October 21, 2025 • 16 mins
Top 5 Cities for LGBTQ Expats Retiring Abroad in the Netherlands
Looking for a country that practically wrote the handbook on LGBTQ acceptance and tops global happiness charts? 🇳🇱 This week on Queer Money, we’re off to the Netherlands — the land of bikes, canals, and unapologetic inclusivity — to uncover the top five Dutch cities for gay retirees.
From Amsterdam’s canal-side rainbow hubs to Eindhoven’s tech-driven calm, we break down where your hard-earned retirement dollars (or euros) stretch farthest while keeping you close to culture, healthcare, and community. You’ll hear why Groningen, Leiden, and Nijmegen are quietly stealing the spotlight from Amsterdam — with lower costs, easy travel, and a “being gay is a non-issue” vibe that makes daily life beautifully ordinary.
Whether you’re a gay expat looking to retire abroad or simply dreaming of a Plan B where equality is a given, this episode explores what makes the Netherlands one of the most LGBTQ-friendly countries on earth and what life can really look like after you hang up the briefcase and pick up a bike bell.
Takeaways:
- Top 5 Dutch cities ranked for cost, community & queer comfort.
- Average 2-bedroom rents and cost of living vs. the U.S. average.
- How Amsterdam’s vibrant scene compares to Leiden or Nijmegen’s calmer pace.
- Why the Netherlands is a model for LGBTQ equality and safety.
- Key retirement trade-offs — taxes, healthcare contributions & travel costs.
- The Queer Money Retirement Rating for each city (1-10 scale).
- Tips for building your own “Plan B Abroad.”
Ready to map your own finish line? Grab the Happy Gay Retirement Calculator and see how close you are to your dream life abroad. Then explore data on every city we’ve covered so far — from Costa Rica to Portugal to the Netherlands — at QueerMoneyPodcast.com/cities.
💡 Catch past episodes: Costa Rica (#608) & Portugal Golden Visa (#611). Next up: Taiwan — the most surprisingly affordable LGBTQ haven in Asia!
The Netherlands Chapters
- 0:00 - Intro
- 0:22 - The Netherlands
- 1:28 - Amsterdam
- 4:56 - Eindhoven
- 8:45 - Groningen
- 10:26 - Leiden
- 13:00 - Nijmegen
- 14:40 - Netherlands wrap up
Mentioned in this episode:
Get Your Portugal Golden Visa Faster Here!
Want a European passport with access to living in nearly any European country? Just click the link below to find out how.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:18):
Looking to retire.
Somewhere that defines gayacceptance nails quality of life
and ranks among the top fivehappiest countries in the world.
This is Queer Money, episodenumber 612.
And we're heading to the Netherlands.
Today we're counting down thetop five Dutch cities for gay retirees.
Balancing affordability with afabulous queer vibe.
And no tulips.
(00:40):
Exactly.
So when we're talking aboutaffordability with the Netherlands,
it is really, really relative.
Housing and energy costs canbe significant, especially in very
sought after zones likeAmsterdam, as we'll talk about here
shortly.
Retirees should also factor inthe Dutch tax scheme.
I know in the US where likescheme is negative, but that's actually
what Europeans call it.
(01:01):
Healthcare contributions canbe expensive and the cost of travel
back and forth to home, backhere in the US to visit friends and
family can be very expensive.
So again, we're talkingrelative here.
So keep that in mind as we gothrough this.
Yeah.
Remember two weeks ago wecovered Costa Rica.
Next two weeks from now we'regoing to be taking a look at Taiwan.
So this week we're coveringthe Netherlands.
(01:21):
Remember to comment what wegot right, especially what we get
wrong when it comes topronunciation of some of these places
and also share your personal experiences.
I was in the Netherlands as akid, but that's the only time I've
been there.
Is that where you got those clogs?
Yeah.
Right, so let us know whichDutch cities gets your windmill going.
(01:46):
All right, Coming in at numberfive is Amsterdam.
Why is it great?
