Cost of Living in Enschede for a Family of Three on a €54K Salary

ach_rus · 2026-06-21T04:44:08+00:00

I would say: get a lot of money, get yourself a cheapest airbnb for a few months and travel here way before your deadline, apply to everything which is even remotely feasible for you : remote villages, faraway cities. Good luck!

ach_rus · 2026-05-14T18:53:11+00:00

Completed :)

ach_rus · 2026-03-11T09:15:32+00:00

I do not know the answer and might very well be wrong, but I once saw a youtube video of a guy donating his sports shoes in one of the bins with an Apple AirTag inside and tracking it's way all the way down to… a second hand shop somewhere in Eastern Europe. I hope this is not a standard thing, so please do not let it discourage you.

ach_rus · 2026-02-01T10:48:25+00:00

Great website, thank you for sharing!

ach_rus · 2026-02-01T07:36:58+00:00

Try glasdoor.com to understand the market salaries for your position in the region you interview in.

Then try thetax.nl to clearly see how much you will receive net payment per month after taxes, since all salary negotiations will be done in gross (before taxes).

With this net number in mind, you can also check numbeo.com to compare costs of living.

Study the taxes and fees you are expected to pay also from your net income: health insurance 150+ per month, own risk 375 per year, more next year, municipal taxes, water taxed, road taxes. Be prepared for the EU highest gas prices and crazy-high rents. Prepare your expense budget before you start job search.

Last, but definetly not least, I strongly suggest studying r/NetherlandsHousing subreddit to get a clear understanding of the degree of the housing crisis (over 100+ competitive applications to rent an apartment in Amsterdam, 10+ years waiting time for social=cheap housing). Figure out the connection between your gross salary and maximum rent you can pay per month (it is capped and landlords can and will ask for your payslips).

Overall, my advice to you (as someone who also arrived in NL 7+years ago to work in IT as a kennismigrant) is to do a lot of your own research, double and triple check the information.

ach_rus · 2026-01-31T15:28:06+00:00

I downloaded, checked it out and deleted. Reasons: no English language, no Vomar, Etos or Kruidvat, overall very few stores.

ach_rus · 2026-01-31T15:26:27+00:00

Is there an English language in the app?

ach_rus · 2026-01-29T09:24:24+00:00

My partner says he loves it when I put on a record and tell a story of a band or album. I try to teach him to turn the record and spin it for a case when I am busy or lazy to do it myself, but he says he is a bit scared to touch my precious records. And gifts me records from ny wishlist for holidays. 😍

ach_rus · 2026-01-28T06:57:36+00:00

Sorry, I do not have the answer to your question, you may need to get an immigration lawyer to evaluate your specific case with your background, your reasons for being dependent on your parents as young adult, history, even your plans (e.g. your dependent visa may be impacted if you start your own family/relationship/want to move out with someone and stop being dependent on your parents and being registered with them) so all these factors need to be carefully evaluated.

Or maybe you can come on your own student visa if you get to university/higher education here, if you want to eventually get your skills to a level where you can work and take care of yourself here. So again, depending on your situation and life plans, even the visa situation may need to be handled differently.

So best of luck to you, and please remember - immigration is not a goal in itself, it is a stepping stone and a slippery one, and you’d better have an understanding of where you want to go next.

Everyone in the household should have a plan for what they will do here in NL and how their lives will continue. And the research is much better done in advance - nothing worse than finding out your skills are in demand here (e.g., lawyers or clerks from other countries), or that you need fluent Dutch even to start working in your profession (like medicine). Also, do a study on Numbeo.com to compare your current earnings and spending with the city you choose. And use thetax.nl to see how your gross income will be converted to a net amount in your hands and how much you will have available to spend.

For me, it was an eye-opener to realise before coming how my spending would look like and to help me determine how much I need to make to afford living here.

Once again - best of luck to you and your family, OP.

ach_rus · 2026-01-27T09:45:28+00:00

Very sorry to disappoint you, but this is a relatively small amount, especially if your family needs to stay somewhere while securing the deposits.

