Living in the Netherlands vs Germany, Switzerland, Norway and Denmark

The comparison at a glance

The table brings together comparable indicators from official sources, each with its year. They do not add up to a “best country”: they show where each destination stands out and where it falls short. Swipe the table on a phone to see every column.

PPS (purchasing power standard) is a unit that corrects for price differences between countries. The tax wedge is the share of total labour costs (gross pay plus employer contributions) taken by income tax and employee and employer contributions: it is not what is deducted from gross pay; it does not include compulsory insurance premiums paid to private insurers, such as basic health insurance in Switzerland and the Netherlands. Net earnings are the same Eurostat indicator for all five countries (single person without children on 100% of the average wage, 2023); the price index measures prices, not pay. Childcare is reported use in the EU-SILC survey, not quality or available places. The 2023, 2024 and 2025 figures are not from the same year: compare them within each row, not across rows.

Salaries and purchasing power

For a single person without children on their country's average wage, Switzerland leaves by far the highest net pay in euros (€82,060 in 2023). Next come Norway (€45,795) and the Netherlands (€45,156), then Denmark (€42,358) and Germany (€37,908).

Adjusted for prices (PPS), Switzerland is still first (47,247), but the gap halves; the Netherlands comes second (38,607), ahead of Norway (36,874) and Germany (34,937), with Denmark last (29,195). In other words, an average Dutch salary goes further than a Danish one even though they look similar in euros.

Minimum wage: only the Netherlands (€2,295 a month) and Germany (€2,343) have a national statutory one (January 2026, Eurostat). In Switzerland some cantons set their own; in Norway there are binding minimums only in some sectors; in Denmark collective agreements set pay. Dutch details in Dutch salaries and payslips.

Limitation: these are averages for someone on the average wage. For low pay, specific sectors or families the picture changes; Eurostat figures after 2023 are not yet available for Switzerland and Norway.

Rent and cost of living

By price level (EU = 100, 2024), Germany is the cheapest of the five (109.1), followed by the Netherlands (121.0), Norway (134.1), Denmark (142.8) and, far behind, Switzerland (184.3). For food, the Netherlands is at the European average (98.9) and Switzerland at 158.5.

Finding a home in the Netherlands is hard. The government estimates a shortage of almost 400,000 homes in 2025 (4.8% of the housing stock). Competition is toughest in Amsterdam, Utrecht or The Hague rather than the north or east of the country. Ruta NL does not present it as an easy place to find a flat: before you move, read Housing in the Netherlands and the rental offer analyzer.

Watch out for a figure that seems contradictory: only 6.9% of people in the Netherlands spend more than 40% of their income on housing (2024), compared with 12-15% in the other four. It measures people who already have a home (with social housing and allowances), not how hard it is to find one when you arrive. In Berlin, Zurich, Oslo or Copenhagen the rental market is also tight; national averages hide big differences between cities.

Jobs and opportunities

All five have low unemployment: from 3.8% in Germany to 6.4% in Denmark (2025). What sets the Netherlands apart is the contract: 25.8% of employees are on temporary contracts, twice the level elsewhere, and 37.9% of foreign workers (Eurostat, 2025). Starting through an agency (uitzendbureau) is common in logistics, warehouses and production.

• Logistics and warehouses: in the Netherlands people often start through an agency (hence so many temporary contracts); check guaranteed hours and housing linked to the job carefully.
• Tech and engineering: all five have companies working in English; international teams are common in Switzerland and the Netherlands.
• Healthcare: everywhere it requires recognised qualifications and, almost always, a good level of the local language.
• Customer-facing and service jobs: usually require the local language, in the Netherlands too.

These trends are a general assessment, not comparable vacancy statistics. Before accepting an offer, compare the terms and read how to check an agency.

Taxes and healthcare

The OECD tax wedge (2025) measures how much of total labour costs goes on taxes and contributions (employee and employer), not the deduction from gross pay. For a single person on the average wage: Germany 49.3%, Norway 36.4%, the Netherlands 35.9%, Denmark 35.8% and Switzerland 23.0%. For a couple with two children and two average salaries it is lower everywhere (the Netherlands 32.2%, Denmark 33.0%, Norway 33.9%, Germany 44.7%, Switzerland 19.6%). Family situation matters.

We do not calculate a universal net salary: it depends on deductions, church tax (Germany), municipality or canton and insurance. In Switzerland the wedge is low, but health insurance is paid separately, per person.

