Pros and Cons of Living in the Netherlands
If you are thinking about moving abroad, consider moving to the Netherlands! Moving to any new country, you have to look at the pros and cons of living there before making a decision. Things you will want to take into consideration are cost of living, safety, health care, education and job security. Depending on your lifestyle, you might want to consider pet friendly, or proximity to other countries that interest you!
While there are many pros of living in the Netherlands, it’s not all rainbows and butterflies. Like everywhere else, there are some disadvantages, but I’ll leave it to you to decide which outweighs the other. The Dutch people might get mad at me for pushing more foreigners to move here (oops), but it’s worth the hype! 🙂
Pros of Living in the Netherlands
This is not an all inclusive list of the advantages of living in NL. These are all the positives that I have seen given my 1.5 years of living in Amsterdam versus my experience in the US!
1. Better work/life balance
Coming from the United States, it’s not that difficult to find a country with better balance. The Netherlands is known for promoting a healthy work/life balance! This doesn’t mean the Dutch don’t work hard – they just do a great job of setting the boundaries of when work is over and logging off. You can also find more part-time jobs within the corporate world than you can typically find in the US. This is a huge pro to living in the Netherlands as working moms or people who can only work part-time can more easily find jobs that fit their needs.
2. Healthier Food (but still delicious)
Dutch people in general eat and drink more healthy than Americans. They are eating more plant based products, more fruits and vegetables, and tend to drink less sugary drinks. That being said, they love their bitterballen and croquettes! There are grocery stores out here that we call “American Groceries” that sell things like EasyMac, Cheetos, sugary cereals and other snacks that we find in US grocery stores. Food regulations differ from the US and in Europe. In Europe, the EFSA requires additives to be proven safe before approval and has banned the use of growth hormones and several chemical additives. This leads to general healthier food in the Netherlands!
3. Healthier Lifestyle (hello getting 10k+ steps in!)
Not everyone owns a car in the Netherlands! The main method of transportation the Dutch people use…. bikes! Biking or walking around proves to lead a much healthier lifestyle than we were used to in the US. In Charlotte, we would walk anywhere from 2-5k steps/day on average and in Amsterdam, we average closer to 10k steps/day!
Walking is one of the most underrated exercises you can get. Living in a European city like Amsterdam allows you easily get your steps in by going to the grocery store or to work each day. There are also many gyms and workout classes easily accessible around the city if you so chose!
4. Easy access to travel
Schiphol Airport is one of the busiest airports in the world! It was the world’s No. 3 airport in 2021 for international passengers, behind airports in Dubai and Istanbul, according to figures from Airports Council International. You can easily find cheap flights to anywhere in the world (so long as you know where to look!)
There are also some high-speed trains that can take you all across Europe as well! This is something you aren’t used to in the United States and is a huge pro of living in the Netherlands. Hop on a train in the evening in Amsterdam and wake up in Switzerland? Yes, please!
5. The cities are super clean
When you walk around cities like LA or NYC in the US, you will see trash on the street and sometimes a gross smell. In the Netherlands, all cities are fairly clean given the amount of residences. Amsterdam wants to be a waste-free city with clean streets and squares by 2050 and it is well on its way! Like all cities, there are times where there is garbage or waste on the street, but it’s cleaned up in a quickly manner and is rarely left to sit out and be an eyesore.
6. Great public transportation
The Netherlands is a fairly small country, so it’s easy to get around. The Dutch have an amazing public transport system, which includes trains, trams, buses, ferries and metros! You can purchase a transportation chip card and add money to it each month (like a credit). It can then be used for travel on any form of public transport in Amsterdam or the Netherlands!
For visitors, it’s also easy because you can just purchase a 1, 2, or 3 day transportation card and use it for the duration of your stay.
7. Strong job market
Finding a job as an expat in Amsterdam is definitely a task, but not impossible. There are many jobs that don’t require you to speak Dutch which is helpful. Some job boards like the Undutchables that helps with international job matching and placement! There are a lot of global companies that have large offices in Amsterdam (think Nike, Uber, Netflix, etc.). Some great companies are also HQ’d in the Netherlands like Booking.com and Philips!