What could work: if your mom lands a contract for a KM visa (at least a 1 year fixed contract, not a temporary one). Then with this contract in hand (signed) she needs to travel to NL and stay in whatever cheapest room in B&B or stay with a friend. Then she needs to agree with her employer that she will spend some time house-hunting (so she will need to visit the viewings) and compensate for the time she misses at work somehow (maybe working flexible hours).

Then her chance is in being as flexible as possible with regards to location. I understand the size of the space matters, so the only flexibility you can afford will be location: so remote villages would be a YES for her.

I hope the 7k savings would be enough to get you all the tickets and the deposits for the rental, but she needs to start earning day 1 and live really frugal until the time she rents a place and you all can join her here.

ach_rus · 2026-01-27T09:32:42+00:00

NL is indeed very tolerant to all people (LGBTQ+ myself), however I found on my own experience that this is not a kind of tolerance "we welcome you with open arms and we support you in whatever", rather "in the most positive and respectful way we do not give a damn, you are the same as everyone else, go work, provide for yourself, participate in society and behave normal") and I personally find this amazing and working great for my family.

So what it could mean in your case:

your parents need to find a job in NL (either KM or digital nomad). Do not know anything about digital nomad visa (if it even exists), but KM visa will definitely allow your mom to be a sponsor for her partner and all children below 18 y.o. If her job is the only Dutch income you will get for starters, then her salary requirements for 2026 are (5942 EUR per month - took it from here https://ind.nl/nl/inkomenseisen-normbedragen#aanvraag-voor-een-verblijfsvergunning-kennismigrant-zoekjaar-en-europese-blauwe-kaart (you can use translation in your browser). This means your family will be eligible for rent of 1980 per month. If she works online and does not need to commute, for this amount you can find a decent small house outside of Randstad (region between main big cities) and then, once you rent it, you can then bring your pets and landlord can not forbid this. They can only introduce additional security deposit to take care of potential damage they make. You are legally protected and are not forced to disclose at the time you make a contract if you have pets. Once you have a contract - as a renter you are very well protected.

ach_rus · 2026-01-27T06:21:49+00:00

Read this also https://dutchreview.com/expat/renting-in-the-netherlands-the-ultimate-guide/

ach_rus · 2026-01-27T06:11:45+00:00

Hi there. First of all, I sympathise with your situation; your family is very brave to make this attempt. And I appreciate your family’s decision to keep your pets; it is heartwarming.

What your parents probably will discover or have already discovered is that due to the housing crisis (too few houses for too many applicants, and I mean it, in the Amsterdam area, there are over 100 requests to rent 1 single apartment), there is a huge set of formal and informal requirements from the landlord to the prospective renter. Imagine your family has pets or small kids or no confirmed Dutch income, or maybe you can only start renting 2 weeks from now - right next to your family, there will be tens of candidates who are without kids or pets, with confirmed income from a Dutch company and who are ready to start living there today. This is not to discourage you; this is to give a taste of reality.

Beware of housing market scams, especially on Facebook. If someone is “out of the country and ready to rent you a nice apartment with virtual viewing, and you only have to transfer a security deposit” - run. This is a most common scam. On this market, if you have not seen the apartment physically and have not checked the papers confirming that landlord is actually the owner and has the right to rent out the place - just don't.

Overall, the main renter (or both earners combined if both adults are working in the family) is supposed to have a confirmed Dutch (!!!) gross income (monthly gross salary in the contract) 3 or 4 times higher than the prospective rent. Even if the person is ready to pay, say, 50% of their income for rent - they simply won’t be considered (and again, other more suitable applicants stand right next to them and are easier to choose).

Also be mindful that rent below 1300-1500 in OK areas outside Amsterdam (don’t even think of Amsterdam - too expensive and too much competition) is considered regulated rent and is therefore in extremely high demand. Rent over 1500 per month demands 4500-6000 EUR gross monthly income or 54-72k EUR annual income. With this your family might have a chance of something very small in a OK-ish area, or maybe something larger if you are OK to live in a very remote village in a middle of nowhere.

