEMA I’d rather make my own coffee or food for a quarter of that amount 😉

[@simonh6371]

@@LeesaYu Yep of course most Dutch people just make their own coffee at home or work.

[@Frank009-fl]

what a beautiful appearance you have. and nice informative videos. I wish you a good and enjoyable time in the Netherlands. Regards from Bovenkarspel ( nl )

[@LeesaYu]

Thank you for watching and commenting! Now that the weather is warmer and brighter, I am looking forward to making more videos outside ☺️

[@Frank009-fl]

@@LeesaYu youre welcome. Keep going!

[@shabnamlashkari3897]

Would you please make a video about how safe Amsterdam is for a woman? In terms of biking and walking late at night or going out of the city by yourself.

[@LeesaYu]

Hi Shabnam, it’s an important issue you’ve raised but to be honest I just don’t have enough info to give you the full picture. Because of the lockdown the streets are emptier than usual and shops are closed, plus no reason to be outside late at night. But I can say that I’ve not been harassed or felt unsafe at any point here because I was a woman. And the advice we got from other expats who have lived here for many years is that there aren’t really any ‘bad’ neighbourhoods here :)

[@shabnamlashkari3897]

@@LeesaYu that’s great to hear! Thanks for your reply Leesa

[@pep98]

At Ziggo you CAN get internet only.

[@LeesaYu]

Yes I should have clarified that we couldn’t get rid of the Dutch TV component during the first year of service but now we have cancelled it and have internet only:)

[@pep98]

@@LeesaYu Have fun :-)

[@cityhunterz070]

cool

[@OGspaseman]

Great video! Can you do an apartment tour so we can see what 1550 euros gets you?

[@LeesaYu]

Let me clean our home first! 😂😂 I'll add it to the list of video ideas for the future, for sure!

[@TheMonoranjan]

What about studio apartment near city center??

[@LeesaYu]

Hard for me to say, as I don't live in a studio apartment or right in the city centre. I recommend you check out Funda to see what's possible!

[@t99m0]

Hello can you tell me whats the personal income tax in netherlands? for example how much % for tax does a youtuber pay in netherlands?Nice video !

[@LeesaYu]

You can plug in ‘thetax.nl’ and it will show you how much tax you need to pay

[@t99m0]

@@LeesaYu thanks

[@TheCustomer]

Any idea of living cost in the hague?

[@LeesaYu]

Sorry I don’t! I’m sure it’s much cheaper though!

[@tomakezic6850]

What about council tax?

[@isabelazzalin]

Hi Leesa. Do you think it's worth moving from Australia to the Netherlands? I'm considering moving but I'm so concerned of the income difference. Currently I'm living in Perth. Cheers

[@LeesaYu]

Hey Isabel! It really depends on what your industry/sector is, and how demand your skills and qualifications are in the Netherlands. Also depends on what you prioritise more in your current stage of life :) My income difference is quite big (I earn about 50% of what I was earning in Sydney ~€42K🥺) but my husband earns a little bit more than what he was getting in Australia. The trade off is 100% worth it for me - I love living in Europe, being in close proximity to other European countries, living a totally different day to day life, being able to travel easily etc. maybe those things matter less to you :) Another suggestion is to look outside of Amsterdam. Other surrounding cities in the Netherlands are just as beautiful but more affordable, and it’s totally possible to work in Amsterdam and live elsewhere. Hope this is somewhat helpful, and happy to answer more questions!

[@isabelazzalin]

@@LeesaYu thank you so much for reply Leesa. It does help me a lot. That's the main reason why I want to move. I want to travel around Europe. I'll do some more research to see what the income is in my area of work. All the best on your channel and life in Europe 💓

[@Ben-jb4tx]

Can I ask what's the required monthly salary to live comfortably in Amsterdam?

[@fatimamuhammed2133]

For me too, want to know about the monthly salary hhe

[@LeesaYu]

I can’t comment on the required salary to live comfortably (as everyone has a different level of comfort) but I can say that most jobs in my sector and a medium experience level (6-7 yrs) are about €3000-4000/month, and a lot of companies also pay a 13th month pay cheque. Amsterdam is quite expensive so if you plan to work here you can also consider living outside of Amsterdam (quite a few people do that). That would save a lot of money!

[@fatimamuhammed2133]

@@LeesaYu thank you so much 🙏

[@hansutrecht6555]

Although Amsterdam is a very attractive city, it’s not for the faint hearted moneywise. Ditch Amsterdam, there are a lot of other cities or villages in The Netherlands much more affordable rentwise. Even if you work in Amsterdam, commuting to Amsterdam from any city or village within an hours distance is less expensive than living in Amsterdam. Keep up your informative vlogs.

