Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almere and Rotterdam

For one person, living is cheaper in Almere: $2,686 a month against $3,032 in Rotterdam, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

131

Cost of Living Index in Almere
Learn more

Almere Living Index
149

Cost of Living Index in Rotterdam
Learn more

Rotterdam Living Index

Jump to prices

Almere

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,686

/mo nomad

Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,032

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almere 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 Almere and in Rotterdam actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,686 per month in Almere vs $3,032 in Rotterdam, rent included.

Almere $2,686
Rotterdam $3,032

A couple spends around $3,761 per month in Almere vs $4,227 in Rotterdam, rent included.

Almere $3,761
Rotterdam $4,227

A family of three spends $4,836 per month in Almere vs $5,422 in Rotterdam, rent included.

Almere $4,836
Rotterdam $5,422

Almere is about 11% cheaper than Rotterdam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Almere and Rotterdam sit above the global median – Almere by 99%, Rotterdam by 125%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.42 €19.05

$20.82 €18.52

2.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 €72.7

$84.4 €75.1

-3.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.15 €11.70

$13.49 €12.00

-2.52%

Cappuccino

$4.26 €3.79

$4.42 €3.93

-3.62%

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

$3.89 €3.46

$3.81 €3.39

2.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 €3.20

$3.46 €3.07

3.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.43 €4.83

$7.08 €6.29

-23.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.91 €4.37

$6.01 €5.35

-18.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.20

$1.48 €1.31

-8.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 €2.01

$2.37 €2.11

-4.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.74 €2.44

$2.86 €2.54

-4.20%

Eggs

$4.85 €4.31

$5.38 €4.78

-9.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.70 €12.18

$11.78 €10.48

16.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.63 €11.23

$13.62 €12.11

-7.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.91 €15.04

$18.76 €16.69

-9.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.57 €2.29

$3.32 €2.96

-22.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.12

$2.60 €2.31

-8.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 €1.95

$2.52 €2.24

-13.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 €3.74

$3.37 €3.00

24.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 €1.58

$1.70 €1.51

4.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$1.52 €1.35

48.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 €1.05

$1.48 €1.32

-20.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 €0.94

$1.26 €1.12

-16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.99 €12.44

$14.24 €12.67

-1.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.98 €6.21

$6.55 €5.82

6.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.16

$1.48 €1.32

-12.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.60

$2.60 €2.31

12.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.34 €2.97

$4.39 €3.90

-23.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.5 €74.2

$109 €97.1

-23.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 €7.29

$4.51 €4.01

81.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 €1.71

$3.37 €3.00

-43.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.17 €19.72

$65.8 €58.6

-66.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.37 €2.11

$2.64 €2.34

-10.23%

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

$41.5K €36.9K

$40.9K €36.3K

1.62%

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

$38.1K €33.9K

$38.8K €34.5K

-1.74%

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

$306 €272

$300 €267

2.14%

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

$26.75 €23.79

$21.55 €19.17

24.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.1 €49.93

$53.7 €47.74

4.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.03 €27.60

$48.47 €43.11

-35.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.44 €20.85

$28.57 €25.41

-17.96%

Cinema Ticket

$16.37 €14.56

$15.60 €13.88

4.94%

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

$2,455 €2,184

$2,658 €2,364

-7.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,868 €6,999

$12.8K €11.4K

-38.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 €68.7

$92.2 €82.0

-16.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.37 €35.02

$38.50 €34.25

2.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 €80.4

$109 €97.0

-17.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 €90.3

$141 €125

-27.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,399 €1,244

$1,966 €1,748

-28.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,319 €1,173

$1,577 €1,402

-16.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,330 €2,072

$3,071 €2,732

-24.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,867 €1,661

$2,238 €1,991

-16.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,530 €4,919

$5,891 €5,240

-6.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,185 €3,723

$3,967 €3,528

5.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,677 €3,271

$4,107 €3,653

-10.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.65

3.49

4.58%

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

Last update for Almere: October 12, 2026

Last update for Rotterdam: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almere

$1.3K 49.1%

Rotterdam

$1.6K 52% 19.5% $258

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almere

$389 14.5%

Rotterdam

$375 12.4% 3.6% $14

Groceries & Markets

Almere

$332 12.4%

Rotterdam

$345 11.4% 4% $13

Eating Out

Almere

$329 12.2%

Rotterdam

$336 11.1% 2.3% $7.7

Clothing & Footwear

Almere

$139 5.2%

Rotterdam

$171 5.7% 23.3% $32

Getting Around

Almere

$115 4.3%

Rotterdam

$148 4.9% 29.2% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Almere

$64 2.4%

Rotterdam

$80 2.6% 25% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,399 in Almere versus $1,966 in Rotterdam. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 12% higher in Rotterdam, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $82.0 in Almere versus $84.0 in Rotterdam. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $345 – making Almere the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Almere

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🕒 Local time

19:54 7:54 PM

Same time as Almere

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

222,825

572,392

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Almere Rotterdam 71 km

From you

Almere
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

Almere vs Rotterdam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rotterdam is pricier by about 13%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,029 per month in Almere and $4,548 in Rotterdam. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Almere, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Rotterdam, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $82.0 in Almere and $84.0 in Rotterdam. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Almere, where all-in costs run around $2,686, than in Rotterdam at $3,032. In Almere it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rotterdam it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Almere – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Almere. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Rotterdam makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.