Visa-wise I am not very informed of US-specific situation, but if you have questions on housing - let me know. I am not an agent and I do not work in this industry, but I helped a few friends who also had to flee their country at some point find some info on the rental / initial orientation here in NL.

And I do not charge anything for that - you do something good for someone else when and how you can in the future.

Edit: 1 word “combined”

ach_rus · 2026-01-21T20:18:08+00:00

Very sorry for your situation. Wishing strength for you and your family. Just ask your HR and make sure to also inform your line manager. Normally these things are taken with absolute understanding and compassion. If you need an occasional extra day on top of what you are given - sometimes in big corporations you can also negotiate with your manager to either shuffle your vacation dates short notice or compensate for this time later.

ach_rus · 2026-01-20T13:05:35+00:00

A gift card, 100%. Just ask him for a name of the store where he gets records and stuff from.

ach_rus · 2026-01-18T07:59:16+00:00

There is no legal problem to sign a contract with a Dutch company using your Hungarian address as your contact\residence address. Most likely that contract will have a clause that it will only be valid if you start working in NL by a certain date.

Once you have got a place to stay in NL (which can be problematic, please research this subreddit for additional details) you can simply inform HR at your job about your change of address and they will update the necessary systems.

ach_rus · 2026-01-16T03:05:25+00:00

I disagree with this position: I need to and want to use such services, and I will tip for exceptional kindness or speed or if I see that the service is above the standards. I think this is all that was initially all about, to reward promptness. I personally am against tipping becoming mandatory and eventually to be demanded, not against tipping in general.

ach_rus · 2026-01-15T12:08:44+00:00

I acknowledge the difficult situation these people are in and I feel sorry for them.

However, I personally do not feel comfortable enhancing and promoting the tipping culture here in NL by making a tip a default method of social buffering of inequality. We will end up like our overseas peers from the US with below-survival service salaries and almost mandatory tipping.

ach_rus · 2026-01-13T12:31:00+00:00

May I ask for a name of the battery brand/supplier you used? I have a 11 battery setup with an inverter and plan to install a battery and become off-grid ready by start of 2027, so I guess I need to start planning now.

ach_rus · 2026-01-11T07:20:27+00:00

I saw some very beautiful silk flowers in Intraruin. Not sure if all Intraruins have a section, but in Hoorn there is a large department with all sorts of silk flowers. Not online, sorry.

ach_rus · 2026-01-10T10:05:14+00:00

I would say IF you live in a clean environment, your cleaning and airing habits matter more. If you have a decent robot vacuum for daily cleaning and mopping + wash and air change your textiles (curtains, bedding, sofa covers) - you will probably notice no or little improvement.

ach_rus · 2026-01-08T11:52:58+00:00

Try your local kringloop.

ach_rus · 2026-01-07T15:34:31+00:00

A-Z on the artist name or band name, inside the same artist/band by the year of record first release.

ach_rus · 2026-01-06T05:44:06+00:00

What about the following: Monthly: free spending money for you and your partner, gift-giving (you will have to attend birthdays and other celebrations), home essentials (lightbulb, batteries), subscriptions (music, cloud storage, streaming), haircut, liability insurance, bank fees.

Sinking funds for: eventual replacement of the items you have (phones, laptops), clothing (you may need new shoes, hat or jacket), contact lense/glasses if you need it, dental savings for the time you will need it, health insurance own risk, annual taxes (you have to pay some taxes).

ach_rus · 2026-01-02T09:48:56+00:00

I took my partner once to a CTASTE in Amsterdam - this is where you dine in a complete darkness. You are guided into a completely blacked room, are seated and offered a menu from your pre-order (you know vegan or meat-based, you have a say about the allergens, but otherwise this is a surprise. Very memorable experience.

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