[@LeesaYu]

Very true - it’s something we didn’t quite believe until we arrived. We have a great transportation system here and there’s plenty of other cities that are close to Amsterdam!

[@rw80]

@@LeesaYu Always funny to read that people from outside The Netherlands say that our public transport system is great, while Dutch people think it’s terrible :-)

[@LeesaYu]

Dutchies don’t know how lucky they are! 😂😅

[@Matt_Fields_29]

I'm surprised these costs are comparable to Orlando, Florida.

[@mashikaduldeniyavidanage5629]

Hi Leese, I ama Sri Lankan currently living in Italy. I studied at an Australian university however at the campus based in Malaysia. I am currently deciding between moving to Australia or the Netherlands. What would you say are the major difference in lifestyle for young expat moving to Australia compared to the Netherlands?

[@LeesaYu]

I think it depends on what you like to do in your spare time, and which cities you are considering in each country. If you value travel, then living in the Netherlands/Europe is much better because Australia is so geographically isolated. If you like festivals/art/museum culture, the Netherlands is better for that - in Amsterdam at least, I feel like there are always interesting events happening. But if you like being outdoors, being in nature a lot, like good weather, then Australia is great for that. Sydney and Melbourne are very diverse, modern and fun cities to live in with great quality of life. The weather is better too so I was much healthier and more active in Sydney than in Amsterdam because I wanted to be outdoors all the time. But nightlife is kind of lacking compared to Europe!

[@suzeel]

Gas+ Electricity 125 € per month??? Thats a lot! We don´t need gas, only elctricity and we live in Germany. Two persons we pay about 55 €! How far is Amsterdam from Germany? I´m thinking about moving to German/Netherlands border. Living in Germany and working in the Netherlands! ^^ Beste Grüße an Euch Leesa! ♥

[@LeesaYu]

Amsterdam is not far away from Germany at all - we are very close to you (though it depends on which Germany city you live in). 55 euros for gas and electricity sounds amazing. Very jealous of your bill :D Hope it doesn't deter you from moving here hehe

[@BeautygyaanBG]

how much salary do u need for family of 2 to live comfortably, can u do a home tour

[@LeesaYu]

Do you mean how much you will need for 2 people only (no children, like us?) Best to work backwards. You need a monthly salary that covers at least the monthly costs I mentioned in this video. If you choose to live outside of Amsterdam, your costs will be much lower due to lower rent. I recommend using Thetax.nl to understand how much you get in hand after tax as well.

[@theblackhand6485]

Living just outside Amsterdam will cut your costs dramatically. Renting a place will be hal the cost! Health insurance can be cheaper if you choose for a higher own risk. Then you will be paying say 87€/month. You do not need a dental insurance. Make the calculatation! To go to the dentist twice a year with some drilling and filling will cost you around 200/250€. Your insurance is more. So you pay to much. You can choose for Internet only. That would be around 35€ these days. Buy a bike. Public transport is not free. With Chinese food you probable eat twice. But every thing in Amsterdam is different then in the towns around A'dam. When you need stuff, first check Marktplaats (Dutch eBay), then Action, which is a store like you are on a open air market. Food: buy at Aldi or Lidl. All the rest is more expensive. Albert Heijn is the most expensive Supermarkt of the Netrherlands. They are a global player who is not inviromental friendly. So do not buy there!

[@LeesaYu]

Thanks for sharing your perspective. Even though I know it’s cheaper to live outside of Amsterdam, the lifestyle here suits us better as we prefer to be in a bigger city. But for sure you can save a lot if you’re open to living a different place. Cost of living is a very subjective thing - the lifestyle that I’m used is going to be different to what others want for themselves. I’d say compared to Australia, we have to live more frugally here (almost everything is more expensive).This doesn’t bother us as it’s worth the trade off of living in this incredible city, but it may not be for others which is why I made this video ☺️😉 thanks for your tip about the dentist - perhaps it’s worth investigating this further!

[@weeardguy]

A dental insurance only helps for everything besides standard check-ups. A dental insurance if the dentist hardly has work to do on every check-up is useless: the insurance company knows they will have to pay out anyway, so the costs are rather high.

[@WiseAssGamer]

1550 Euro’s, that equates to $1685 USD. Which isn’t insane. I live just east of New York City, and $1685 will get us a nice closet. In terms of your TV. Do they offer English dubbing or translation?

