Moving to Illinois from Netherlands

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Netherlands to Illinois, you would find that Illinois is 0.3% more expensive than Netherlands overall. A €65,577 salary in Netherlands would need to be roughly $60,190 in Illinois to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English.

Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓

How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

€65,577 $60,190

To maintain the same standard of living in Illinois

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 28.0% less

Groceries

pay 22.0% more

Transportation

pay 35.7% less

Housing

pay 1.3% more

Childcare

pay 61.0% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 2.3% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 EUR = 1.14 USD (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 Illinois cost about 11% less than cities in Netherlands.

Netherlands

Rotterdam 72%
Eindhoven 67%
Zwolle 62%

Illinois

Chicago 76%
Champaign 53%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

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

Moved in 2023
1,500 ↑ 15% vs 2022

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

Who's moving to United States?

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

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

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

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate The World Factbook, 2022

share of adults with obesity

NL
20.4%
IL
34.6%

Netherlands performs better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access The World Factbook, 2023

share of households with internet

NL
92.0%
IL
89.6%

Netherlands performs better than Illinois across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

NL
3.6%
IL
4.8%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

NL
$69,300
IL
$70,691

Illinois generally does better on employment & economy, though Netherlands leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

NL
82.2 yrs
IL
76.8 yrs

Netherlands performs better than Illinois across all family life metrics.

Data: The World Factbook

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

Springfield Rain: 37.4 in/yr (951 mm)
63° / 43°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Amsterdam Springfield
Jan–Mar 45°/34°F (7°/1°C) 42°/25°F (6°/-4°C)
Apr–Jun 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) 74°/52°F (23°/11°C)
Jul–Sep 69°/53°F (21°/12°C) 83°/61°F (29°/16°C)
Oct–Dec 50°/40°F (10°/4°C) 52°/33°F (11°/1°C)
View all months
Month Amsterdam Springfield
Jan 42°/33°F (5.4°/0.5°C) 35°/19°F (1.6°/-7.4°C)
Feb 43°/32°F (6.0°/0.2°C) 40°/23°F (4.4°/-5.2°C)
Mar 49°/36°F (9.2°/2.4°C) 52°/32°F (11.2°/0.1°C)
Apr 54°/39°F (12.4°/4.0°C) 65°/42°F (18.1°/5.8°C)
May 63°/46°F (17.1°/7.8°C) 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.4°C)
Jun 67°/51°F (19.2°/10.4°C) 83°/62°F (28.4°/16.6°C)
Jul 71°/54°F (21.4°/12.5°C) 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.6°C)
Aug 71°/54°F (21.8°/12.3°C) 85°/64°F (29.4°/17.6°C)
Sep 65°/50°F (18.4°/10.2°C) 79°/55°F (26.1°/12.6°C)
Oct 57°/45°F (14.1°/7.0°C) 66°/44°F (19.1°/6.6°C)
Nov 49°/39°F (9.2°/3.9°C) 52°/34°F (11.3°/1.1°C)
Dec 44°/35°F (6.5°/1.9°C) 38°/22°F (3.5°/-5.3°C)

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

Visitor Visa Requirements

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

Netherlands passport

Netherlands passport holder visiting United States

Electronic Travel Authorisation
Netherlands passport holders need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to enter United States.
United States passport

United States passport holder visiting Netherlands

Visa Free
United States 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 Illinois than Netherlands?

Generally yes: Illinois runs about 20% cheaper than Netherlands on average, though it depends heavily on the city.

How much money do I need to move to Illinois?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a €65,577 comparable salary, that's around $15,048 in Illinois for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Illinois?

Working remotely from Illinois's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Netherlands and Illinois.

How is healthcare in Illinois compared to Netherlands?

Netherlands performs better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.

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

The average high temperature in Springfield is 63°F, compared to 56°F in Amsterdam. Springfield receives around 37.4 in of rainfall per year, while Amsterdam gets 30.7 in.

What language do they speak in Illinois?

The official language in Illinois is English. In Netherlands, the official language is Dutch.

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At a Glance

NL
Population 17,400,824 12,830,632
Currency Euro (€) United States Dollar ($)
Languages Dutch English
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +31 +1
Time zones 1 11
Emergency number 112 911