8. Most people speak English
Thinking about trying to learn Dutch? You should, but it’s not needed! Most people speak English in Amsterdam (and throughout the Netherlands) which makes it easy to communicate. Many children learn English from a young age so they speak it their entire life! In fact, the Netherlands continues to rank having the best English-language skills in a country where English is not the native language.
9. You will feel super safe
While no place is 100% safe, the Netherlands is a relatively safe country to live in. Currently, it ranks as the 21st most safe country in the world, according to the 2022 World’s Safest Country index. When you first move here (or as a tourist) the main thing to look out for is pick-pocketing. As long as you take precautions, the risk is very low. Out of all the cities to live in the Netherlands, Amsterdam is considered the most “unsafe” given it’s the capital and highly populated.
10. Great education system
The Netherlands scores among the world’s top countries for education opportunities, and all 13 state-funded Dutch universities typically score well in The Times Higher Education World University Rankings. In fact, the World Economic Forum has ranked the Netherlands as the third-most educated country in the world! If you are looking to move abroad for educational purposes, you should highly consider the Netherlands.
Cons of living in the Netherlands
Similarly to the list above, this is not the exhaustive list of disadvantages of living in NL. I am not sure how many other cons there could be for Amsterdam/Netherlands, but you never know. 🙂
1. Get ready to pay high taxes
Whether you’re a Dutch citizen or an expat, you are required to pay taxes if you earn money while living in the Netherlands. This country is known for its high taxes, with many citizens or expats paying upwards of 50% in taxes! I’m not going to pretend to be an expert in this area, but you can read more about the Dutch tax system here.
2. There is a housing shortage
As I am writing about how great it is to move to the Netherlands, there is currently a bit of a housing crisis. In major cities like Amsterdam, it’s hard to find a place to rent or buy. A combination of registration regulations, population growth, and privatisation has left the Netherlands with way less affordable housing than it needs. The cost of renting or purchasing a home continues to rise which makes it difficult for first-time home owners. Be prepared for this if you decide to move to the Netherlands!
3. Semi-expensive healthcare & good luck getting that therapy session!
While general healthcare in the Netherlands is, for the most part, of good quality and efficiency, it can come at a cost. It’s mandatory for everyone to have basic healthcare and the fees can be expensive. There are different levels/type of healthcare you can choose which can make the price vary. The coverage is different than what you might be used to in the United States, so be ready to continue to shell out some moola for that doctor visit. Also, GPs are notorious for telling you to take Paracetamol and come back in 2 weeks (if you’re not dead by then!)
On the same note, mental health care could improve in the Netherlands. Therapy waiting times are too long for comfort and it will also cost an arm and a leg. Basic health insurance policies usually cover this under their ‘mental healthcare’ section. But if you want in-depth and secondary care treatment, coverage can vary depending on your health insurance policy.
4. Weather (ugh, hello rain)
If you are moving from Seattle, WA to Amsterdam, this might not be a big con for you. The weather in the Netherlands is fairly unpredictable and pretty gloomy most of the year. From around September through May of each year, you can count on it being overcast and rainy. Luckily, June through August bring the best weather you can imagine – does it make up for it? Depends on who you ask!
5. Service industry is different than what you might be used to
In the United States, service workers are used to working on tips, therefore service is faster. In the Netherlands, service workers are paid a fair wage (which is a pro!) which means they aren’t pressed to work hard for tips. This means that they take their time bringing your food and the check. You almost always have to try to get a waiters attention in order to get the check. So having the service industry be a little different could be a pro and a con of living in the Netherlands!
6. Depending on who you ask, the language is hard to learn
If you ask me, Dutch is a very hard language to learn! We took the A1 Dutch class and I really had to put in study time to pass the exam. Since English words are all within the Dutch language, it can be easy for people proficient in English to read Dutch. However, speaking Dutch is another story due to the different Dutch pronunciations. Some of the most difficult sounds include the ‘r’, the hard ‘g’, the sch and the ij sounds. Good luck!
Is there anything I missed in terms of the pros an cons of living in the Netherlands? Charlie and I have been living here since March 2022 so I am sure there will be items to add or remove the longer we are here. Hopefully this helped you figure out if the Netherlands is a potential spot for your next adventure!
Make sure to check out our travel itineraries if you are planning on traveling around Europe! We are constantly adding our destination spots and what to do as we continue to travel the world!