[@LeesaYu]

No English dubbing (at least not for our TV) :)

[@suppliers9855]

But salaries are quite lower here than in New York City (my girlfriend is from Queens)

[@rucky_665]

Compared to Zürich that’s rather cheap. Very informative video.

[@LeesaYu]

I have heard Switzerland is a very expensive place to live in! Glad you found it informative!

[@ian184]

Not as bad as most eu countries though. Ireland & Spain are both more expensive for bills

[@LeesaYu]

I didn’t know that, thanks for sharing! I must say I’m surprised to hear this, especially for Spain!

[@N17sd]

Hi , thank you so much . Do you tip there?

[@LeesaYu]

Nope! No tipping :)

[@N17sd]

@@LeesaYu Thank you 💖 Here in the US we tip minimum %15 per 2 people, for trashy food 😬😤😂

[@LeesaYu]

I always hated tipping because you have to always do a mathematical calculation of what to pay, and it makes paying the bill so awkward I understand why it has to be done but would be so much better to raise the wage of workers. But yes you don’t have to worry about that here!

[@N17sd]

@@LeesaYu poor waitresses, they are underpaid and mistreated by their employers and most importantly there’s no law to protect their rights and force business owners to pay their employees fairly…plus they must of them don’t have payed sick days or health insurance!! Actually, the reason am watching you and others is that we are thinking of sending our kids to college there and hopefully this summer will be able to visit Holland and maybe meet you guys❤️ thank you and all the best 🌸

[@nancyguo01]

I am moving from London to Amsterdam thank god the rent is much cheaper in Amsterdam. In zone one London like average €2200 for a one bed Apartment exclude bills

[@LeesaYu]

😂 yes London is ridiculous! I think you’ll find the quality of life will be much better here than in London.

[@brandipiecora7640]

Seattle is more - I never thought I’d see the day when we were more expensive than Europe.

[@nancyguo01]

@@brandipiecora7640 I heard that ! Inflation man

[@ericnootebos5855]

I guess one of the reasons it is too expensive now for Amsterdammers is the amound of expats and foreign investers buying houses just for the investment.

[@LeesaYu]

I don't have personal experience yet with the housing market here, but from what I've heard it is indeed ridiculously competitive here! We have the same problem in Sydney :(

[@josbertlonnee]

The bottom line in this video is equal to that in more videos that are about living in Amsterdam: DO NOT GO THERE, unless you have or make a lot of money. When you have an ordinary job you might be able to rent a house with a partner, but only when your partner has a good job too. If you have a regular job and no partner: forget it!

[@LeesaYu]

It’s a fair point you raise! If I didn’t have my husband’s income, then we would not be able to survive on my income alone. Amsterdam is not a cheap place to live in, as is the case for most capital/major cities!

[@qedd722]

why netherlands or not china or usa or canada ?

[@LeesaYu]

Lots of reasons - we wanted to live in Europe, and the Netherlands is great for English speakers. And life and opportunity just worked out that way!

[@JKSVAM_]

May I ask what is the total cost from moving from Australia to the Netherlands? How much money did you guys saved up?

[@LeesaYu]

It's a tough question to answer as everyone has a different lifestyle & comfortable with different levels of risk. I'd say the major expenses are: Flight ticket (obviously!), rental deposit (1 month's worth) + the total bare minimum costs I mentioned in my video. Personally I'm quite a risk averse person, and I would have at least 12 months worth of savings (i.e. 12 x the total costs in this video). If you are moving to another city that isn't Amsterdam, your rent is going to be a lot cheaper so take that into consideration too :)

[@JKSVAM_]

@@LeesaYu yeah I’m moving into best. With my gf there next year! Do you think they will accept me if she is 20 and I am 21? Cause I know the rules say that both of us need to be 21 but is there a way to kinda persuade them that we are a forever term? 😅😂😁

[@Just_Mike64]

Don't forget the box 3 wealth tax, if you do have money in the bank or investments on the stock market, you will be taxed very heavily on those. Even if you don't make any profits..

[@LeesaYu]

😭😭😭 yes you are right, thanks for pointing that out!

[@xFD2x]

@@LeesaYu Box 3 (wealth tax) only applies if you own more than € 100,000 in savings (for the 2 of you), and you can circumvent that by buying gold coins.

