🇳🇱 Netherlands vs 🇬🇷 Greece
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 4° · Jul 19° · Amsterdam
Jan 11° · Jul 31° · Athens
Sunny days (capital)
Open-Meteo, days with over 4.5h of sunshine
277 days / yr
337 days / yr
Air quality (capital)
WAQI, capital station
AQI 28 · Good
AQI 42 · Good
Prices vs EU average
Eurostat price level index, EU27 = 100
+16% (2025)
−13% (2025)
Big Mac price
The Economist Big Mac index (euro-area countries share one euro-area price)
$7.05
—
Living costs · single, excl. rent (capital)
Reloka cost research, excludes rent
$1,030–$1,430 / mo
—
Living costs · family of four, excl. rent (capital)
Reloka cost research, excludes rent
$3,550–$4,470 / mo
—
Employment taxes (not your rate)
OECD tax wedge, single average worker
~36% of what a job costs goes to tax (2025)
~39% of what a job costs goes to tax (2025)
Special tax regimes
Official tax authorities, verified June 2026
30% ruling (expat ruling)
7% flat tax for foreign pensioners · 50% inbound-worker exemption
Inflation
World Bank
3.3% / yr (2025)
2.5% / yr (2025)
Unemployment
World Bank, ILO-modelled estimate
3.9% (2025)
8.5% (2025)
Internet (median fixed)
Ookla Speedtest Global Index
~200 Mbps
—
English proficiency
EF English Proficiency Index
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 1 · Exercise Normal Precautions
Population
World Bank total population
18.1M (2025)
10.4M (2025)
Population density
World Bank, people per km²
531 / km² (2023)
81 / km² (2023)
Foreign-born residents
World Bank migrant stock
16.2% of population (2024)
14.2% of population (2024)
Life expectancy
WHO
81 yrs
80 yrs
Currency
ISO 4217
EUR
EUR
Timezone (capital)
Open-Meteo
UTC+2
UTC+3
Legal
Legal
Short-term gains
36%
15%
Long-term gains
36%
15%
Long-term holding period
—
—
Staking income
49.5%
44%
Mining income
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 🇳🇱 Netherlands if you want
lighter employment taxes.
Pick 🇬🇷 Greece if you want
more sunshine and a stronger safety rating.
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
Should I choose Netherlands over Greece?
On the data we track, Netherlands comes out ahead for lighter employment taxes, while Greece wins on more sunshine and a stronger safety rating. 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.
🇳🇱 Netherlands
~30% of salary tax-free · up to 5 years
Verified June 2026 · Belastingdienst
🇬🇷 Greece
7% flat tax on all foreign income · 15 years
Verified June 2026 · AADE (tax authority)
🇬🇷 Greece
Half of Greek employment income tax-free · 7 years
Verified June 2026 · AADE (tax authority)
Numbers are half the story
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