Well, Amsterdam is the globalqueer icon in the Netherlands, pretty
much lots of Europe with morethan 100 plus LGBTQ bars, clubs,
saunas, gay friendly hotels,you name it, it's all there.
There's a great gigantic LGBTQorganization called CoC Netherlands,
(02:08):
which David has told me.
Is pronounced I don't know for certain.
But downsides are, as wecaveated earlier, is that it can
be very expensive and housinghere can be a major hurdle.
Social housing, There's a longwait list for social housing and
many expats really have toretire entirely or rely entirely
(02:28):
on the private rental market,which can be a little bit, especially
when you first get there, hardto navigate.
Again because it's Amsterdam,it's touristy, it's busy, it can
be very expensive.
So if you're looking for aquiet retirement, this may not necessarily
be the place.
LGBTQ vibe and hotspots areit's, it's abundant.
The regular Warstadt, theKjergstraat and Amstel corridor remains
(02:54):
the gay street or the main gay corridor.
Other spots to look at arewarm straat.
Going to put these up on thescreen, folks.
Z Jig and parts of the redlight district host daring, daring
gay nightlife.
The queer arts seems also veryabundant and Pride Canal Parade is
internationally known.
So definitely check that outif you happen to retire in the Netherlands.
(03:16):
Perks for retirees are thatexcellent public transportation,
excellent healthcare, probablyone of the best in the world.
Cultural amenities,international connectivities for
transportation throughairports and trains.
English is also widely spoken,so if that's a hurdle for you the
Netherlands, Amsterdam mightbe a great place for you.
And many other services arevery expat friendly or immigrant
(03:39):
friendly because the densityof queer life is easy to plug into
the LGBTQ community and getsupport and network with people.
Average two bedroom rent goesfor about 1650-2750 US dollars per
month, depending upon yourlocation, the condition and amenities.
It's a big range and it can bekind of expensive.
So the overall cost of livingis only about 5 to 10% less expensive
(04:02):
than the US national average.
A good rule of thumb is livingmore modestly in Amsterdam may cost
on par or with a mid sized orupper tier city here in the United
States, maybe not necessarilythe top tier.
For all these reasons, we'regiving it a Queer Money retirement
rating of 6 out of 10.
A strong community, greatamenities, but the cost pressure
and the competition kind ofweaken the value for retirees if
(04:25):
you're trying to stretch yourdollars further.
Yeah, I think one of thethings we should probably call out,
especially when we talk aboutEuropean countries.
Keep in mind that Europe isnot as car centric or car focused
as many US cities are.
And for that reason there issuch good public transportation.
We know that Netherlands,especially Amsterdam, has some of
(04:47):
the highest zones of bikeridership in the world.
A lot of people do not have acar, so those expenses are oftentimes
taken out when we'reconsidering the overall costs of
living.
Not having $1,000 car paymentor $500 insurance or having to pay
all that gas, because we know,yeah, gas is very expensive.
(05:07):
Yeah.
And cities are much morecompact, so there isn't a lot of
places for parking.
So let's move on here.
Coming in at number four is Eindhoven.
Eindhoven is a tech hub, aninnovation hub.
It'll be, I guess, kind ofsimilar to the Silicon Valley.
This is home to companies likePhilips and asml.
(05:27):
It attracts, because of that,an international crowd.
And it's a relativelyprogressive area of the country.
There is great infrastructurehere again, transportation links
and amenities to all over thecountry and all over Europe.
Some of the downsides, andwe're going to see this a little
bit for the.
With the rest of the citiesthat we're going to cover here, is
(05:49):
that the quare scene isoftentimes smaller, less visible
than say, for example,Amsterdam or other major European
centers.
So that means that you'reactually going into the community
and actually finding community yourself.
It is, it is a slightly lesscosmopolitan area, but because it
is a tech hub, the wagesoftentimes get pushed up and for
(06:11):
that reason, so do the house prices.
We know what's going on inthose tech areas of the US where
those hotspots are.
