Moving to Netherlands from India

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from India to Netherlands, you would find that Netherlands is 8.3 times more expensive than India overall. A ₹7,247,970 salary in India would need to be roughly €303,364 in Netherlands to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Dutch. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Amsterdam averages 56°F vs 88°F in Delhi, making it significantly cooler.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

₹7,247,970 €303,364

To maintain the same standard of living in Netherlands

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 10.0 times more

Groceries

pay 4.1 times more

Transportation

pay 6.2 times more

Housing

pay 9.9 times more

Childcare

pay 20.9 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 3.6 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 INR = 0.009 EUR (July 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.

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 278% more than cities in India.

India

Mumbai 24%
Gurgaon 21%
Pune 20%
Hyderabad 20%
Delhi 19%

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 India to Netherlands, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
12,073 ↓ 17% vs 2022

people moved from India 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 India 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

IN
2.8
NL
0.8
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

IN
15.4
NL
3.4

Netherlands performs significantly better than India across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

IN
$346
NL
$8,195
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

affects wait times and access to care

IN
7.3
NL
39.1

Netherlands generally does better on health & wellbeing, though India 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

IN
83.0
NL
13.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

IN
2.2t
NL
6.6t

India 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

IN
2.4
NL
44.4
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

IN
66.5%
NL
16.1%

Netherlands performs significantly better than India across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

IN
4.2%
NL
3.6%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

IN
$9,200
NL
$69,300

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

IN
67.2 yrs
NL
82.2 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

IN
30.3
NL
3.4

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

Data: Ministry of Finance, Government of India, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Delhi Rain: 28.2 in/yr (716 mm)
88° / 66°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Delhi Amsterdam
Jan–Mar 76°/52°F (25°/11°C) 45°/34°F (7°/1°C)
Apr–Jun 101°/78°F (38°/25°C) 61°/45°F (16°/7°C)
Jul–Sep 93°/79°F (34°/26°C) 69°/53°F (21°/12°C)
Oct–Dec 82°/56°F (28°/14°C) 50°/40°F (10°/4°C)
View all months
Month Delhi Amsterdam
Jan 69°/46°F (20.8°/7.8°C) 42°/33°F (5.4°/0.5°C)
Feb 75°/51°F (23.7°/10.3°C) 43°/32°F (6.0°/0.2°C)
Mar 85°/60°F (29.6°/15.4°C) 49°/36°F (9.2°/2.4°C)
Apr 97°/71°F (36.0°/21.5°C) 54°/39°F (12.4°/4.0°C)
May 104°/79°F (39.8°/26.2°C) 63°/46°F (17.1°/7.8°C)
Jun 103°/83°F (39.4°/28.3°C) 67°/51°F (19.2°/10.4°C)
Jul 95°/81°F (35.2°/27.0°C) 71°/54°F (21.4°/12.5°C)
Aug 92°/79°F (33.6°/26.2°C) 71°/54°F (21.8°/12.3°C)
Sep 93°/76°F (34.0°/24.7°C) 65°/50°F (18.4°/10.2°C)
Oct 91°/67°F (32.9°/19.4°C) 57°/45°F (14.1°/7.0°C)
Nov 82°/55°F (28.0°/12.8°C) 49°/39°F (9.2°/3.9°C)
Dec 73°/47°F (22.7°/8.4°C) 44°/35°F (6.5°/1.9°C)

Data: India Meteorological Department India Meteorological Department, Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between India 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.

India passport

India passport holder visiting Netherlands

Visa Required
India passport holders need a visa to enter Netherlands.
Netherlands passport

Netherlands passport holder visiting India

Visa Online (e-Visa)
Netherlands passport holders need to apply for an e-Visa before travelling to India.

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 India?

Day-to-day costs in Netherlands run about 363% higher than India 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 ₹7,247,970 comparable salary, that's around €75,841 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 India and Netherlands.

Is Netherlands safe for expats?

Netherlands performs significantly better than India across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Netherlands is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.8 in India.

How is healthcare in Netherlands compared to India?

Netherlands generally does better on health & wellbeing, though India leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 39.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Netherlands, compared to 7.3 in India. Netherlands scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (India: 63).

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

The average high temperature in Amsterdam is 56°F, compared to 88°F in Delhi. Amsterdam receives around 30.7 in of rainfall per year, while Delhi gets 28.2 in.

What language do they speak in Netherlands?

The official language in Netherlands is Dutch. In India, the official languages are English, Hindi and Tamil.

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At a Glance

IN NL
Population 1,389,637,446 17,400,824
Currency Indian Rupee (₹) Euro (€)
Languages English, Hindi, Tamil Dutch
Driving side Left Right
Calling code +91 +31
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112