[@MChagall]

You pay 30% over a 4% expected profit so 1,2% effectively. If you make more profit you don't get taxed so it could be a loss or a benefit depending on your investments

[@MarineMarin13]

Oh my... I'm currently checking everything to move. And.. i'll eat pasta for 12 months at this point

[@LeesaYu]

😂but also 😢yes Amsterdam is not cheap!

[@CharleneDandelion]

you can always choose for internet only and have them delete the tv subscription. They are just lying to you. SO what is now happening is that you are stuck with this subscription plan for a year, and then you can ask them to remove the tv subscription from your account. I have ziggo too. What a shame they lied to you, that so vile!

[@LeesaYu]

Oh I don’t think they lied to us but it was something we weren’t fully aware of until much later! Anyway we have now removed the TV subscription and only have internet now :)

[@weeardguy]

@@LeesaYu Be aware that you could still have a TV-signal: Dutch law states that EVERYONE needs to receive a basic offer on TV. So even if you don't pay for TV, you get signal. The only difference is that you only get channel Nederland 1, 2, 3 and your regional public channel in FHD resolution (and with Ziggo: Ziggo Sport), while the rest of the channels are in SD-resolution ánd you don't get the additional services like on-demand, special digital channels and what not. Considering the crap on most channels, I don't need HD for everything else but NL1, 2 and 3 ;) If you only want a monitor for your computer but you want to watch TV on it as well, you can buy your own decoder (Humax-decoders are quite popular) and you can record the stuff you like on an external harddisk (instead of in the cloud with Ziggo and such). Almost any provider will try to sign you up for the digital-subscription service, while you can watch TV without it. That's always a surprise when you have to call them for something and they respond that they don't see a TV-subscription...

[@0animalproductworld558]

I can hear your Australian accent as someone living in America (:

[@LeesaYu]

Haha do you mean that my Australian accent also sounds kind of American? I don't have a very strong accent!

[@0animalproductworld558]

@@LeesaYu Just think that we Americans think we are better and we have no accent and we sound better. You sound a little bit like a brit! :D I'm pretty sure most Americans can recognize! (: Very interesting!! :D

[@0animalproductworld558]

At first I thought your accent was brit but after a while I kind of hear Australian accent! (:

[@mikepictor]

The Netherlands doesn't have government funded healthcare? I had no idea.

[@edrison7303]

Alleen al als je besluit om net buiten de stad gaan wonen kan je jezelf al minimaal 750 Euro aan huur per maand besparen.

[@LeesaYu]

I address this issue in my latest video! :)

[@shaheenamehdi1654]

Can someone tell me what expact means.

[@LeesaYu]

See here for an explanation of what ‘expat’ means 😉: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expatriate

[@shaheenamehdi1654]

@@LeesaYu ahhhhh .... Thank u 💖

[@schatzeemilien625]

Hi Leesa! How has your experience been in Amsterdam as someone who's ethnically Asian? I'm looking into moving from NYC but a little worried about racism.

[@LeesaYu]

Thanks for watching and your great question! I was super worried about this before coming here, esp right now for obvious reasons. I can’t speak for other ethnicities or backgrounds but so far I have not directly experienced any racism or discrimination in Amsterdam as an East Asian. If anything, Dutch people that I have met so far have been super nice to me here. But keep in mind that my interaction with the outside world has been lower than usual because of the lockdown, and I live in a neighbourhood that’s known to be quite diverse and expat friendly. The only big difference I feel compared to Sydney is that I am often the only Asian in the shop/street/room when I’m walking around in Amsterdam. It is nowhere near as diverse here as it is to NYC! Like everywhere else in the world racism exists here. Last week some East Asian expats posted on FB about experiencing racism (one was spat on, another taunted by a group of kids). I have seen graffiti saying ‘China flu’ and 1 drunk man ni hao’ed me. But this is about the same level of racism that exists in Sydney so it’s at a level that I feel I can deal with. I’m sure it’s similar in NYC? I truly believe these cases are the minority and the probability of being racially attacked for being a person of colour is very slim. Long comment from me but an important issue you’ve raised! It’s the number 1 issue that I think of whenever I move somewhere new. Hope this helps and feel free to DM me if you want to chat more about this! I plan to eventually make a video about this when I’ve been here for longer :)

[@schatzeemilien625]

@@LeesaYu Thank you so much for your thoughtful response and sharing your experience! It's comforting to know that most interactions are pleasant, although I do hope for a day that we don't need to worry about things like this when we travel/move. I'm in the process of looking for roles within my company in the Netherlands so I will definitely reach out if it works out God willing :) Until then, looking forward to your videos!

