Moving to Netherlands from Slovakia

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What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Slovakia to Netherlands — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Slovakia to Netherlands, you would find that Netherlands is 75.2% more expensive than Slovakia overall. A €67,000 salary in Slovakia would need to be roughly €117,000 in Netherlands to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Dutch.

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Is Netherlands cheaper than Slovakia?

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 2.0 times more

Groceries

pay 29.0% more

Transportation

pay 83.4% more

Housing

pay 2.1 times more

Childcare

pay 94.1% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 64.2% 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.

What salary do you need in Netherlands?

What does your salary buy?

€67,000 → €117,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Netherlands

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 Netherlands cost about 61% more than cities in Slovakia.

Slovakia

Poprad 42%
Trnava 40%
Trencin 40%
Zilina 38%

Netherlands

Rotterdam 68%
Arnhem 63%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

How many people actually move from Slovakia to Netherlands, based on official data.

Moved in 2023
1,901 ↓ 4% vs 2022

people moved from Slovakia 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

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Slovakia to Netherlands.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

SK
1.1
NL
0.7
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

SK
6.4
NL
3.4

Netherlands performs significantly better than Slovakia across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

SK
$3,230
NL
$8,195
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

SK
37.0
NL
38.8

Netherlands generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Slovakia 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

SK
30.0
NL
13.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

SK
5.5t
NL
6.6t

Slovakia generally does better on environment, though Netherlands leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

SK
33.8
NL
43.0
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

SK
2.4%
NL
16.7%

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

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

SK
5.4%
NL
3.9%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

SK
$28,544
NL
$73,684

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

SK
78.4 yrs
NL
82.0 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

SK
5.3
NL
3.4

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

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

Weather in Netherlands vs Slovakia

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Bratislava Rain: 22.6 in/yr (574 mm)
61° / 44°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Bratislava Amsterdam
Jan–Mar 44°/30°F (7°/-1°C) 45°/34°F (7°/1°C)
Apr–Jun 71°/51°F (22°/10°C) 61°/45°F (16°/7°C)
Jul–Sep 78°/58°F (26°/15°C) 69°/53°F (21°/12°C)
Oct–Dec 49°/37°F (9°/3°C) 50°/40°F (10°/4°C)
View all months
Month Bratislava Amsterdam
Jan 38°/27°F (3.1°/-2.8°C) 42°/33°F (5.4°/0.5°C)
Feb 42°/29°F (5.8°/-1.7°C) 43°/32°F (6.0°/0.2°C)
Mar 52°/35°F (11.1°/1.7°C) 49°/36°F (9.2°/2.4°C)
Apr 63°/43°F (17.3°/6.0°C) 54°/39°F (12.4°/4.0°C)
May 71°/51°F (21.8°/10.6°C) 63°/46°F (17.1°/7.8°C)
Jun 78°/58°F (25.6°/14.4°C) 67°/51°F (19.2°/10.4°C)
Jul 82°/61°F (27.8°/16.2°C) 71°/54°F (21.4°/12.5°C)
Aug 82°/61°F (27.6°/15.9°C) 71°/54°F (21.8°/12.3°C)
Sep 71°/53°F (21.9°/11.5°C) 65°/50°F (18.4°/10.2°C)
Oct 60°/44°F (15.6°/6.6°C) 57°/45°F (14.1°/7.0°C)
Nov 48°/37°F (9.0°/2.7°C) 49°/39°F (9.2°/3.9°C)
Dec 39°/29°F (3.7°/-1.5°C) 44°/35°F (6.5°/1.9°C)

Data: Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute, Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute

Can you move from Slovakia to Netherlands?

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Slovakia 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.

Slovakia passport

Slovakia passport holder visiting Netherlands

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

Netherlands passport holder visiting Slovakia

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

No — Netherlands is on average about 75% more expensive than Slovakia. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to Netherlands?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly €29,250 in Netherlands on a €67,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).

Can I work remotely from Netherlands?

Internet is rarely the blocker — Netherlands has 43.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.

Is Netherlands safe for expats?

Netherlands performs significantly better than Slovakia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Netherlands is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Slovakia.

How is healthcare in Netherlands compared to Slovakia?

Netherlands generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Slovakia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 38.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Netherlands, compared to 37.0 in Slovakia. Netherlands scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Slovakia: 82).

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

The average high temperature in Amsterdam is 56°F, compared to 61°F in Bratislava. Amsterdam receives around 30.7 in of rainfall per year, while Bratislava gets 22.6 in.

What language do they speak in Netherlands?

The official language in Netherlands is Dutch. In Slovakia, the official language is Slovak.

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At a Glance

SK NL
Population 5,413,813 18,087,633
Currency Euro (€) Euro (€)
Languages Slovak Dutch
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +421 +31
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112