The average person in the Netherlands uses 117 litres of drinking water per day (Vewin, figures for 2024). Yet few people know what a litre of water actually costs. The answer: just over a quarter of a cent. In this article you’ll learn how the water price is built up, what a household uses on average and how to calculate your own water use and water costs. Want to see an amount right away? Use the water cost calculator.
What does a litre of water cost?
Water is billed per cubic metre (m³). One cubic metre is 1,000 litres. Your water bill has four parts:
- Variable rate per m³ you use. This differs per water company and in 2026 ranges from € 0.95 to € 1.82 per m³ (excluding VAT).
- Vastrecht (standing charge): a fixed amount per year for the connection, even if you don’t use a single drop. In 2026 between € 52 and € 122 per year (excluding VAT).
- Belasting op leidingwater (tap water tax, BoL): a national tax of € 0.437 per m³ in 2026. Up to and including 2025 it only applied to the first 300 m³; since 2026 it applies to all of your use.
- VAT: 9% on the drinking water rate and on the tap water tax.
All in, a cubic metre of drinking water costs an average of € 2.71 in 2026, including the standing charge (converted per m³), tax and VAT. That comes from the Tarievenoverzicht drinkwater 2026 (drinking water rates overview) by Vewin, the association of Dutch water companies. So a litre of tap water costs about 0.27 cents. For comparison: a litre of bottled water easily costs more than a hundred times as much.
Almost a quarter of the water price (24.9%) is tax. The rest is the water company’s cost for extracting, purifying and transporting the water.
Rates per water company in 2026
In the Netherlands you can’t choose your water company. Your address determines who supplies you, and each company sets its own rates. The differences are considerable:
| Water company | Standing charge per year | Variable rate per m³ |
|---|---|---|
| Waterbedrijf Groningen | € 98.73 | € 1.16 |
| WMD Drinkwater | € 121.89 | € 1.14 |
| Vitens | € 52.00 | € 1.23 |
| PWN | € 89.10 | € 1.82 |
| Waternet | € 90.55 | € 1.18 |
| Dunea | € 90.41 | € 1.45 |
| Evides Waterbedrijf | € 92.71 | € 1.22 |
| Oasen | € 104.65 | € 1.10 |
| Brabant Water | € 87.84 | € 0.95 |
| WML | € 109.10 | € 1.20 |
Amounts exclude 9% VAT and exclude the tap water tax. Source: Vewin, Tarievenoverzicht drinkwater 2026.
Note: a low variable rate doesn’t tell the whole story. Brabant Water has the lowest rate per m³, but Vitens has by far the lowest standing charge. For a small household the standing charge weighs heavily; for a large family the rate per m³ counts for more.
How much water does a household use?
Average use depends mainly on the number of people in the home. Nibud (the Dutch national budget institute) works with these averages (January 2026), including the matching costs at an average rate:
| People | Use per year | Cost per month |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 68 m³ | € 17.70 |
| 2 | 95 m³ | € 21.85 |
| 3 | 123 m³ | € 26.10 |
| 4 | 163 m³ | € 32.25 |
| 5 | 187 m³ | € 35.95 |
Nibud assumes an average rate of € 1.84 per m³ and an average standing charge of € 88 per year, both including VAT and tap water tax.
Notably, use per person falls as the household grows. A single person uses well over 186 litres a day, a family of four about 112 litres per person. The washing machine, dishwasher and garden are simply shared.
Roughly a third of all water goes to showering and bathing. The rest goes down the toilet, into the washing machine, the kitchen and the garden.
Calculating your own water use
There are three ways, from rough to precise:
- Household average. No statement at hand? Take the average from the table above for your number of people. Quick, but an estimate.
- Annual statement. Your water company’s annual statement shows your use in m³ over the past year. Divide the total amount by twelve and you have your water costs per month.
- Read the water meter. Note the meter reading and read it again a month later. The difference is your use in m³ per month. Multiply by twelve for an annual figure. This is the only method that shows whether a saving measure really works.
Worked example. A family of four with Vitens and an average use of 163 m³ per year:
- Standing charge: € 52.00
- Use: 163 × € 1.23 = € 200.49
- Tap water tax: 163 × € 0.437 = € 71.23
- Subtotal: € 323.72, plus 9% VAT = € 352.86 per year
That’s about € 29.40 per month, or € 2.16 per m³ all in. With PWN, which has a higher variable rate, the same family pays well over € 40 per month. The water cost calculator does this calculation for every water company and every household size.
Saving on water
Water is a modest item in your fixed expenses, but saving is easy and pays off twice. Hot water doesn’t just cost water, it mostly costs energy. According to Nibud, a 7.5-minute shower (55 litres) costs about € 0.53 including heating the water. The water share of that is only a few cents; the rest is gas or electricity.
The measures that pay off most, according to Nibud (January 2026):
- Shorter showers. Going from 7.5 to 5 minutes saves up to € 80 per year per person.
- A water-saving shower head. Saves about € 63 per year.
- Shower instead of bath. A 120-litre bath costs well over € 1 each time; showering instead of bathing saves around € 34 per year per person.
- Fix leaks. A running toilet or dripping tap can cost tens of m³ per year. Check the water meter with all taps closed: if it moves, something is leaking.
- Full loads. Only run the washing machine and dishwasher when they’re full.
So the biggest gain isn’t on the water bill itself, but on your energy costs. If you shower shorter and cooler, you’ll notice it mostly on the energy bill.
Water in your monthly budget
Count on € 18 to € 36 per month for water, depending on your household and your water company. Put the amount on your annual statement divided by twelve in your monthly overview, or use the water cost calculator for an estimate. Water board charges and sewer charges don’t come from the water company; they fall under municipal taxes. With the VasteLast calculator you can line up water, energy and all your other fixed expenses in a few minutes. Free, no account and no ads.
This article is for educational purposes only and is not financial, tax, or legal advice. Consider consulting a qualified professional about your personal situation.