[@gerardjolingjr5194]

It really depends where you live. In our cities white people being racist is very rare, and if they are people will often openly call them out for it. Don't move to villages tho. I used to work for the red cross and and the most common answer to us asking for donations was something like: "well if they aren't dutch i dont care they are being attacked with biochemical weapons".

[@sakhianwari9168]

If you want cheaper health insurance set your deductable at 885 euro you HI wil be aroudn €90

[@LeesaYu]

Yes I do know some people who do this! To be honest I’m not sure I’m ready to take that risk though 😳😬

[@raidervandijk7713]

Oh... and groceries REALLY are more expensive in Amsterdam!

[@LeesaYu]

They sure are! :(

[@ClayShentrup]

"Dutch employers cover your transportation cost." Well, no. Tax incidence means they're just diverting what would otherwise be compensation to transportation subsidies. There's no such thing as a free lunch.

[@LeesaYu]

Well sure, though there's often no out of pocket expense for transport for the employee - that's pretty amazing to me, given that I had to pay all my transport costs in Sydney and that added up to be quite a lot

[@Just_Mike64]

Thank you for reminding me, as an former Amsterdam local, why I moved to Asia. Coffee 3.5 to 4 euro ???? Absolutely crazy i pay 25 baht here for a delivered coffee , that's 0.68 euro. I think I'll never be able to move back to my home country 😳

[@LeesaYu]

Yes, it’s absolutely CRAZY! I used to live in Beijing so I totally know where you’re coming from. I can’t quite figure out how people afford life here long-term because the taxes are so high and salaries are low too (at least compared to Australia). I’m guessing you are in Thailand - I’m a bit jealous!!!

[@Just_Mike64]

@@LeesaYu yes Thailand, i escaped for the taxes. Can live here on what I otherwise would be paying in taxes... Great video by the way, good presentation ! Good luck in Amsterdam

[@LeesaYu]

I didn’t know that! I can only speak for my own industry - unfortunately my current salary is about 60% what I was making in Australia 😂 In my industry I’d say I’m at a disadvantage here because I can’t speak Dutch (which is totally understandable). Looks like I should have specialised in the construction industry!

[@simonh6371]

@@LeesaYu Most people don't pay 3-4 Euro a coffee in the Netherlands. Coffee is ubiquitous anyway, there are free coffee machines in many AH supermarkets and all public offices like DVL etc. At Hema a coffee costs 1.50-1.75 or just 1 Euro if you buy it in combination with cake around 4pm. Also a breafast of a cheese roll, croissant with butter and jam, and a coffee at Hema is just 2 Euros. Part of Dutch culture is being ''zuinig'' i.e. economical with money and unlike other countries if you spend more on something and don't get the best value for money that isn't cool or impressive, but stupid. Living in other countries will always be more expensive if you don't live like the locals and try to replicate your lifestyle from elsewhere there. In the Netherlands there are bargains a plenty. Also what you're saying about bikes is kinda funny, a lot of Dutch people ride around on bikes which cost them a lot less than 150 Euros.

[@xFD2x]

@@simonh6371 I absolutely agree with you Simon. And @Leesa Yu. The cost of removing and cleaning your sewage, and managing the water (so we keep our feet dry) you call them taxes, and they are, but please understand these costs are real. It isn't money that just disappears. You will find many of your neighbors are expats, and there aren't that many common dutchmen living in Amsterdam anymore. That's because the high prices for rent (or owning a home) in Amsterdam have driven the common dutchmen out of the city. It's mostly the influx of expats and 'fancy dutchmen' that have pushed the prices in Amsterdam, and Utrecht to a lesser extend.

[@raidervandijk7713]

Rent... 1550... that is a hell of a lot of money for a itty bitty apartment in amsterdam. I pay 630 for a single 3 bedroom house. And no more tax then you do. But hey... it's not in ffing tourist amsterdam...

[@LeesaYu]

I guess this is true for any major city! It’s sad that Amsterdam is becoming more and more unaffordable over time.

[@magnusfransson1970]

respect to the ring but still cute AF

[@user-hh4yp5qr9m]

living cost there ， extremely high

[@LeesaYu]

Sure is!

[@BeautygyaanBG]

water so expensive

[@weeardguy]

Well Dutch tapwater is the best or very close to the best in the world... And it's also quite the system to have enough tapwater available all the time for everyone to drink.

[@mikepictor]

12 Euro for your mobile!? *cries in Canada*