Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Amsterdam and Rotterdam

For one person, living is cheaper in Rotterdam: $3,032 a month against $3,465 in Amsterdam, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

168

Cost of Living Index in Amsterdam
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Amsterdam Living Index
149

Cost of Living Index in Rotterdam
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Rotterdam Living Index

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Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,465

/mo nomad

Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,032

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,465 per month in Amsterdam vs $3,032 in Rotterdam, rent included.

Amsterdam $3,465
Rotterdam $3,032

A couple spends around $4,929 per month in Amsterdam vs $4,227 in Rotterdam, rent included.

Amsterdam $4,929
Rotterdam $4,227

A family of three spends $6,393 per month in Amsterdam vs $5,422 in Rotterdam, rent included.

Amsterdam $6,393
Rotterdam $5,422

Amsterdam costs about 14% more than Rotterdam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Amsterdam and Rotterdam sit above the global median – Amsterdam by 157%, Rotterdam by 125%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.10 €19.66

$20.82 €18.52

6.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.0 €80.0

$84.4 €75.1

6.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.32 €13.63

$13.49 €12.00

13.57%

Cappuccino

$4.58 €4.07

$4.42 €3.93

3.62%

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

$3.70 €3.29

$3.81 €3.39

-2.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 €2.65

$3.46 €3.07

-13.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.38 €6.56

$7.08 €6.29

4.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.73 €5.10

$6.01 €5.35

-4.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 €1.40

$1.48 €1.31

6.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 €2.04

$2.37 €2.11

-2.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 €2.23

$2.86 €2.54

-12.24%

Eggs

$5.07 €4.51

$5.38 €4.78

-5.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.73 €14.88

$11.78 €10.48

42.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.11 €11.66

$13.62 €12.11

-3.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.79 €20.28

$18.76 €16.69

21.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.43

$3.32 €2.96

-17.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.76 €2.46

$2.60 €2.31

6.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 €2.44

$2.52 €2.24

8.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.78 €3.37

$3.37 €3.00

12.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 €2.11

$1.70 €1.51

40.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 €1.43

$1.52 €1.35

5.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.30

$1.48 €1.32

-1.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 €1.58

$1.26 €1.12

40.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.52 €12.92

$14.24 €12.67

1.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.10 €8.09

$6.55 €5.82

38.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 €1.59

$1.48 €1.32

20.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 €2.16

$2.60 €2.31

-6.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.69 €3.29

$4.39 €3.90

-15.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 €100

$109 €97.1

3.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 €4.01

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.44 €3.06

$3.37 €3.00

2.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.71 €35.32

$65.8 €58.6

-39.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.63 €2.34

$2.64 €2.34

-0.38%

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

$41.3K €36.7K

$40.9K €36.3K

1.11%

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

$39.4K €35.1K

$38.8K €34.5K

1.57%

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

$295 €262

$300 €267

-1.67%

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

$22.26 €19.80

$21.55 €19.17

3.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.1 €45.46

$53.7 €47.74

-4.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.9 €53.3

$48.47 €43.11

23.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 €31.52

$28.57 €25.41

24.05%

Cinema Ticket

$16.82 €14.96

$15.60 €13.88

7.82%

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

$2,826 €2,513

$2,658 €2,364

6.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €15.2K

$12.8K €11.4K

34.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.5 €82.3

$92.2 €82.0

0.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.61 €37.01

$38.50 €34.25

8.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.6 €86.9

$109 €97.0

-10.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €117

$141 €125

-6.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,575 €2,290

$1,966 €1,748

31.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,955 €1,739

$1,577 €1,402

24.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,997 €3,555

$3,071 €2,732

30.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,053 €2,716

$2,238 €1,991

36.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.4K €9,222

$5,891 €5,240

76.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,494 €5,776

$3,967 €3,528

63.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,692 €4,174

$4,107 €3,653

14.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.27

3.49

-6.30%

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

Last update for Amsterdam: 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

Amsterdam

$2K 56.4%

Rotterdam

$1.6K 52% 19.4% $378

Groceries & Markets

Amsterdam

$383 11%

Rotterdam

$345 11.4% 9.8% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Amsterdam

$368 10.6%

Rotterdam

$375 12.4% 1.9% $6.9

Eating Out

Amsterdam

$353 10.2%

Rotterdam

$336 11.1% 4.6% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Amsterdam

$164 4.7%

Rotterdam

$171 5.7% 4.6% $7.5

Getting Around

Amsterdam

$149 4.3%

Rotterdam

$148 4.9% 0.6% $0.9

Sport & Entertainment

Amsterdam

$94 2.7%

Rotterdam

$80 2.6% 14.8% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,575 in Amsterdam 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 14% higher in Amsterdam, 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 $90.0 in Amsterdam versus $84.0 in Rotterdam. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $383 vs $345 – making Rotterdam the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🕒 Local time

19:03 7:03 PM

Same time as Amsterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

881,933 Capital

572,392

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Amsterdam Rotterdam 57 km

From you

Amsterdam
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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

Amsterdam vs Rotterdam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Amsterdam is pricier by about 14%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,197 per month in Amsterdam 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 Rotterdam, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 3% less in Rotterdam. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,826 per month in Amsterdam and $2,658 in Rotterdam. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,465 in Amsterdam and $3,032 in Rotterdam. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Rotterdam – 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 Rotterdam. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Amsterdam makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.