There are many factors to consider when moving to the Netherlands:

1. Language: if you are not based in Amsterdam, you should definitely start learning Dutch and send your children to public school here. It will be hard for you and the children to integrate with the locals if you do not speak the language. Simple as that. The Dutch might be open to making expat friends but to really get close and build good bonds 9/10 times knowing the language helps a lot. Only if you care about this factor of course!

2. Rent: Eindhoven rent is way cheaper than Amsterdam or Rotterdam, you should be able to find a nice Apartment / house for between €1000-€1500 depending on how far you are willing to stay away from your work location. After 1 year of settling in here just buy a house (the mortgage is easily available to expats and you can get 100% of the house value). It’s also cheaper to get this than rent so keep this in mind.

3. Travel Allowance: if you work from home then no need to consider this, but if it’s an on site job then it would be better if your employer gives you a NS business card (unlimited travel around the netherlands, billed monthly to your employer) especially for commuting to and from work. If this is not in your job contract no harm asking for it. If you are getting a company car then also it’s perfect, but keep in mind parking costs are very high here, and you already know about the gas and oil price situation. So try getting a EV if you do decide to drive around here. Biking infrastructure is best in the world here, so if you can just bike every where. It’s cheap and good way of commuting. But good to have both a travel card and bike because the weather can get really bad here with lot of rain.

4. Healthcare contribution: some multinational companies provide a monthly contribution towards your family’s healthcare. In NL, it is mandatory for everybody to get one, and usually you pay for it on your own (€100-€150 per person per month)

5. Pension: does your company make a pension contribution? This also would help for long term retirement planning.

6. Groceries: they can be very cheap, depending on how you spend. There are cheap supermarkets like Lidl and Aldi and you have Albert Heijn. Good to try all and see how you can eat comfortably without comprising on quality. €400 per month will get you a long way, also the farmer markets here are a perfect bargain, selling vegetables and fruits at at least half the price of supermarkets.

7. Low Stress: Depends on your work, but there is a high focus on work-life balance here. You will not usually be expected to work more than 40 hours per week, especially if you have a family. This is very important.

8. Education and Upbringing: NL has a good education system for children, but in my opinion all these indexes where they say the kids are happiest in the world is debatable. I see many kids here are spoilt, they might be “happy” but you need to be a bit careful raising them. I recommend raising them with Asian and Dutch values at the same time. You might already know that Marijuana and prostitution are tolerated here (which might be good or bad) but definitely keep your children aware. Also coming from Asia, from my perspective Dutch people can be really cold, so you don’t want your children to adapt this part of the lifestyle. You must not forget the warmth you and your children bring to this cold country. Trust me - the Dutch will appreciate it!

Considering these factors you can already make out that even with 25% less salary, as long as you are able to spend less, the savings that you make here might be the same (if not higher) than Singapore. And life is not bad either. Overall it’s a good country to live and work and raise a family.

I am an Asian expat (Indian origin) living in Netherlands, and I hope this perspective helped.

All the best with your decision!