Moving to Netherlands from Greece

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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 80.5% more expensive than Greece overall. A €65,577 salary in Greece would need to be roughly €98,260 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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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Greece to Netherlands.

What does your salary buy?

€65,577 €98,260

To maintain the same standard of living in Netherlands

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 2.1 times more

Groceries

pay 34.7% more

Transportation

pay 59.0% more

Housing

pay 96.3% more

Childcare

pay 3.0 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 48.3% 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.

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 55% more than cities in Greece.

Greece

Corfu 46%
Kavala 40%

Netherlands

Rotterdam 72%
Eindhoven 67%
Zwolle 62%

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 United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

GR
1.1
NL
0.8
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 United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

affects wait times and access to care

GR
63.7
NL
39.1

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 United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

GR
43.0
NL
44.4
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

GR
20.7%
NL
16.1%

Netherlands performs significantly better than Greece across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

GR
11.0%
NL
3.6%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

GR
$36,300
NL
$69,300

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

GR
81.5 yrs
NL
82.2 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

GR
3.5
NL
3.4

Netherlands performs significantly better than Greece across all family life metrics.

Data: GSIS, Greece, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

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

Visitor Visa Requirements

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 50% 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 €65,577 comparable salary, that's around €24,565 in Netherlands for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Netherlands?

With 44.4 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 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 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 39.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Netherlands, compared to 63.7 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 10,533,871 17,400,824
Currency Euro (€) Euro (€)
Languages Greek Dutch
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +30 +31
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112