Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arnhem and Rotterdam

For one person, living is cheaper in Arnhem: $2,557 a month against $3,032 in Rotterdam, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Arnhem
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Arnhem Living Index
149

Cost of Living Index in Rotterdam
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Rotterdam Living Index

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Arnhem

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,557

/mo nomad

Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,032

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,557 in Arnhem versus $3,032 in Rotterdam.

Arnhem $2,557
Rotterdam $3,032

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,743 in Arnhem versus $4,227 in Rotterdam.

Arnhem $3,743
Rotterdam $4,227

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,930 in Arnhem versus $5,422 in Rotterdam.

Arnhem $4,930
Rotterdam $5,422

Living in Arnhem costs roughly 16% less than in Rotterdam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Arnhem 89% above, Rotterdam 125% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.91 €19.49

$20.82 €18.52

5.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.2 €75.8

$84.4 €75.1

0.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.98 €13.32

$13.49 €12.00

11.05%

Cappuccino

$4.07 €3.62

$4.42 €3.93

-7.92%

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

$3.34 €2.97

$3.81 €3.39

-12.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 €2.52

$3.46 €3.07

-18.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.62 €5.00

$7.08 €6.29

-20.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.47 €4.86

$6.01 €5.35

-8.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.48 €1.31

White Bread (500g)

$1.99 €1.77

$2.37 €2.11

-16.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 €2.04

$2.86 €2.54

-19.93%

Eggs

$5.21 €4.64

$5.38 €4.78

-3.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.74 €11.33

$11.78 €10.48

8.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.14 €12.58

$13.62 €12.11

3.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €14.03

$18.76 €16.69

-15.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 €2.50

$3.32 €2.96

-15.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 €2.26

$2.60 €2.31

-2.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.65

$2.52 €2.24

-26.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.39 €4.79

$3.37 €3.00

59.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.88 €1.67

$1.70 €1.51

10.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 €2.13

$1.52 €1.35

57.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 €1.08

$1.48 €1.32

-17.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 €0.63

$1.26 €1.12

-43.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.23 €12.65

$14.24 €12.67

-0.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.15 €6.36

$6.55 €5.82

9.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.28

$1.48 €1.32

-2.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.34

$2.60 €2.31

1.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.35 €3.87

$4.39 €3.90

-0.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$113 €100

$109 €97.1

3.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.00 €3.56

$4.51 €4.01

-11.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.38 €2.12

$3.37 €3.00

-29.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.86 €29.23

$65.8 €58.6

-50.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.39 €2.12

$2.64 €2.34

-9.47%

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

$41.8K €37.2K

$40.9K €36.3K

2.38%

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

$39.7K €35.3K

$38.8K €34.5K

2.29%

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

$276 €245

$300 €267

-8.07%

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

$22.71 €20.20

$21.55 €19.17

5.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.44 €37.75

$53.7 €47.74

-20.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.30 €36.73

$48.47 €43.11

-14.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 €9.78

$28.57 €25.41

-61.53%

Cinema Ticket

$14.38 €12.79

$15.60 €13.88

-7.82%

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

$1,259 €1,120

$2,658 €2,364

-52.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,925 €5,270

$12.8K €11.4K

-53.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.3 €84.8

$92.2 €82.0

3.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.13 €25.91

$38.50 €34.25

-24.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €94.8

$109 €97.0

-2.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 €136

$141 €125

8.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,436 €1,278

$1,966 €1,748

-26.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,159 €1,031

$1,577 €1,402

-26.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,228 €1,982

$3,071 €2,732

-27.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,834 €1,632

$2,238 €1,991

-18.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,312 €4,725

$5,891 €5,240

-9.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,175 €3,714

$3,967 €3,528

5.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,723 €3,312

$4,107 €3,653

-9.36%

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 Arnhem: October 11, 2026

Last update for Rotterdam: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Arnhem

$1.2K 45.3%

Rotterdam

$1.6K 52% 36% $417

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arnhem

$341 13.3%

Rotterdam

$375 12.4% 10.1% $34

Groceries & Markets

Arnhem

$335 13.1%

Rotterdam

$345 11.4% 3% $10

Eating Out

Arnhem

$333 13%

Rotterdam

$336 11.1% 1.1% $3.7

Clothing & Footwear

Arnhem

$173 6.8%

Rotterdam

$171 5.7% 0.8% $1.3

Getting Around

Arnhem

$146 5.7%

Rotterdam

$148 4.9% 1.3% $1.9

Sport & Entertainment

Arnhem

$70 2.7%

Rotterdam

$80 2.6% 13.7% $9.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,436 in Arnhem and $1,966 in Rotterdam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rotterdam pays 10% 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: $85.0 in Arnhem vs $84.0 in Rotterdam. Groceries flip the comparison at $335 vs $345, with Arnhem cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Arnhem

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🕒 Local time

01:46 1:46 AM

Same time as Arnhem

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

165,770

572,392

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Arnhem vs Rotterdam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arnhem and Rotterdam differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($2,557 vs $3,032 including rent). Arnhem is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 10% 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: $1,436 in Arnhem versus $1,966 in Rotterdam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Rotterdam. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Arnhem – a meal for two runs $85.0 versus $84.0 in Rotterdam. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Arnhem is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Arnhem 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 Arnhem gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Rotterdam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.