How Expats Rate Life in Amsterdam and The Hague
- Job Satisfaction & a Strong Job Market
- Challenges in Housing but Not the Language
- A Social Circle of Expats
- Cities Designed for Cycling
- Financial Satisfaction Is on Shaky Ground
- 26 | Amsterdam
- 30 | The Hague
- Further Reading
Two Dutch cities make it into the 2024 Expat City Ranking: Amsterdam and The Hague. Out of a total of 53 destinations, they land in 26th and 30th place, respectively. Overall, expats’ happiness with their life abroad ranks 22nd in Amsterdam and 33rd in The Hague. With a share of 79%, expats are noticeably happier in Amsterdam than in The Hague (67% vs. 68% globally).
Job Satisfaction & a Strong Job Market
“I like that there’s job security, especially if you’re on a permanent contract.” – Nigerian expat in Amsterdam
The two cities’ best offering is the Working Abroad Index, where both land in the top 10 (Amsterdam 5th; The Hague 7th). Expats in Amsterdam praise the local job market (7th), their working hours (3rd), and work–life balance (2nd). In The Hague, expats are more satisfied with their jobs (9th vs. Amsterdam’s 34th) and their improved career prospects upon relocation (16th vs. Amsterdam’s 26th).
This is good news for the 50% of respondents who cite job-related reasons for relocating to The Hague (vs. 35% globally). This percentage is lower in Amsterdam, at 39%.
Challenges in Housing but Not the Language
But how do the cities fare when it comes to welcoming expats? It may be easier to find your footing in terms of the Expat Essentials (Amsterdam 20th; The Hague 23rd) compared to the Ease of Settling In (Amsterdam 30th; The Hague 31st).
“The Dutch speak English very well.” – Egyptian expat in The Hague
Both cities are in the top 10 for the Digital Life (Amsterdam 3rd; The Hague 6th) and Admin Topics (7th; 10th) Subcategories. And although it’s easy to deal with local authorities (11th; 12th) and live there without speaking Dutch (2nd; 6th), expats have to grapple with a tough housing situation.
In 45th place, Amsterdam is in the bottom 10 of the Housing Subcategory; and in 43rd, The Hague narrowly misses the same accolade. More than four in five expats in both cities find housing unaffordable (84% Amsterdam; 81% The Hague vs. 47% globally).
A Social Circle of Expats
Another aspect that could be tricky for expats in the Netherlands is Finding Friends (Amsterdam 32nd; The Hague 36th). Respondents agree that making local friends isn’t the easiest (39th; 40th). In fact, more than half describe their friends and acquaintances in Amsterdam (61%) and The Hague (53%) as mostly other expats (vs. 37% globally).
“It’s really difficult to make Dutch friends. They’re friendly but they already have their own friend groups and don't interact with you so much. All of my friends are other internationals.” – US American expat in The Hague
While expats have a better personal support network in The Hague (20th vs. Amsterdam’s 27th), they’re happier with their social life in Amsterdam (25th vs. The Hague’s 31st). All in all, they feel more at home in Amsterdam (24th) than in The Hague (33rd).
Cities Designed for Cycling
For the Quality of Life Index, Amsterdam offers an above average experience in 20th place, whereas The Hague can be found near the end of the scale, in 39th place.
Where the cities diverge is Safety & Security (Amsterdam 9th; The Hague 23rd) and Leisure Options (Amsterdam 19th; The Hague 41st). Amsterdam is the number one city for freely expressing oneself and one’s opinions, but The Hague may be more politically stable (24th vs. 30th). In terms of Leisure, The Hague disappoints with its (lack of) culinary & dining options (50th), while Amsterdam offers plenty of opportunities for recreational sport (10th).
But both cities disappoint when it comes to Healthcare (Amsterdam 42nd; The Hague 49th). A similar share of respondents rate the quality (30%; 32% vs. 17% globally) and availability (24%; 28% vs. 16%) of medical care negatively.
Expats also aren’t impressed by the climate & weather (Amsterdam 51st; The Hague 52nd), the natural environment (47th; 44th), nor the affordability of public transportation (52nd; 51st). It’s perhaps a sign to own a bicycle, as it’s both easy and safe to get around on foot or bicycle in both cities (8th; 6th).
“I love that cyclists get priority on the streets with all the bike lanes, and that drivers really look out for cyclists.” – South African expat in Amsterdam
Financial Satisfaction Is on Shaky Ground
Amsterdam and The Hague rank 39th and 30th in the Personal Finance Index, respectively. Despite differences in the ranking of individual factors of this index, a higher share of expats in both cities rate the general cost of living negatively, compared to the global average of 39% — in the Hague, it’s a little more than half of respondents (54%), whereas in Amsterdam, there’s a difference of nearly 30 percentage points (67%).
When it comes to satisfaction with their financial situation, a similar share of expats in Amsterdam (53%) and The Hague (56%) are happy, though it falls on either side of the global average (54%).
26 | Amsterdam
The Dutch capital slipped 12 spots in the overall ranking from 14th place in 2023. This slip is also reflected in overall happiness, which fell from 16th place to 22nd.
Despite relinquishing the first place crown for Working Abroad, Amsterdam’s performance in 2024 helps it secure 5th place in the index. The local job market is still relatively strong — only 14% of expats rate it negatively, compared to a global average of 31%. However, improved career prospects upon relocation are average (56% positive answers vs. 56% globally). Expats can delight in a flexible business culture (2nd) and great work–life balance (2nd), at least.
Quality of Life and Expat Essentials remain above average in 20th place. Star performing subcategories include Digital Life (3rd), Admin Topics (7th), and Safety & Security (9th). Meanwhile, Healthcare (42nd) and Housing (45th) are sure to cause headaches for expats — 30% rate the quality of medical care negatively, almost double the global average of 17%, while 60% say it’s difficult for expats to find housing (vs. 34% globally).
The Personal Finance Index is another challenge for expats in Amsterdam: it drops 14 spots in the ranking to land in 39th place. Two-thirds of expats (67%) rate the cost of living negatively (vs. 39% globally). In fact, high cost of living were a major concern among expats prior to their relocation to Amsterdam (46% vs. 25% globally).
30 | The Hague
The Hague also loses out on its 20th place in 2023 to rank 10 spots lower in the overall ranking. Expats’ happiness and Quality of Life see a big drop of 12 ranks each to place 33rd and 39th, respectively.
The bright spots amid a below-average Quality of Life offering in The Hague are the ability to openly express oneself and one’s opinions (11th); the availability of green goods and services (13th); and the availability of public transportation (18th). More than nine in ten expats (91%) rate this latter factor positively (vs. 72% globally).
The Personal Finance (30th) and Ease of Settling In (31st) Indices perform similarly. Expats face some challenges in coming to terms with the general cost of living (31st); getting used to the local culture (37th); and making local friends (40th). Only about half the global average is happy with their living costs in The Hague (22% vs. 40% globally).
The good news is that Working Abroad is in the top 10 (7th). Around four in five respondents rate the state of the economy positively (79% vs. 59% globally) and find the local business culture to be flexible (80% vs. 56%). Personal career opportunities don’t fully delight, however, with The Hague in 30th place for this factor.
