Living-cost signal
Amsterdam has the lower current published midpoint
The underlying sources use different baskets and some are budget proxies, so this is directional rather than a guaranteed personal budget.
SECONDARY DECISION
Compare city context
Comparison does not replace the verdict. Use it to test real options after reviewing the Career Page score, evidence and path.
Netherlands city comparison
Maastricht vs Amsterdam
Compare CBS municipality population, published student-living references, source-native public-transport products, Dutch student residence-permit work context, verified research-university locations and municipal economic-sector context. Programme delivery and HBO coverage gaps remain explicit.
Study-destination scope
All five launch cities use the CBS municipality boundary. Province and metro boundaries are not substituted.
MaastrichtMaastricht municipality study scope
AmsterdamAmsterdam municipality study scope
Population
Like-for-like CBS municipality population on 1 January 2026; official municipality codes remain attached to each value.
Maastricht126,03K · GM0935
Amsterdam941,93K · GM0363
Student living
Indicative monthly EUR references. Source baskets differ; Eindhoven currently uses an explicitly marked national baseline rather than a city-specific total.
Maastricht~€1,550 / month
Amsterdam€975–€1,500 / month
Transport reference
Source-native fare products and periods are preserved. No synthetic monthly equivalent is created from hourly or single-trip fares.
Maastricht€10 / month
Amsterdam€3.40 / 1 hour
Student work context
National employee rule for the stored study-residence context: up to 16 hours per week or full-time in June, July and August; employer TWV required. This is not a city differentiator.
MaastrichtUp to 16 h / week or full-time Jun–Aug
AmsterdamUp to 16 h / week or full-time Jun–Aug
Verified research-university institutions
Initial research-university core only; HBO coverage remains pending and is not treated as absence.
Maastricht1
Amsterdam2
Verified locations
Maastricht1
Amsterdam2
Career context
Official municipal economic-development context, not shortage rankings or employment guarantees.
MaastrichtHealth and preventive healthcare · Knowledge economy and education · Business services · Retail and hospitality · Manufacturing
AmsterdamICT and digitalisation · Financial services · Creative industries · Retail · Hospitality and tourism
Coverage gaps
Programme delivery and HBO coverage remain verification gaps
Programme count does not block city comparison. CampCareer does not infer programme delivery from institution presence, and the current institution layer is explicitly the research-university core rather than exhaustive Dutch higher education.