Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Apeldoorn and Rotterdam

For one person, living is cheaper in Apeldoorn: $2,582 a month against $3,047 in Rotterdam, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Apeldoorn
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$2,582
/mo nomad
Rotterdam
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$3,047
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,582 per month in Apeldoorn vs $3,047 in Rotterdam, rent included.

  • Apeldoorn $2,582
  • Rotterdam $3,047

A couple spends around $3,624 per month in Apeldoorn vs $4,256 in Rotterdam, rent included.

  • Apeldoorn $3,624
  • Rotterdam $4,256

A family of three spends $4,666 per month in Apeldoorn vs $5,466 in Rotterdam, rent included.

  • Apeldoorn $4,666
  • Rotterdam $5,466

Apeldoorn is about 15% cheaper than Rotterdam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Apeldoorn and Rotterdam sit above the global median – Apeldoorn by 91%, Rotterdam by 125%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Apeldoorn
Rotterdam
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.22 €19.77
$20.91 €18.60
6.26%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$81.6 €72.6
$83.4 €74.2
-2.11%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.67 €12.16
$13.20 €11.74
3.56%
Cappuccino
$4.53 €4.03
$4.37 €3.89
3.66%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.74 €3.33
$3.89 €3.46
-3.86%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.29 €2.92
$3.51 €3.12
-6.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.82 €5.18
$7.25 €6.45
-19.72%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.47 €4.87
$5.98 €5.32
-8.53%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Apeldoorn
Rotterdam
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.47 €1.31
$1.47 €1.31
-
White Bread (500g)
$2.20 €1.96
$2.30 €2.05
-4.35%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.03 €2.70
$2.96 €2.64
2.36%
Eggs
$5.37 €4.78
$5.24 €4.66
2.48%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.91 €12.37
$12.22 €10.87
13.83%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.33 €12.75
$13.37 €11.90
7.18%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.31 €15.40
$18.62 €16.56
-7.04%
Apples (1kg)
$2.69 €2.40
$3.38 €3.01
-20.41%
Banana (1kg)
$2.42 €2.16
$2.53 €2.25
-4.35%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 €1.95
$2.56 €2.28
-14.45%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.26 €3.79
$3.51 €3.13
21.37%
Potato (1kg)
$1.92 €1.71
$1.70 €1.51
12.94%
Onion (1kg)
$2.32 €2.06
$1.47 €1.31
57.82%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.24 €1.10
$1.47 €1.31
-15.65%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.91 €0.81
$1.29 €1.14
-29.46%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.76 €12.24
$14.61 €12.99
-5.82%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.17 €6.38
$6.67 €5.93
7.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.32 €1.18
$1.47 €1.30
-10.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.70 €2.40
$2.52 €2.24
7.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Apeldoorn
Rotterdam
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.10 €3.65
$4.40 €3.92
-6.82%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$67.6 €60.1
$111 €98.6
-39.02%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$8.39 €7.46
$4.73 €4.21
77.38%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.98 €1.76
$3.48 €3.10
-43.10%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$22.66 €20.15
$68.4 €60.9
-66.89%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.48 €2.21
$2.59 €2.31
-4.25%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$41.4K €36.8K
$42.3K €37.6K
-1.97%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.2K €34.9K
$39.4K €35.0K
-0.36%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Apeldoorn
Rotterdam
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$314 €280
$297 €264
5.72%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.74 €23.78
$21.43 €19.06
24.78%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$57.2 €50.9
$55.6 €49.49
2.75%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Apeldoorn
Rotterdam
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.18 €30.40
$47.98 €42.68
-28.76%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$29.31 €26.07
-
Cinema Ticket
$15.77 €14.02
$15.40 €13.69
2.40%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Apeldoorn
Rotterdam
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,211 €1,078
$2,677 €2,381
-54.75%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,072 €5,401
$12.8K €11.4K
-52.57%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Apeldoorn
Rotterdam
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$77.7 €69.2
$95.3 €84.7
-18.38%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.87 €35.47
$39.44 €35.08
1.09%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$89.3 €79.4
$110 €98.2
-19.10%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 €91.6
$139 €124
-25.93%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Apeldoorn
Rotterdam
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$971 €864
$1,968 €1,750
-50.66%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,188 €1,057
$1,588 €1,412
-25.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,575 €1,401
$3,116 €2,771
-49.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,667 €1,483
$2,281 €2,029
-26.91%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,556 €4,053
$5,925 €5,271
-23.11%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,630 €3,229
$3,979 €3,539
-8.78%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Apeldoorn
Rotterdam
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,222 €2,866
$4,135 €3,678
-22.07%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.95
3.49
13.18%

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

Last update for Apeldoorn: October 17, 2026

Last update for Rotterdam: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Apeldoorn
$1.2K
Rotterdam
$1.6K 33.6% $400
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Apeldoorn
$398
Rotterdam
$374 6% $24
Groceries & Markets
Apeldoorn
$346
Rotterdam
$345 0.4% $1.5
Eating Out
Apeldoorn
$341
Rotterdam
$337 1.2% $4.2
Clothing & Footwear
Apeldoorn
$139
Rotterdam
$173 23.9% $33
Getting Around
Apeldoorn
$102
Rotterdam
$151 47.2% $48
Sport & Entertainment
Apeldoorn
$66
Rotterdam
$79 19.9% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $971 in Apeldoorn versus $1,968 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 28% 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 Apeldoorn versus $83.0 in Rotterdam. Groceries tell a different story – $346 in Apeldoorn vs $345 in Rotterdam – so Rotterdam wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇳🇱 Apeldoorn
🇳🇱 Rotterdam
🕒 Local time
12:19 12:19 PM
12:19 12:19 PM
Same time as Apeldoorn
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
167,191
572,392
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Apeldoorn Rotterdam 100 km
From you
  • Apeldoorn
  • 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
Apeldoorn vs Rotterdam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Rotterdam cheaper than Apeldoorn?
Yes – Rotterdam is pricier by about 18%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,873 per month in Apeldoorn and $4,570 in Rotterdam. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Apeldoorn, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Apeldoorn or in Rotterdam?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $82.0 in Apeldoorn and $83.0 in Rotterdam. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Apeldoorn and in Rotterdam?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,582 in Apeldoorn and $3,047 in Rotterdam. That's a gap of about 18%.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Apeldoorn or in Rotterdam?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Apeldoorn, where all-in costs run around $2,582, than in Rotterdam at $3,047. In Apeldoorn it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rotterdam it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Apeldoorn or Rotterdam more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Apeldoorn – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Apeldoorn or Rotterdam?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Apeldoorn. 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.

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