Oftentimes we see home pricesreally going up.
As far as the LGBTQ vibe, aswe mentioned, it is a little less
apparent.
You do have to dig a little bit.
There are some gay areas inEindhoven, but it's.
(06:33):
It's mostly the youthful andinternational makeup of the city
that kind of pulls the queervibe out.
There are a couple of bars.
One is called Peacock andanother opened recently, it seems.
Yeah.
And another one is called, Ithink it's Reaganbug.
Reagan Bog.
So there are some bars, someevents, some queer activity in spaces.
(06:56):
But as we read on Reddit, thekind of joke is that if you go into
a restaurant, you announcethat you're gay, you're going to
be.
You're going to be burned on a cross.
Really.
The reality is is that in, ina lot of places in the Netherlands,
being gay is not considered tobe abnormal.
It's very common to see queerpeople intermixing with non queer
(07:19):
people on a regular basis andit's just not a big deal.
The vibe I got from a lot ofthe research was it's very similar
to Uruguay in that it's just anon issue.
It's been, it's been a nonissue for decades.
It's non issue now.
So they don't necessarilyalways have a gay bar or a gay hotspot
to go to because everybody'sjust all integrated.
And, you know, a gay couplecould be having a date next to a
(07:40):
straight couple.
And it's just.
It's a non.
Non issue.
Non issue.
Yeah.
So some of the other perkshere is a good balance of urban amenities
and lower pressure on housingcosts, especially if you're not close
to some of those tech, bigtech companies.
There is great access to airand rail connections to trap for
travel, and it does have astrong healthcare system.
(08:02):
Which is kind of prettystandard in for the Dutch as far
as cost of living.
Rent is coming in around $1900a month for a two bedroom which is
actually on par with the US average.
So obviously the closer youget to more desirable areas, the
more expensive it's going tobe and the cheaper the further you
are from those desirable areas.
(08:24):
Overall cost of living it isjust slightly below the US coming
in about 6 to 7% cheaper thanthe US average.
Keep in mind here that cost ofliving is excluding rent.
The day to day expenses you'regoing to find in a lot of these cities
is lower than the us.
But then when you add in rentand utilities, as John mentioned
(08:44):
in the outset, you're comingup towards or getting close to many
of the mid size or largercities in the US.
So for this reason we aregiving it a 7 out of 10 on our queer
money retirement rating forstrong value, great amenities and
some trade offs when it comesto the queer visibility.
Coming in number three is Groningen.
(09:05):
It's great because it'scapital of the north.
Of regional importance andessential services for the Dutch
in the north of theNetherlands is the Groningen region.
It is less expensive than theRonstadt or the Amsterdam.
Rotterdam area.
Housing is significantlycheaper, which is a good thing to
know.
It's a vibrant university citywith cultural life, music festivals,
festivities.
(09:25):
The community is more tightknit and also often very welcoming.
The downsides are again aswe've been kind of running into,
is that they're notnecessarily a gay hub or a gay place
to go to.
The queer nightlife issomewhat limited.
According to a blog calledCouple of men.
Noted in 2022 that most of thegay places close down.
But there are a couple of gemsthat have survived, one of them being
(09:48):
a cafe or party house de cast.
Check that out.
It's in Osterstraat.
And because it lies furtherfrom the main economic hubs, commuting
and travel can be a little bitmore arduous.
Perks for gay retirees arethere's more breathing room here,
so there's possibility of asemi rural life with, you know, city
life within reach.
The density is a little bitlower, it's quieter.
(10:10):
So if that's what you'relooking for, maybe not like the Unsun
of Amsterdam, this might bethe place to go.
And there's great regionalhospitals facilities.
Average two bedroom goes forabout 1300-2000 US dollars a month
which is a little bit moreaffordable for many retirees.
Overall cost of living isabout 21% cheaper than the overall
national average of the United States.
(10:31):
Housing is a little bit cheaper.
So major cost is kind ofnegated here in this area.
Day to day costs and servicesare also a little bit less.
