Moving to Finland from Netherlands

moving to

What to Expect

Considering a move from Netherlands to Finland? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Netherlands to Finland, you would find that Finland is 26.7% cheaper than Netherlands overall. A €67,000 salary in Netherlands would need to be roughly €49,100 in Finland to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Finnish and Swedish.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Netherlands and Finland.

What does your salary buy?

€67,000 → €49,100

To maintain the same standard of living in Finland

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 22.5% less

Groceries

pay 12.2% less

Transportation

pay 17.0% less

Housing

pay 44.2% less

Childcare

pay 50.9% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 11.9% 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 Finland cost about 20% less than cities in Netherlands.

Netherlands

Rotterdam 68%
Arnhem 63%

Finland

Lahti 55%
Jyvaskyla 51%
Joensuu 51%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

What the data shows about people moving from Netherlands to Finland.

Moved in 2023
174 ↓ 1% vs 2022

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

Who's moving to Finland?

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

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Finland compared to Netherlands.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

NL
0.7
FI
1.0
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

NL
3.4
FI
4.2

Netherlands performs better than Finland across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

NL
$8,195
FI
$6,433
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

NL
38.8
FI
36.1

Netherlands generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Finland 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

NL
13.0
FI
7.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

NL
6.6t
FI
5.5t

Finland performs significantly better than Netherlands across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

NL
43.0
FI
36.5
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

NL
16.7%
FI
7.1%

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

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

NL
3.9%
FI
9.5%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

NL
$73,684
FI
$56,149

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

NL
82.0 yrs
FI
82.3 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

NL
3.4
FI
1.9

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

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

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

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

Avg. annual high / low

Helsinki Rain: 25.6 in/yr (650 mm)
48° / 34°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Amsterdam Helsinki
Jan–Mar 45°/34°F (7°/1°C) 29°/18°F (-1°/-8°C)
Apr–Jun 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) 58°/40°F (14°/4°C)
Jul–Sep 69°/53°F (21°/12°C) 65°/49°F (19°/10°C)
Oct–Dec 50°/40°F (10°/4°C) 38°/28°F (3°/-2°C)
View all months
Month Amsterdam Helsinki
Jan 42°/33°F (5.4°/0.5°C) 27°/17°F (-2.6°/-8.5°C)
Feb 43°/32°F (6.0°/0.2°C) 27°/15°F (-2.9°/-9.3°C)
Mar 49°/36°F (9.2°/2.4°C) 34°/22°F (1.1°/-5.6°C)
Apr 54°/39°F (12.4°/4.0°C) 46°/31°F (7.5°/-0.7°C)
May 63°/46°F (17.1°/7.8°C) 60°/40°F (15.5°/4.4°C)
Jun 67°/51°F (19.2°/10.4°C) 68°/49°F (19.8°/9.3°C)
Jul 71°/54°F (21.4°/12.5°C) 71°/53°F (21.8°/11.8°C)
Aug 71°/54°F (21.8°/12.3°C) 68°/51°F (19.9°/10.7°C)
Sep 65°/50°F (18.4°/10.2°C) 57°/43°F (14.0°/6.1°C)
Oct 57°/45°F (14.1°/7.0°C) 47°/36°F (8.1°/2.2°C)
Nov 49°/39°F (9.2°/3.9°C) 36°/28°F (2.5°/-2.4°C)
Dec 44°/35°F (6.5°/1.9°C) 31°/20°F (-0.8°/-6.6°C)

Data: Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, Finnish Meteorological Institute Finnish Meteorological Institute

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Netherlands and Finland. To live, work, or study long-term in Finland, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Finland's immigration authority.

Netherlands passport

Netherlands passport holder visiting Finland

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

Finland passport holder visiting Netherlands

Visa Free
Finland passport holders can enter Netherlands 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 Finland than Netherlands?

On average Finland is about 27% less expensive than Netherlands, with major cities narrowing the gap.

How much money do I need to move to Finland?

Budget about €12,275 for 3 months in Finland (based on a €67,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Finland?

Connectivity is usually fine (Finland: 36.5 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Finland offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?

Is Finland safe for expats?

Netherlands performs better than Finland across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Finland is 1.0 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Netherlands.

How is healthcare in Finland compared to Netherlands?

Netherlands generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Finland leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 36.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Finland, compared to 38.8 in Netherlands. Finland scores 86 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Netherlands: 85).

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

The average high temperature in Helsinki is 48°F, compared to 56°F in Amsterdam. Helsinki receives around 25.6 in of rainfall per year, while Amsterdam gets 30.7 in.

What language do they speak in Finland?

The official languages in Finland are Finnish and Swedish. In Netherlands, the official language is Dutch.

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At a Glance

NL FI
Population 18,087,633 5,646,436
Currency Euro (€) Euro (€)
Languages Dutch Finnish, Swedish
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +31 +358
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112