Cost of Living

House rent will probably be your biggest expense.
The real cost of living is of course dependent on the person. The more you wish to stay out and travel, the more the cost. Here is my opinion on the cost of living of an average Indian.

Note: Since Jan 2014, I have transferred this blog to http://indiansinnetherlands.com due to better features. So for latest (and correct) notes, kindly click here: http://indiansinnetherlands.com.

1. House rent can cost from €250 (for a small single bedroom with shared bathroom) to couple of thousand. The average for the employed including gas, water, electricity is about:
• €500 for bachelors sharing accommodation with colleagues
• €950 for a single bed-room house for a couple
• €1150 for a double bed-room house for a couple with 1 or 2 kids
• For people working in Amsterdam, Aalsmeer city is considered economical to live in. Amsteleveen is popular because of the huge Indian population in that city.
2. The mandatory basic health insurance costs € 100 per person per month.
3. Travel by bus within a city with OV chipcard is about €1.50 per leg of travel.
4. Hotel stay costs can vary by hotel type, but for a decent one, it will be about € 65 per night.
5. Grocery cost per person is about €70 per month
6. A visit to Indian restaurant for a good dinner will cost about €25 per person, (drinks extra :) )
7. A visit to Mac Donald, Subway or other fast-food for a meal will cost about €7 per person
8. A visit to a pub will cost about €2.00 per glass of drink
9. Pizza will cost about €10 per person
10. Lunch in the office canteen will be about € 4.50.
11. Clothes will cost about the same as in India for the same quality. Jeans is cheaper than India.
12. Post-paid mobile bill will be about €30 per month...but will depend on your plan/need
13. Mobile phones will cost almost same as in India or even costlier (except if there is Sale). Other electronic items are generally cheaper.
14. Popular cinema complex is Pathe. Ticket costs about €10 per movie. But for just €19/month, you can also enjoy unlimited movies for the month! For details, see http://www.pathe.nl
15. Formal footwear is €50 or above
16. Fuel costs €1.75 per liter. Average city mileage of a car is 10kms/ltr and highway is 14kms/ltr
17. Owning a car will cost about €30/month insurance (3rd party), €40/month road tax, €200/year car service, €90/year for 'roadside assistance' membership and depreciation of about €1000/year (depending on the age of the car). Of course if someone/yourself vandalizes/damages your car or it breaks down, it will cost you extra. Reserve €500/year for this.
18. Schooling:
    • international school for kids upto 4yrs costs about €250/month
    • Dutch peuterplaza for kids upto 4yrs costs about €50/month
    • For 4+, international school costs about €4000 to €6000 per year depending on the school
    • For 4+, Dutch school costs less than €30 per month (in concept, it is free)
19. Day Care costs about:
• 0 to 4yrs - full day - €1400/month, but you will get a refund of about €300 to €700 from the government depending on your combined annual income.
• 4+yrs - after school - €700/month, but you will get a small refund from the government depending on your combined annual income.
• To calculate the approx. govt refund: http://www.belastingdienst.nl/rekenhulpen/toeslagen/.
20. Haircut is real haircut...costs €15 :)
21. A vacation within Europe costs about €500 for a bachelor and about €1000 for family
22. Lastly.......inflation is about 1.5% per year! :)

Disclaimer: The is my best effort and no responsibility will be taken for any inaccuracy