Cost of Living in Netherlands
Planning your move to Netherlands? Here is everything you need to know about cost of living for digital nomads and expats in 2026.
- The BSN (Burgerservicenummer): You must register your address at the local municipality (Gemeente) to get your BSN (Citizen Service Number). You cannot open a bank account or get health insurance without it.
- The iDEAL System: The Netherlands runs almost entirely on "iDEAL", a direct bank-transfer payment system. Visa and Mastercard credit cards are still widely rejected at supermarkets (like Albert Heijn). You must have a Dutch Maestro/V PAY debit card, though this is finally transitioning to Debit Mastercard in 2026.
- Banks: ABN AMRO, ING, and Rabobank are the big three. Bunq (a Dutch fintech) is extremely popular among expats because you can open it in 5 minutes with just your BSN.
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