Moving to Illinois from Netherlands
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 8.5% cheaper than Netherlands overall. A €67,000 salary in Netherlands would need to be roughly $68,800 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 ↓Is Illinois cheaper than Netherlands?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 24.7% less
Groceries
pay 13.9% more
Transportation
pay 37.9% less
Housing
pay 4.4% less
Childcare
pay 27.3% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 1.9% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
What salary do you need in Illinois?
What does your salary buy?
€67,000 → $68,800
To maintain the same standard of living in Illinois
Calculate with your salary →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.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Illinois
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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.
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.
- 10,853,105
- 2,723,764
- 2,184,110
- 2,061,178
- 1,829,251
- 1,410,659
- · · ·
-
74.79,923
Netherlands
Key Indicator Comparison
How Netherlands and Illinois stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Netherlands performs better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Netherlands performs better than Illinois across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
Netherlands generally does better on employment & economy, though Illinois leads in poverty rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Netherlands performs better than Illinois across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), World Health Organization (2024), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
Weather in Illinois vs Netherlands
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Amsterdam | Chicago |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 45°/34°F (7°/1°C) | 38°/22°F (3°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) | 70°/48°F (21°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 69°/53°F (21°/12°C) | 80°/60°F (27°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 50°/40°F (10°/4°C) | 48°/32°F (9°/0°C) |
View all months
| Month | Amsterdam | Chicago |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42°/33°F (5.4°/0.5°C) | 31°/17°F (-0.6°/-8.6°C) |
| Feb | 43°/32°F (6.0°/0.2°C) | 35°/20°F (1.8°/-6.6°C) |
| Mar | 49°/36°F (9.2°/2.4°C) | 47°/29°F (8.1°/-1.6°C) |
| Apr | 54°/39°F (12.4°/4.0°C) | 59°/39°F (15.0°/3.8°C) |
| May | 63°/46°F (17.1°/7.8°C) | 70°/48°F (21.1°/9.1°C) |
| Jun | 67°/51°F (19.2°/10.4°C) | 80°/58°F (26.5°/14.5°C) |
| Jul | 71°/54°F (21.4°/12.5°C) | 84°/64°F (28.9°/17.7°C) |
| Aug | 71°/54°F (21.8°/12.3°C) | 82°/63°F (27.7°/17.2°C) |
| Sep | 65°/50°F (18.4°/10.2°C) | 75°/54°F (23.8°/12.4°C) |
| Oct | 57°/45°F (14.1°/7.0°C) | 62°/43°F (16.8°/6.0°C) |
| Nov | 49°/39°F (9.2°/3.9°C) | 48°/32°F (9.0°/0.2°C) |
| Dec | 44°/35°F (6.5°/1.9°C) | 35°/21°F (1.6°/-6.3°C) |
Data:
Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute,
National Weather Service
Can you move from Netherlands to Illinois?
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 holder visiting United States
Electronic Travel Authorisation
United States 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 Illinois than Netherlands?
Generally yes: Illinois runs about 9% 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 €67,000 comparable salary, that's around $17,200 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 Chicago is 59°F, compared to 56°F in Amsterdam. Chicago receives around 36.9 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.
