Moving to Greece from Netherlands
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Netherlands to Greece — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Netherlands to Greece, you would find that Greece is 40.6% cheaper than Netherlands overall. A €67,000 salary in Netherlands would need to be roughly €39,800 in Greece to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Greek. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Athens averages 72°F vs 56°F in Amsterdam, making it significantly warmer.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Netherlands to Greece.
What does your salary buy?
€67,000 → €39,800
To maintain the same standard of living in Greece
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 36.5% less
Groceries
pay 22.6% less
Transportation
pay 33.7% less
Housing
pay 55.9% less
Childcare
pay 61.7% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 22.2% less
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 Greece cost about 35% less than cities in Netherlands.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Netherlands to Greece, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How Netherlands and Greece stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Netherlands performs better than Greece across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Greece generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Netherlands leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Netherlands generally does better on environment, though Greece leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Netherlands generally does better on infrastructure, though Greece leads in broadband per 100 people.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Netherlands generally does better on employment & economy, though Greece leads in top income tax rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
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), Tax and Customs Administration - Belastingdienst (2016), GSIS, Greece (2016). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Amsterdam | Athens |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 45°/34°F (7°/1°C) | 57°/42°F (14°/6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) | 78°/57°F (26°/14°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 69°/53°F (21°/12°C) | 90°/67°F (32°/20°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 50°/40°F (10°/4°C) | 65°/50°F (18°/10°C) |
View all months
| Month | Amsterdam | Athens |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42°/33°F (5.4°/0.5°C) | 54°/41°F (12.5°/5.2°C) |
| Feb | 43°/32°F (6.0°/0.2°C) | 56°/42°F (13.5°/5.4°C) |
| Mar | 49°/36°F (9.2°/2.4°C) | 60°/44°F (15.7°/6.7°C) |
| Apr | 54°/39°F (12.4°/4.0°C) | 68°/49°F (20.2°/9.6°C) |
| May | 63°/46°F (17.1°/7.8°C) | 79°/57°F (26.0°/13.9°C) |
| Jun | 67°/51°F (19.2°/10.4°C) | 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.2°C) |
| Jul | 71°/54°F (21.4°/12.5°C) | 92°/69°F (33.5°/20.8°C) |
| Aug | 71°/54°F (21.8°/12.3°C) | 92°/69°F (33.2°/20.7°C) |
| Sep | 65°/50°F (18.4°/10.2°C) | 85°/63°F (29.2°/17.3°C) |
| Oct | 57°/45°F (14.1°/7.0°C) | 74°/56°F (23.3°/13.4°C) |
| Nov | 49°/39°F (9.2°/3.9°C) | 65°/50°F (18.1°/9.8°C) |
| Dec | 44°/35°F (6.5°/1.9°C) | 57°/44°F (14.1°/6.8°C) |
Data:
Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute,
Hellenic National Meteorological Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Netherlands and Greece. To live, work, or study long-term in Greece, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Greece's immigration authority.
Netherlands passport holder visiting Greece
Visa Free
Greece passport holder visiting Netherlands
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Greece than Netherlands?
Generally yes: Greece runs about 41% cheaper than Netherlands on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Greece?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a €67,000 comparable salary, that's around €9,950 in Greece for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Greece?
With 44.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Greece can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Netherlands and Greece.
Is Greece safe for expats?
Netherlands performs better than Greece across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Greece is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Netherlands.
How is healthcare in Greece compared to Netherlands?
Greece generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Netherlands leads in health coverage index. There are 65.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Greece, compared to 38.8 in Netherlands. Greece scores 77 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Netherlands: 85).
What's the weather like in Greece compared to Netherlands?
The average high temperature in Athens is 72°F, compared to 56°F in Amsterdam. Athens receives around 16.3 in of rainfall per year, while Amsterdam gets 30.7 in.
What language do they speak in Greece?
The official language in Greece is Greek. In Netherlands, the official language is Dutch.
