Moving to Netherlands from Brazil

moving to

What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Brazil to Netherlands — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Brazil to Netherlands, you would find that Netherlands is 2.6 times more expensive than Brazil overall. A R$380,000 salary in Brazil would need to be roughly €171,000 in Netherlands to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Dutch. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Amsterdam averages 56°F vs 77°F in Sao Paulo, making it significantly cooler.

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Is Netherlands cheaper than Brazil?

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 2.8 times more

Groceries

pay 72.3% more

Transportation

pay 97.9% more

Housing

pay 4.1 times more

Childcare

pay 2.7 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 2.3 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 BRL = 0.1758 EUR (October 2026)

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?

R$380,000 → €171,000

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 98% more than cities in Brazil.

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

How many people actually move from Brazil to Netherlands, based on official data.

Moved in 2023
2,612 ↓ 9% vs 2022

people moved from Brazil to Netherlands · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to Netherlands?

Top countries of origin for Netherlands's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Brazil to Netherlands.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

BR
19.3
NL
0.7
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

BR
15.7
NL
3.4

Netherlands performs significantly better than Brazil across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

BR
$2,070
NL
$8,195
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

BR
23.6
NL
38.8

Netherlands generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Brazil leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

BR
23.0
NL
13.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

BR
2.3t
NL
6.6t

Brazil generally does better on environment, though Netherlands leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

BR
24.1
NL
43.0
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

BR
1.5%
NL
16.7%

Netherlands generally does better on infrastructure, though Brazil leads in water stress level.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

BR
6.0%
NL
3.9%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

BR
$10,713
NL
$73,684

Brazil generally does better on employment & economy, though Netherlands leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

BR
76.0 yrs
NL
82.0 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

BR
12.3
NL
3.4

Netherlands generally does better on family life, though Brazil leads in education spending.

Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Secretaria da Receita Federal do Brasil (2016), Tax and Customs Administration - Belastingdienst (2016), The World Factbook (2016). How we calculate this

Weather in Netherlands vs Brazil

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Sao Paulo Rain: 57.3 in/yr (1455 mm)
77° / 60°F

Avg. annual high / low

Amsterdam Rain: 30.7 in/yr (780 mm)
56° / 43°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Sao Paulo Amsterdam
Jan–Mar 81°/66°F (28°/19°C) 45°/34°F (7°/1°C)
Apr–Jun 74°/57°F (23°/14°C) 61°/45°F (16°/7°C)
Jul–Sep 73°/55°F (23°/13°C) 69°/53°F (21°/12°C)
Oct–Dec 78°/62°F (26°/17°C) 50°/40°F (10°/4°C)
View all months
Month Sao Paulo Amsterdam
Jan 81°/66°F (27.3°/18.7°C) 42°/33°F (5.4°/0.5°C)
Feb 82°/66°F (28.0°/18.8°C) 43°/32°F (6.0°/0.2°C)
Mar 81°/65°F (27.2°/18.2°C) 49°/36°F (9.2°/2.4°C)
Apr 77°/61°F (25.1°/16.3°C) 54°/39°F (12.4°/4.0°C)
May 73°/57°F (23.0°/13.8°C) 63°/46°F (17.1°/7.8°C)
Jun 71°/54°F (21.8°/12.4°C) 67°/51°F (19.2°/10.4°C)
Jul 71°/53°F (21.8°/11.7°C) 71°/54°F (21.4°/12.5°C)
Aug 74°/55°F (23.3°/12.8°C) 71°/54°F (21.8°/12.3°C)
Sep 75°/57°F (23.9°/13.9°C) 65°/50°F (18.4°/10.2°C)
Oct 77°/60°F (24.8°/15.3°C) 57°/45°F (14.1°/7.0°C)
Nov 79°/62°F (25.9°/16.6°C) 49°/39°F (9.2°/3.9°C)
Dec 79°/64°F (26.3°/17.7°C) 44°/35°F (6.5°/1.9°C)

Data: Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia, Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute

Can you move from Brazil to Netherlands?

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Brazil 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.

Brazil passport

Brazil passport holder visiting Netherlands

Visa Free
Brazil passport holders can enter Netherlands without a visa.
Netherlands passport

Netherlands passport holder visiting Brazil

Visa Free
Netherlands passport holders can enter Brazil without a visa.

Data: 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 Brazil?

No — Netherlands is on average about 157% more expensive than Brazil. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to Netherlands?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly €42,750 in Netherlands on a R$380,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).

Can I work remotely from Netherlands?

Internet is rarely the blocker — Netherlands has 43.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.

Is Netherlands safe for expats?

Netherlands performs significantly better than Brazil across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Netherlands is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 19.3 in Brazil.

How is healthcare in Netherlands compared to Brazil?

Netherlands generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Brazil leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 38.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Netherlands, compared to 23.6 in Brazil. Netherlands scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Brazil: 80).

What's the weather like in Netherlands compared to Brazil?

The average high temperature in Amsterdam is 56°F, compared to 77°F in Sao Paulo. Amsterdam receives around 30.7 in of rainfall per year, while Sao Paulo gets 57.3 in.

What language do they speak in Netherlands?

The official language in Netherlands is Dutch. In Brazil, the official language is Portuguese.

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At a Glance

BR NL
Population 212,812,405 18,087,633
Currency Brazilian Real (R$) Euro (€)
Languages Portuguese Dutch
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +55 +31
Time zones 4 1
Emergency number 190 112