Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alkmaar and Rotterdam

For one person, living is cheaper in Alkmaar: $2,394 a month against $3,047 in Rotterdam, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

115

Cost of Living Index in Alkmaar
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Alkmaar Living Index
149

Cost of Living Index in Rotterdam
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Rotterdam Living Index

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Alkmaar

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,394

/mo nomad

Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,047

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Alkmaar and in Rotterdam

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Alkmaar and in Rotterdam actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,394 in Alkmaar versus $3,047 in Rotterdam.

Alkmaar $2,394
Rotterdam $3,047

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,536 in Alkmaar versus $4,256 in Rotterdam.

Alkmaar $3,536
Rotterdam $4,256

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,677 in Alkmaar versus $5,466 in Rotterdam.

Alkmaar $4,677
Rotterdam $5,466

Living in Alkmaar costs roughly 21% less than in Rotterdam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Alkmaar 77% above, Rotterdam 125% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.74 €26.45

$20.91 €18.60

42.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.1 €78.3

$83.4 €74.2

5.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.67 €13.05

$13.20 €11.74

11.14%

Cappuccino

$3.96 €3.52

$4.37 €3.89

-9.38%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 €2.83

$3.89 €3.46

-17.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 €2.20

$3.51 €3.12

-29.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.75 €5.12

$7.25 €6.45

-20.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 €4.06

$5.98 €5.32

-23.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 €1.27

$1.47 €1.31

-2.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 €2.10

$2.30 €2.05

3.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.45 €3.07

$2.96 €2.64

16.55%

Eggs

$4.90 €4.36

$5.24 €4.66

-6.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.23 €12.66

$12.22 €10.87

16.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.08 €13.41

$13.37 €11.90

12.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.85 €14.99

$18.62 €16.56

-9.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 €2.26

$3.38 €3.01

-24.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.20

$2.53 €2.25

-2.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 €1.64

$2.56 €2.28

-28.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.25 €3.78

$3.51 €3.13

21.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 €1.73

$1.70 €1.51

14.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.91

$1.47 €1.31

46.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 €1.13

$1.47 €1.31

-12.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.71

$1.29 €1.14

-37.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.78 €11.37

$14.61 €12.99

-12.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.89 €6.13

$6.67 €5.93

3.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 €1.19

$1.47 €1.30

-8.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 €1.95

$2.52 €2.24

-13.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.20 €1.96

$4.40 €3.92

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.9 €51.5

$111 €98.6

-47.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.75 €2.44

$4.73 €4.21

-41.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 €1.45

$3.48 €3.10

-53.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.82 €22.07

$68.4 €60.9

-63.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 €1.99

$2.59 €2.31

-13.51%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$41.3K €36.7K

$42.3K €37.6K

-2.35%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$38.6K €34.4K

$39.4K €35.0K

-1.88%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$242 €216

$297 €264

-18.51%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$20.63 €18.35

$21.43 €19.06

-3.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.41 €41.28

$55.6 €49.49

-16.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.05 €40.96

$47.98 €42.68

-4.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.11 €5.44

$29.31 €26.07

-79.15%

Cinema Ticket

$15.00 €13.34

$15.40 €13.69

-2.60%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$726 €645

$2,677 €2,381

-72.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,393 €2,128

$12.8K €11.4K

-81.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$116 €103

$95.3 €84.7

21.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.67 €41.51

$39.44 €35.08

18.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €97.3

$110 €98.2

-0.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 €105

$139 €124

-14.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$778 €692

$1,968 €1,750

-60.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 €907

$1,588 €1,412

-35.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,855 €2,539

$3,116 €2,771

-8.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 €1,401

$2,281 €2,029

-30.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,974 €4,424

$5,925 €5,271

-16.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,169 €3,709

$3,979 €3,539

4.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,317 €2,950

$4,135 €3,678

-19.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.49

14.61%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Alkmaar: October 20, 2026

Last update for Rotterdam: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Alkmaar

$1K 42.6%

Rotterdam

$1.6K 52.1% 55.7% $568

Eating Out

Alkmaar

$390 16.3%

Rotterdam

$337 11.1% 13.5% $53

Groceries & Markets

Alkmaar

$346 14.5%

Rotterdam

$345 11.3% 0.3% $1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alkmaar

$309 12.9%

Rotterdam

$374 12.3% 21% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Alkmaar

$176 7.3%

Rotterdam

$173 5.7% 1.7% $2.9

Getting Around

Alkmaar

$78 3.2%

Rotterdam

$151 4.9% 94% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Alkmaar

$76 3.2%

Rotterdam

$79 2.6% 3.6% $2.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $778 in Alkmaar and $1,968 in Rotterdam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rotterdam pays 25% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $88.0 in Alkmaar vs $83.0 in Rotterdam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 vs $345 per month, with Rotterdam cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Alkmaar

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🕒 Local time

13:57 1:57 PM

Same time as Alkmaar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

111,834

572,392

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Alkmaar Rotterdam 79 km

From you

Alkmaar
Rotterdam

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Alkmaar vs Rotterdam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alkmaar wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Rotterdam. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Alkmaar the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 25% lower in Rotterdam. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $778 in Alkmaar versus $1,968 in Rotterdam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Alkmaar runs roughly 92% less than in Rotterdam. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $726 in Alkmaar versus $2,677 in Rotterdam. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,394 in Alkmaar versus $3,047 in Rotterdam, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Alkmaar but tight or insufficient in Rotterdam. The gap between the two cities makes Alkmaar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Alkmaar delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,394 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Alkmaar hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Alkmaar and Rotterdam are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Alkmaar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Rotterdam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.