Current money retirementrating for this we're giving it is
an eight out of ten.
All right, coming in at numbertwo is Leiden.
Leiden.
I struggle with thepronunciations here and I know this
(10:52):
one is probably everyone'slike, well, this is the easy one.
So Leiden is centrally locatedbetween the Hague, Amsterdam and
Rotterdam, which this wholeregion, the Randstadt, I think area
is, is one where the majorityof people in the Netherlands live.
So you have access to a wholebunch of different cities here.
(11:16):
There's strong user universitypresence here, giving it a very youthful
and progressive culture.
The expats say that this is anarea where they say it's really safe
and livability is really high.
We found that information onReddit, some of the downsides, it
is still relatively high costof living area in the country because
(11:38):
this is a very dense area.
Housing isn't cheap, and thatis one of the major costs here.
The gay scene also is not aslarge or centralized as places like
Amsterdam.
But as far as the queer vibegoes, because Leiden is smaller,
more of the activity is informal.
It's in the bars, in thecafes, in the universities.
(11:58):
Now, when we say bars, we'renot saying necessarily a gay bar,
but just there are bars whereindividuals congregate.
And oftentimes you'll findqueer circles there.
Many LGBTQ people live thereand commute to many of the major
other cities, in part becauseit's a little bit cheaper.
Some of the perks forretirees, access to great amenities.
(12:20):
Again, we said this is theRonstadt area, so there's lots of
exposure to Amsterdam.
There's all the activitiesthat are in the central, central
part of the country.
Here it is filled with linksthrough trains and roads and easy
ways to travel and access tomedical care facilities.
(12:40):
It's also a charming historicarea with canals, museums and cultural
life.
As for the cost of living inLeiden, it's coming in at around
$2,300 a month for a two bedroom.
So it is a little bit more expensive.
But when you peel away thecost of living, I'm sorry, the housing
cost of living is coming inaround 7% cheaper than the US national
(13:03):
average.
It's lower than places likecentral Amsterdam, but it is higher
than some of the other remoteareas or more remote areas that we
have talked about here.
And for all these reasons,we're giving Leiden an 8 out of 10
on our queer Money Retirement rating.
Coming in at number one.
Our winner, winner, chickendinner is Nijmegen.
Did I say that right?
(13:23):
Nijmegen.
Nijmegen, often cited bylocals and expats as one of the more
open, liberal, mid sizedcities in the Netherlands, combines
manageable cost because it'slower than, say, the Ronstadt.
Hubs with comfortable levelsof amenities, has a university presence
as well, which seems to bepretty ubiquitous throughout the
Netherlands.
Maybe that's why they're so happy.
Vibrant cultural life and wellconnected to major cities, so you
(13:45):
can easily get back and forthto other areas if you want.
The downsides are as again,we've said before, queer nightlife
is smaller, less published,and so there's not really a gay street.
So you might have to do somehomework to figure out how to connect
with some people.
The LGBTQ5 and the hotspotsare a little bit more diffused and
then it's integrated intogeneral bars, cafes and cultural
institutions.
Some places that you mightwant to check out though are Marcus
(14:07):
Antonius and Raiganbag Namagan.
Did I say that right?
Correct me if I'm wrong.
The perks for gay retirees arethat affordability is combined with
a great quality of life.
Possible to live in the scenicsurroundings and still have that
urban vibe, if that's whatyou're looking for.
Good regional infrastructureand access to larger Dutch cities,
(14:29):
all via train.
As David alluded to earlier,average two bedroom rent goes for
1200-1800 US dollars a month,so a little bit more affordable.
Overall cost of living isabout 10% cheaper than the US national
average.
And for all these reasons, itgets the number one spot and gets
a nine out of ten on our QueerMoney retirement rating.
Best balance for cost,community accessibility, livability
(14:50):
for career retirees in theNetherlands, in our view, and we
created the list so there.
The Netherlands overall is oneof the most LGBTQ friendly countries
in the world.
