Moving to Netherlands from Greece

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Greece to Netherlands — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Greece to Netherlands, you would find that Netherlands is 68.4% more expensive than Greece overall. A €67,000 salary in Greece would need to be roughly €113,000 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 72°F in Athens, making it significantly cooler.

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Is Netherlands cheaper than Greece?

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 57.5% more

Groceries

pay 29.2% more

Transportation

pay 50.8% more

Housing

pay 2.3 times more

Childcare

pay 2.6 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 28.6% more

See full cost of living breakdown

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 → €113,000

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 54% more than cities in Greece.

Greece

Xanthi 43%
Kavala 42%

Netherlands

Rotterdam 68%
Arnhem 63%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Greece to Netherlands, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
5,873 ↓ 7% vs 2022

people moved from Greece 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

How Greece and Netherlands stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

GR
0.8
NL
0.7
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

GR
7.3
NL
3.4

Netherlands performs significantly better than Greece across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

GR
$3,454
NL
$8,195
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

GR
65.8
NL
38.8

Greece generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Netherlands leads in health coverage index.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

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

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

GR
5.0t
NL
6.6t

Greece 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

GR
44.7
NL
43.0
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

GR
20.3%
NL
16.7%

Netherlands generally does better on infrastructure, though Greece leads in broadband per 100 people.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

GR
8.5%
NL
3.9%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

GR
$26,948
NL
$73,684

Netherlands generally does better on employment & economy, though Greece leads in top income tax rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

GR
81.8 yrs
NL
82.0 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

GR
3.2
NL
3.4

Netherlands generally does better on family life, though Greece leads in infant mortality.

Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), GSIS, Greece (2016), Tax and Customs Administration - Belastingdienst (2016). How we calculate this

Weather in Netherlands vs Greece

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Athens Rain: 16.3 in/yr (414 mm)
72° / 54°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Athens Amsterdam
Jan–Mar 57°/42°F (14°/6°C) 45°/34°F (7°/1°C)
Apr–Jun 78°/57°F (26°/14°C) 61°/45°F (16°/7°C)
Jul–Sep 90°/67°F (32°/20°C) 69°/53°F (21°/12°C)
Oct–Dec 65°/50°F (18°/10°C) 50°/40°F (10°/4°C)
View all months
Month Athens Amsterdam
Jan 54°/41°F (12.5°/5.2°C) 42°/33°F (5.4°/0.5°C)
Feb 56°/42°F (13.5°/5.4°C) 43°/32°F (6.0°/0.2°C)
Mar 60°/44°F (15.7°/6.7°C) 49°/36°F (9.2°/2.4°C)
Apr 68°/49°F (20.2°/9.6°C) 54°/39°F (12.4°/4.0°C)
May 79°/57°F (26.0°/13.9°C) 63°/46°F (17.1°/7.8°C)
Jun 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.2°C) 67°/51°F (19.2°/10.4°C)
Jul 92°/69°F (33.5°/20.8°C) 71°/54°F (21.4°/12.5°C)
Aug 92°/69°F (33.2°/20.7°C) 71°/54°F (21.8°/12.3°C)
Sep 85°/63°F (29.2°/17.3°C) 65°/50°F (18.4°/10.2°C)
Oct 74°/56°F (23.3°/13.4°C) 57°/45°F (14.1°/7.0°C)
Nov 65°/50°F (18.1°/9.8°C) 49°/39°F (9.2°/3.9°C)
Dec 57°/44°F (14.1°/6.8°C) 44°/35°F (6.5°/1.9°C)

Data: Hellenic National Meteorological Service Hellenic National Meteorological Service, Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute

Can you move from Greece to Netherlands?

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Greece 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.

Greece passport

Greece passport holder visiting Netherlands

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

Netherlands passport holder visiting Greece

Visa Free
Netherlands passport holders can enter Greece 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 Greece?

Day-to-day costs in Netherlands run about 68% higher than Greece 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 €28,250 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 Greece and Netherlands.

Is Netherlands safe for expats?

Netherlands performs significantly better than Greece across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Netherlands is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Greece.

How is healthcare in Netherlands compared to Greece?

Greece generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Netherlands leads in health coverage index. There are 38.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Netherlands, compared to 65.8 in Greece. Netherlands scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Greece: 77).

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

The average high temperature in Amsterdam is 56°F, compared to 72°F in Athens. Amsterdam receives around 30.7 in of rainfall per year, while Athens gets 16.3 in.

What language do they speak in Netherlands?

The official language in Netherlands is Dutch. In Greece, the official language is Greek.

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At a Glance

GR NL
Population 10,413,962 18,087,633
Currency Euro (€) Euro (€)
Languages Greek Dutch
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +30 +31
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112