Moving to Netherlands from Belgium
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Belgium to Netherlands — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Belgium to Netherlands, you would find that Netherlands is 19.0% more expensive than Belgium overall. A €67,000 salary in Belgium would need to be roughly €79,700 in Netherlands to maintain the same lifestyle.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Netherlands cheaper than Belgium?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 6.7% more
Groceries
pay 3.0% more
Transportation
pay 32.5% more
Housing
pay 38.7% more
Childcare
pay 5.4% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 12.1% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
What salary do you need in Netherlands?
What does your salary buy?
€67,000 → €79,700
To maintain the same standard of living in Netherlands
Calculate with your salary →Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Netherlands cost about 20% more than cities in Belgium.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Belgium to Netherlands, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Belgium to Netherlands · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
How Belgium and Netherlands stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Netherlands performs significantly better than Belgium across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Netherlands generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Belgium leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Netherlands performs significantly better than Belgium across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Belgium generally does better on infrastructure, though Netherlands leads in water stress level.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Netherlands generally does better on employment & economy, though Belgium leads in poverty rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
Belgium performs better than Netherlands across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Service Public Fédéral Finances (2016), Tax and Customs Administration - Belastingdienst (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Netherlands vs Belgium
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Brussels | Amsterdam |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 45°/34°F (7°/1°C) | 45°/34°F (7°/1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 63°/47°F (17°/8°C) | 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 70°/54°F (21°/13°C) | 69°/53°F (21°/12°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 50°/40°F (10°/4°C) | 50°/40°F (10°/4°C) |
View all months
| Month | Brussels | Amsterdam |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42°/33°F (5.6°/0.7°C) | 42°/33°F (5.4°/0.5°C) |
| Feb | 44°/33°F (6.4°/0.6°C) | 43°/32°F (6.0°/0.2°C) |
| Mar | 50°/37°F (9.9°/2.9°C) | 49°/36°F (9.2°/2.4°C) |
| Apr | 56°/41°F (13.1°/4.8°C) | 54°/39°F (12.4°/4.0°C) |
| May | 64°/48°F (17.7°/8.9°C) | 63°/46°F (17.1°/7.8°C) |
| Jun | 68°/53°F (20.0°/11.5°C) | 67°/51°F (19.2°/10.4°C) |
| Jul | 72°/56°F (22.4°/13.6°C) | 71°/54°F (21.4°/12.5°C) |
| Aug | 72°/56°F (22.5°/13.4°C) | 71°/54°F (21.8°/12.3°C) |
| Sep | 66°/51°F (18.7°/10.8°C) | 65°/50°F (18.4°/10.2°C) |
| Oct | 58°/46°F (14.4°/7.6°C) | 57°/45°F (14.1°/7.0°C) |
| Nov | 48°/39°F (9.1°/3.7°C) | 49°/39°F (9.2°/3.9°C) |
| Dec | 44°/35°F (6.5°/1.9°C) | 44°/35°F (6.5°/1.9°C) |
Data:
Institut Royal Météorologique,
Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute
Can you move from Belgium to Netherlands?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Belgium and Netherlands. To live, work, or study long-term in Netherlands, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Netherlands's immigration authority.
Belgium passport holder visiting Netherlands
Visa Free
Netherlands passport holder visiting Belgium
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Netherlands than Belgium?
Day-to-day costs in Netherlands run about 19% higher than Belgium on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Netherlands?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a €67,000 comparable salary, that's around €19,925 in Netherlands for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Netherlands?
With 43.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Netherlands can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Belgium and Netherlands.
Is Netherlands safe for expats?
Netherlands performs significantly better than Belgium across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Netherlands is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Belgium.
How is healthcare in Netherlands compared to Belgium?
Netherlands generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Belgium leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 38.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Netherlands, compared to 35.7 in Belgium. Netherlands scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Belgium: 86).
What's the weather like in Netherlands compared to Belgium?
The average high temperature in Amsterdam is 56°F, compared to 57°F in Brussels. Amsterdam receives around 30.7 in of rainfall per year, while Brussels gets 32.3 in.
What language do they speak in Netherlands?
The official language in Netherlands is Dutch. In Belgium, the official languages are Dutch, French and German.
