Leiden vs The Hague
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights The Hague edges it, 72 to 72, winning 2 of the 9 factors. Leiden is stronger on nothing outright; The Hague on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Canal city of the Netherlands' oldest university, 15 minutes from Schiphol
Full Leiden profile →Where to stay in Leiden →International city with a North Sea beach
Full The Hague profile →Where to stay in The Hague →Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Leiden | The Hague |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 21 ✓ | 19 |
| Safety | 81 | 81 |
| Healthcare | 86 | 86 |
| Internet | 87 | 87 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 61 | 61 |
| Getting there & around | 91 | 97 ✓ |
| Climate | 33 | 33 |
| Air quality | 93 ✓ | 92 |
| Quality of life | 96 | 96 |
Cost
| Metric | Leiden | The Hague |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $2,750 ✓ | $2,843 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | $1,834 |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Leiden | The Hague |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 0.66 | 0.66 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 75 | 75 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 85 | 85 |
| Life expectancy | 81.1 yrs | 81.1 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Leiden | The Hague |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 90.8 Mbps | 91.1 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 39.1 Mbps | 40.5 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Leiden | The Hague |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Entry, US passport | 90 days | 90 days |
| Entry, EU passport | unlimited | unlimited |
| Entry, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Leiden | The Hague |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 289 | 300 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 5 | 5 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 5 ✓ |
Climate and air
| Metric | Leiden | The Hague |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 4 | 4 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 8.3 µg/m³ ✓ | 8.5 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Leiden or The Hague?
- Leiden is cheaper: about $2,750 per month versus $2,843 for one person.
- Is Leiden or The Hague safer?
- Leiden scores higher on safety (81 vs 81), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Leiden or The Hague?
- The Hague: a measured median of 91.1 Mbps versus 90.8 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.10.7. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.