Discrimination on the basis ofsexual orientation is prohibited
by law, and social acceptanceand legal infrastructure are there
(15:12):
to protect the community.
Which city sounds almost likeyour vibe?
We know ones that we would beattracted to, especially at this
point in our lives when we'rethinking about retirement.
To map out your personalfinish line when it comes to your
retirement, grab the Happy GayRetirement calculator with the QR
code on the screen, with thelink in the description of this YouTube
video or in your podcastplayer for the Queer Money Retirement
(15:35):
rating card for all of thecountries and cities that we've been
looking at, go toqueermanypodcast.com cities or click
the link in the description oryour podcast player.
Then next week, join us.
We're going to talk aboutexactly how to get that very, very
sought after Portuguese Golden Visa.
And in two weeks, as Davidsaid, we're going to talk about the
best cities in Taiwan for gay retirees.
(15:56):
If you love this episode,please remember to, like, subscribe.
Click all the bells andwhistles and share this with your
audience.
Other friends who also want toretire fabulously and until next
time, stay fabulous.
And if the Netherlands is justa little bit too far away from home
for you, but you still wantthat St Olaf vibe that Rosen island
always talks about, check outthis episode here on the most affordable
LGBTQ Friendly Cities in Minnesota.
(16:19):
Bye.
Looking to retire.
Somewhere that defines gayacceptance nails quality of life
and ranks among the top fivehappiest countries in the world.
This is Queer Money, episodenumber 612.
And we're heading to the Netherlands.
Today we're counting down thetop five Dutch cities for gay retirees.
Balancing affordability with afabulous queer vibe.
And no tulips.
(00:40):
Exactly.
So when we're talking aboutaffordability with the Netherlands,
it is really, really relative.
Housing and energy costs canbe significant, especially in very
sought after zones likeAmsterdam, as we'll talk about here
shortly.
Retirees should also factor inthe Dutch tax scheme.
I know in the US where likescheme is negative, but that's actually
what Europeans call it.
(01:01):
Healthcare contributions canbe expensive and the cost of travel
back and forth to home, backhere in the US to visit friends and
family can be very expensive.
So again, we're talkingrelative here.
So keep that in mind as we gothrough this.
Yeah.
Remember two weeks ago wecovered Costa Rica.
Next two weeks from now we'regoing to be taking a look at Taiwan.
So this week we're coveringthe Netherlands.
(01:21):
Remember to comment what wegot right, especially what we get
wrong when it comes topronunciation of some of these places
and also share your personal experiences.
I was in the Netherlands as akid, but that's the only time I've
been there.
Is that where you got those clogs?
Yeah.
Right, so let us know whichDutch cities gets your windmill going.
(01:46):
All right, Coming in at numberfive is Amsterdam.
Why is it great?
Well, Amsterdam is the globalqueer icon in the Netherlands, pretty
much lots of Europe with morethan 100 plus LGBTQ bars, clubs,
saunas, gay friendly hotels,you name it, it's all there.
There's a great gigantic LGBTQorganization called CoC Netherlands,
(02:08):
which David has told me.
Is pronounced I don't know for certain.
But downsides are, as wecaveated earlier, is that it can
be very expensive and housinghere can be a major hurdle.
Social housing, There's a longwait list for social housing and
many expats really have toretire entirely or rely entirely
(02:28):
on the private rental market,which can be a little bit, especially
when you first get there, hardto navigate.
Again because it's Amsterdam,it's touristy, it's busy, it can
be very expensive.
So if you're looking for aquiet retirement, this may not necessarily
be the place.
LGBTQ vibe and hotspots areit's, it's abundant.
The regular Warstadt, theKjergstraat and Amstel corridor remains
(02:54):
the gay street or the main gay corridor.
Other spots to look at arewarm straat.
Going to put these up on thescreen, folks.
Z Jig and parts of the redlight district host daring, daring
gay nightlife.
The queer arts seems also veryabundant and Pride Canal Parade is
internationally known.
So definitely check that outif you happen to retire in the Netherlands.
