🇩🇪 Germany vs 🇳🇱 Netherlands
Side by side on the data that actually changes your life: prices, taxes, climate, air, safety. Every number has a source and a date.
Climate (capital)
Open-Meteo historical weather
Jan 2° · Jul 20° · Berlin
Jan 4° · Jul 19° · Amsterdam
Sunny days (capital)
Open-Meteo, days with over 4.5h of sunshine
272 days / yr
277 days / yr
Air quality (capital)
WAQI, capital station
AQI 50 · Good
AQI 28 · Good
Prices vs EU average
Eurostat price level index, EU27 = 100
+8% (2025)
+16% (2025)
Big Mac price
The Economist Big Mac index (euro-area countries share one euro-area price)
$7.05
$7.05
Living costs · single, excl. rent (capital)
Reloka cost research, excludes rent
$910–$1,320 / mo
$1,030–$1,430 / mo
Living costs · family of four, excl. rent (capital)
Reloka cost research, excludes rent
$3,080–$3,880 / mo
$3,550–$4,470 / mo
Employment taxes (not your rate)
OECD tax wedge, single average worker
~49% of what a job costs goes to tax (2025)
~36% of what a job costs goes to tax (2025)
Special tax regimes
Official tax authorities, verified June 2026
No inbound regime (worldwide taxation)
30% ruling (expat ruling)
Avg advertised salary
Adzuna job listings, local currency
€44,186 / yr (June 2026)
€44,584 / yr (June 2026)
Inflation
World Bank
2.2% / yr (2025)
3.3% / yr (2025)
Unemployment
World Bank, ILO-modelled estimate
3.7% (2025)
3.9% (2025)
Internet (median fixed)
Ookla Speedtest Global Index
~95 Mbps
~200 Mbps
English proficiency
EF English Proficiency Index
high
very high
Messenger apps
OONI network measurements, last 6 months
No known issues
No known issues
Safety advisory
U.S. State Department travel advisory
Level 2 · Exercise Increased Caution
Level 2 · Exercise Increased Caution
Population
World Bank total population
83.5M (2025)
18.1M (2025)
Population density
World Bank, people per km²
238 / km² (2023)
531 / km² (2023)
Foreign-born residents
World Bank migrant stock
19.8% of population (2024)
16.2% of population (2024)
Life expectancy
WHO
81 yrs
81 yrs
Currency
ISO 4217
EUR
EUR
Timezone (capital)
Open-Meteo
UTC+2
UTC+2
Crypto-friendly
Legal
Short-term gains
45%
36%
Long-term gains
0%
36%
Long-term holding period
12mo
—
Staking income
45%
49.5%
Mining income
45%
49.5%
General rates, not personal tax advice.
Climate, inflation and life expectancy verified 12 July 2026. Prices, taxes and air quality verified 7 July 2026. Sources shown per row.
Bottom line: which should you choose?
Pick 🇩🇪 Germany if you want
lower day-to-day costs.
Pick 🇳🇱 Netherlands if you want
more sunshine and lighter employment taxes.
Based only on the sourced metrics above. Visa eligibility and paperwork depend on your passport — build a free plan for the full picture.
Frequently asked questions
Is Germany or Netherlands cheaper?
Germany is the cheaper of the two on our comparable cost measure (cost index 75 vs 80 (USA = 100)). Your real cost depends on the city and lifestyle — see the full table above, then generate a free plan for a budget matched to your exact move.
Should I choose Germany over Netherlands?
On the data we track, Germany comes out ahead for lower day-to-day costs, while Netherlands wins on more sunshine and lighter employment taxes. Every figure has a source in the table above.
Special tax regimes, verified
Regimes change often and many sites still advertise closed ones. We link the official source for each.
🇩🇪 Germany
Residents are taxed on worldwide income
Verified June 2026 · Finance Ministry
🇳🇱 Netherlands
~30% of salary tax-free · up to 5 years
Verified June 2026 · Belastingdienst
Numbers are half the story
Your visa route, paperwork and deadlines depend on where you hold a passport. Get a free checklist personalized to your exact move.