A Bengaluru tech professional posted her honest account of staying in Amsterdam for six months, comparing the differences she noticed between her adopted city and her native place. In an X thread, Pratim Bhosale initially addressed a major migrant issue, which is accommodation.

Sky-High Rent and House-Hunting Woes

“The rent is approximately 2000 euros per month for a one-bedroom apartment in a decent area. Lower would mean no furniture and a newer area. It is extremely hard (Hunger Games level ) to find a rental apartment. Easier to buy. We used @uprent_nl. It was super helpful. There are actual tenant laws which landlords follow. ( Unlike in India ),” she wrote on X.

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Grocery Shopping in Amsterdam: A Delight

Ms Bhosale commended Amsterdam’s Jumbo and Albert Heijn stores, which have fresh fruits and vegetables, stating how she does not miss Zepto and Swiggy. “Absolute joy to roam around if you love grocery shopping. Fresh produce. I don’t miss Zepto or Swiggy AT all. Monthly grocery bill for me and my plus is around €500. ( We eat royally. Only good high high-quality whole foods ) Whole food is approximately 3 times more expensive than Bengaluru. Better produce. Here, organic means organic,” she added.

View the Full post here:

Dining Out: Pricey and Tourist-Driven

She also pointed out Amsterdam’s exorbitant eating prices. While a good meal for two is about 50 euros, sandwiches or takeaways usually fall between 7-15 euros. “Amazing International cuisine except Indian. Basic and touristy menu in Indian restaurants. – Cafes have same rates as BLR ( Paid 13 Euros for two desserts and two teas ) – Desserts are much better anywhere in EU,” she noted.

Ms Bhosale gushed over the public transport in Amsterdam, hailing it as a “blessing” in contrast to her own experience in India. She singled out the clean and on-time buses, trams, and metros, safe bike lanes and scenic ferry travel.

Healthcare Challenges in the Netherlands

But she also spoke about her struggles with the Dutch healthcare system, saying that it’s “broken” and hasn’t lived up to her expectations. She said that she had difficulty in finding a General Practitioner (GP) despite staying in the country for six months. She’s thinking of going back to India for medical treatments because of the inefficiencies of the system. She also mentioned the absence of preventative care and the sluggishness of the healthcare system.

Although there may be fewer jobs available than in Bengaluru and tech pay seldom tops 100k euros, she has discovered that individuals put passion above pay, cherishing the “art” of work. Even though employment laws tend to be employee-friendly, they are not business-friendly. She was attracted to Amsterdam by clean parks and fresh air where being fit is a lifestyle. Despite the setbacks, her joy has significantly increased, implying that Amsterdam’s way of life and surroundings have positively affected her health.

Netizens React to the Honest Review Between Amsterdam and Bengaluru

Her post struck a chord with most, eliciting similar reactions from users. “This is such a balanced take love the honesty,” a user commented.

Another commented, “Thank you for a wonderful thread Pratim. I read the entire thing and it was beautifully broken down and captured the good and not so good parts. Look forward to seeing more from you. Cheers.”

A third said, “Wow. This was quite an interesting read. The healthcare part is a bit scary, but QOL seems comparable to what I experienced in Singapore (except the weekend fun part).”