(03:16):
Perks for retirees are thatexcellent public transportation,
excellent healthcare, probablyone of the best in the world.
Cultural amenities,international connectivities for
transportation throughairports and trains.
English is also widely spoken,so if that's a hurdle for you the
Netherlands, Amsterdam mightbe a great place for you.
And many other services arevery expat friendly or immigrant
(03:39):
friendly because the densityof queer life is easy to plug into
the LGBTQ community and getsupport and network with people.
Average two bedroom rent goesfor about 1650-2750 US dollars per
month, depending upon yourlocation, the condition and amenities.
It's a big range and it can bekind of expensive.
So the overall cost of livingis only about 5 to 10% less expensive
(04:02):
than the US national average.
A good rule of thumb is livingmore modestly in Amsterdam may cost
on par or with a mid sized orupper tier city here in the United
States, maybe not necessarilythe top tier.
For all these reasons, we'regiving it a Queer Money retirement
rating of 6 out of 10.
A strong community, greatamenities, but the cost pressure
and the competition kind ofweaken the value for retirees if
(04:25):
you're trying to stretch yourdollars further.
Yeah, I think one of thethings we should probably call out,
especially when we talk aboutEuropean countries.
Keep in mind that Europe isnot as car centric or car focused
as many US cities are.
And for that reason there issuch good public transportation.
We know that Netherlands,especially Amsterdam, has some of
(04:47):
the highest zones of bikeridership in the world.
A lot of people do not have acar, so those expenses are oftentimes
taken out when we'reconsidering the overall costs of
living.
Not having $1,000 car paymentor $500 insurance or having to pay
all that gas, because we know,yeah, gas is very expensive.
(05:07):
Yeah.
And cities are much morecompact, so there isn't a lot of
places for parking.
So let's move on here.
Coming in at number four is Eindhoven.
Eindhoven is a tech hub, aninnovation hub.
It'll be, I guess, kind ofsimilar to the Silicon Valley.
This is home to companies likePhilips and asml.
(05:27):
It attracts, because of that,an international crowd.
And it's a relativelyprogressive area of the country.
There is great infrastructurehere again, transportation links
and amenities to all over thecountry and all over Europe.
Some of the downsides, andwe're going to see this a little
bit for the.
With the rest of the citiesthat we're going to cover here, is
(05:49):
that the quare scene isoftentimes smaller, less visible
than say, for example,Amsterdam or other major European
centers.
So that means that you'reactually going into the community
and actually finding community yourself.
It is, it is a slightly lesscosmopolitan area, but because it
is a tech hub, the wagesoftentimes get pushed up and for
(06:11):
that reason, so do the house prices.
We know what's going on inthose tech areas of the US where
those hotspots are.
Oftentimes we see home pricesreally going up.
As far as the LGBTQ vibe, aswe mentioned, it is a little less
apparent.
You do have to dig a little bit.
There are some gay areas inEindhoven, but it's.
(06:33):
It's mostly the youthful andinternational makeup of the city
that kind of pulls the queervibe out.
There are a couple of bars.
One is called Peacock andanother opened recently, it seems.
Yeah.
And another one is called, Ithink it's Reaganbug.
Reagan Bog.
So there are some bars, someevents, some queer activity in spaces.
(06:56):
But as we read on Reddit, thekind of joke is that if you go into
a restaurant, you announcethat you're gay, you're going to
be.
You're going to be burned on a cross.
Really.
The reality is is that in, ina lot of places in the Netherlands,
being gay is not considered tobe abnormal.
It's very common to see queerpeople intermixing with non queer
(07:19):
people on a regular basis andit's just not a big deal.
The vibe I got from a lot ofthe research was it's very similar
to Uruguay in that it's just anon issue.
It's been, it's been a nonissue for decades.
It's non issue now.
So they don't necessarilyalways have a gay bar or a gay hotspot
to go to because everybody'sjust all integrated.
And, you know, a gay couplecould be having a date next to a
(07:40):
straight couple.