• Netherlands: compulsory basic insurance with an insurer; you pay a monthly premium and a deductible (€385 in 2026). See How health insurance works and the zorgtoeslag benefit.
• Germany: compulsory insurance; most people are in the public scheme (GKV), with income-based contributions shared with the employer. Above €77,400 (2026) you can choose private cover.
• Switzerland: compulsory basic insurance within 3 months of settling, taken out by each person; the premium does not depend on income.
• Norway: people living and working there join the National Insurance Scheme; public care with fixed user fees and an assigned GP.
• Denmark: public system; with the yellow health insurance card, GP visits are free.

Family and quality of life

For families with small children, one comparable figure is the use of full-time childcare (30 hours or more a week) by under-3s, from the EU-SILC survey: Denmark 57.1% and Norway 54.7%, compared with Germany 15.7%, the Netherlands 13.0% and Switzerland 7.6% (2024). In the Netherlands childcare is common but part-time (almost 79% attend at least one hour), and it is paid with an allowance (kinderopvangtoeslag).

Daylight: the shortest day lasts 5 h 54 min in Oslo, 7 h 01 min in Copenhagen, 7 h 40 min in Amsterdam, 7 h 39 min in Berlin and 8 h 31 min in Bern (astronomical calculation). It matters more than you might think in your first winter.

Public transport, cycling, safety or social life matter but are hard to measure the same way in all five countries: we do not score them here. Assessment: cycling as everyday transport is especially common in the Netherlands and Denmark.

Language and integration

All five have companies and professionals working in English, but English does not open every door: government, healthcare, housing and many jobs run in the local language. General assessment: in the Netherlands and the Nordic countries it is easy to start with English day to day; in Germany and much of Switzerland you need German (or French or Italian, depending on the canton) sooner.

From Spain there are direct flights to all five countries; by distance, the longest journeys are to Norway. More on the language in Learning Dutch.

EU citizens and non-EU citizens

EU citizens (including Spanish citizens): you can live and work without a work permit in the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark (EU) and in Norway (EEA), registering under each country's rules. Switzerland applies a free movement agreement with the EU/EFTA, with its own residence formalities.

Non-EU citizens (from Latin America, for example): you need a residence and work permit in all five, and the routes differ. The Netherlands has the highly skilled migrant permit (sponsoring employer and a required minimum salary); Germany, the EU Blue Card and other routes; Switzerland only admits qualified staff and the employer must show it cannot find a Swiss or EU/EFTA candidate; Norway and Denmark have their own schemes. A degree or a job offer does not guarantee a permit: always check each country's official source.

Which country suits your situation?

There is no automatic answer. These are reasoned assessments based on the data above, not statistical results:

• Young person looking for a first job: the Netherlands offers many ways in through agencies (logistics, production), but housing will be the hard part. Secure legal accommodation before you go.
• Logistics or warehouse work: the Netherlands and Germany. Compare hourly pay, guaranteed hours and what is deducted for housing and transport.
• Tech professional: all five have tech companies. Switzerland pays more but costs more; the Netherlands combines good purchasing power with plenty of English at work; check the 30% ruling if you are recruited from abroad.
• Skilled job on a high salary: Switzerland stands out for net pay and average purchasing power and has the lowest tax wedge, but health insurance is extra and prices are very high.
• Couple wanting to save: it depends more on the rent you get than on the country. With two average salaries, Germany's tax wedge is the highest and Switzerland's the lowest.
• Family with small children: full-time childcare is far more common in Denmark and Norway; in the Netherlands it is usually part-time.
• You only speak Spanish and English: the Netherlands and the Nordics are easier to start in than Germany or Switzerland, but to progress and for many services you will need the local language.

General guidance, not individual immigration advice.

Real advantages of living in the Netherlands

• Second-best average net salary in purchasing power of the five (2023), with prices below the Nordics and Switzerland.
• Low unemployment (3.9% in 2025) and plenty of entry-level work through agencies.
• A statutory minimum wage and compulsory holiday pay: see Holiday pay.
• Assessment: English is widely used at work and day to day (not in every service).
• It is in the EU: Spanish citizens do not need a work permit.

Disadvantages and when another country may suit you better

When I would NOT choose the Netherlands:

• If you have no secured accommodation and a tight budget: the housing shortage is real and rents in the big cities are high.
• If stability is your priority: one in four employees is on a temporary contract (more among foreign workers).
• If you need full-time childcare for a baby: it is far more common in Denmark or Norway.
• If you would earn a high salary and do not mind paying more for everything: Switzerland offers more net pay.
• If you already speak German: Germany has the lowest prices of the five, though higher taxes.