And it's just.
It's a non.
Non issue.
Non issue.
Yeah.
So some of the other perkshere is a good balance of urban amenities
and lower pressure on housingcosts, especially if you're not close
to some of those tech, bigtech companies.
There is great access to airand rail connections to trap for
travel, and it does have astrong healthcare system.
(08:02):
Which is kind of prettystandard in for the Dutch as far
as cost of living.
Rent is coming in around $1900a month for a two bedroom which is
actually on par with the US average.
So obviously the closer youget to more desirable areas, the
more expensive it's going tobe and the cheaper the further you
are from those desirable areas.
(08:24):
Overall cost of living it isjust slightly below the US coming
in about 6 to 7% cheaper thanthe US average.
Keep in mind here that cost ofliving is excluding rent.
The day to day expenses you'regoing to find in a lot of these cities
is lower than the us.
But then when you add in rentand utilities, as John mentioned
(08:44):
in the outset, you're comingup towards or getting close to many
of the mid size or largercities in the US.
So for this reason we aregiving it a 7 out of 10 on our queer
money retirement rating forstrong value, great amenities and
some trade offs when it comesto the queer visibility.
Coming in number three is Groningen.
(09:05):
It's great because it'scapital of the north.
Of regional importance andessential services for the Dutch
in the north of theNetherlands is the Groningen region.
It is less expensive than theRonstadt or the Amsterdam.
Rotterdam area.
Housing is significantlycheaper, which is a good thing to
know.
It's a vibrant university citywith cultural life, music festivals,
festivities.
(09:25):
The community is more tightknit and also often very welcoming.
The downsides are again aswe've been kind of running into,
is that they're notnecessarily a gay hub or a gay place
to go to.
The queer nightlife issomewhat limited.
According to a blog calledCouple of men.
Noted in 2022 that most of thegay places close down.
But there are a couple of gemsthat have survived, one of them being
(09:48):
a cafe or party house de cast.
Check that out.
It's in Osterstraat.
And because it lies furtherfrom the main economic hubs, commuting
and travel can be a little bitmore arduous.
Perks for gay retirees arethere's more breathing room here,
so there's possibility of asemi rural life with, you know, city
life within reach.
The density is a little bitlower, it's quieter.
(10:10):
So if that's what you'relooking for, maybe not like the Unsun
of Amsterdam, this might bethe place to go.
And there's great regionalhospitals facilities.
Average two bedroom goes forabout 1300-2000 US dollars a month
which is a little bit moreaffordable for many retirees.
Overall cost of living isabout 21% cheaper than the overall
national average of the United States.
(10:31):
Housing is a little bit cheaper.
So major cost is kind ofnegated here in this area.
Day to day costs and servicesare also a little bit less.
Current money retirementrating for this we're giving it is
an eight out of ten.
All right, coming in at numbertwo is Leiden.
Leiden.
I struggle with thepronunciations here and I know this
(10:52):
one is probably everyone'slike, well, this is the easy one.
So Leiden is centrally locatedbetween the Hague, Amsterdam and
Rotterdam, which this wholeregion, the Randstadt, I think area
is, is one where the majorityof people in the Netherlands live.
So you have access to a wholebunch of different cities here.
(11:16):
There's strong user universitypresence here, giving it a very youthful
and progressive culture.
The expats say that this is anarea where they say it's really safe
and livability is really high.
We found that information onReddit, some of the downsides, it
is still relatively high costof living area in the country because
(11:38):
this is a very dense area.
Housing isn't cheap, and thatis one of the major costs here.
The gay scene also is not aslarge or centralized as places like
Amsterdam.
But as far as the queer vibegoes, because Leiden is smaller,
more of the activity is informal.
It's in the bars, in thecafes, in the universities.
(11:58):
Now, when we say bars, we'renot saying necessarily a gay bar,
but just there are bars whereindividuals congregate.
And oftentimes you'll findqueer circles there.
Many LGBTQ people live thereand commute to many of the major
other cities, in part becauseit's a little bit cheaper.
Some of the perks forretirees, access to great amenities.
(12:20):
Again, we said this is theRonstadt area, so there's lots of
exposure to Amsterdam.
There's all the activitiesthat are in the central, central
part of the country.
Here it is filled with linksthrough trains and roads and easy
ways to travel and access tomedical care facilities.
(12:40):
It's also a charming historicarea with canals, museums and cultural
life.
As for the cost of living inLeiden, it's coming in at around
$2,300 a month for a two bedroom.
So it is a little bit more expensive.
But when you peel away thecost of living, I'm sorry, the housing
cost of living is coming inaround 7% cheaper than the US national
(13:03):
average.
It's lower than places likecentral Amsterdam, but it is higher
than some of the other remoteareas or more remote areas that we
have talked about here.
And for all these reasons,we're giving Leiden an 8 out of 10
on our queer Money Retirement rating.
Coming in at number one.
Our winner, winner, chickendinner is Nijmegen.
Did I say that right?
(13:23):
Nijmegen.
Nijmegen, often cited bylocals and expats as one of the more
open, liberal, mid sizedcities in the Netherlands, combines
manageable cost because it'slower than, say, the Ronstadt.
Hubs with comfortable levelsof amenities, has a university presence
as well, which seems to bepretty ubiquitous throughout the
Netherlands.
Maybe that's why they're so happy.
Vibrant cultural life and wellconnected to major cities, so you
(13:45):
can easily get back and forthto other areas if you want.
The downsides are as again,we've said before, queer nightlife
is smaller, less published,and so there's not really a gay street.
So you might have to do somehomework to figure out how to connect
with some people.
The LGBTQ5 and the hotspotsare a little bit more diffused and
then it's integrated intogeneral bars, cafes and cultural
institutions.
Some places that you mightwant to check out though are Marcus
(14:07):
Antonius and Raiganbag Namagan.
Did I say that right?
Correct me if I'm wrong.
The perks for gay retirees arethat affordability is combined with
a great quality of life.
Possible to live in the scenicsurroundings and still have that
urban vibe, if that's whatyou're looking for.
Good regional infrastructureand access to larger Dutch cities,
(14:29):
all via train.
As David alluded to earlier,average two bedroom rent goes for
1200-1800 US dollars a month,so a little bit more affordable.
Overall cost of living isabout 10% cheaper than the US national
average.
And for all these reasons, itgets the number one spot and gets
a nine out of ten on our QueerMoney retirement rating.
Best balance for cost,community accessibility, livability
(14:50):
for career retirees in theNetherlands, in our view, and we
created the list so there.
The Netherlands overall is oneof the most LGBTQ friendly countries
in the world.
Discrimination on the basis ofsexual orientation is prohibited
by law, and social acceptanceand legal infrastructure are there
(15:12):
to protect the community.
Which city sounds almost likeyour vibe?
We know ones that we would beattracted to, especially at this
point in our lives when we'rethinking about retirement.
To map out your personalfinish line when it comes to your
retirement, grab the Happy GayRetirement calculator with the QR
code on the screen, with thelink in the description of this YouTube
video or in your podcastplayer for the Queer Money Retirement
(15:35):
rating card for all of thecountries and cities that we've been
looking at, go toqueermanypodcast.com cities or click
the link in the description oryour podcast player.
Then next week, join us.
We're going to talk aboutexactly how to get that very, very
sought after Portuguese Golden Visa.
And in two weeks, as Davidsaid, we're going to talk about the
best cities in Taiwan for gay retirees.
(15:56):
If you love this episode,please remember to, like, subscribe.
Click all the bells andwhistles and share this with your
audience.
Other friends who also want toretire fabulously and until next
time, stay fabulous.
And if the Netherlands is justa little bit too far away from home
for you, but you still wantthat St Olaf vibe that Rosen island
always talks about, check outthis episode here on the most affordable
LGBTQ Friendly Cities in Minnesota.
(16:19):
Bye.
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