Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bussum and Rotterdam

For one person, living is cheaper in Bussum: $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.

Bussum
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$2,557
/mo nomad
Rotterdam
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$3,032
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

  • Bussum $2,557
  • Rotterdam $3,032

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,742 in Bussum versus $4,227 in Rotterdam.

  • Bussum $3,742
  • Rotterdam $4,227

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,927 in Bussum versus $5,422 in Rotterdam.

  • Bussum $4,927
  • Rotterdam $5,422

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

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bussum
Rotterdam
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.87 €22.12
$20.82 €18.52
19.45%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.2 €74.9
$84.4 €75.1
-0.30%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.63 €12.13
$13.49 €12.00
1.04%
Cappuccino
$3.90 €3.47
$4.42 €3.93
-11.76%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.77 €3.36
$3.81 €3.39
-1.05%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.11 €2.77
$3.46 €3.07
-10.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.43 €4.83
$7.08 €6.29
-23.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.48 €4.88
$6.01 €5.35
-8.82%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bussum
Rotterdam
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.17 €1.04
$1.48 €1.31
-20.95%
White Bread (500g)
$1.33 €1.18
$2.37 €2.11
-43.88%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.43 €2.16
$2.86 €2.54
-15.03%
Eggs
$4.82 €4.29
$5.38 €4.78
-10.41%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.77 €11.36
$11.78 €10.48
8.40%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.39 €12.80
$13.62 €12.11
5.65%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.67 €14.83
$18.76 €16.69
-11.14%
Apples (1kg)
$1.91 €1.70
$3.32 €2.96
-42.47%
Banana (1kg)
$2.40 €2.13
$2.60 €2.31
-7.69%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.81 €1.61
$2.52 €2.24
-28.17%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.66 €2.36
$3.37 €3.00
-21.07%
Potato (1kg)
$2.01 €1.78
$1.70 €1.51
18.24%
Onion (1kg)
$1.56 €1.39
$1.52 €1.35
2.63%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.23 €1.09
$1.48 €1.32
-16.89%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.75 €0.67
$1.26 €1.12
-40.48%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.92 €12.38
$14.24 €12.67
-2.25%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.78 €6.03
$6.55 €5.82
3.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.50 €1.34
$1.48 €1.32
1.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 €1.56
$2.60 €2.31
-32.69%
🚌 Getting Around
Bussum
Rotterdam
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.50 €3.11
$4.39 €3.90
-20.27%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$88.6 €78.8
$109 €97.1
-18.77%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.40 €3.91
$4.51 €4.01
-2.44%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.28 €2.91
$3.37 €3.00
-2.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$60.8 €54.1
$65.8 €58.6
-7.66%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.26 €2.01
$2.64 €2.34
-14.39%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$39.5K €35.2K
$40.9K €36.3K
-3.21%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.0K €20.5K
$38.8K €34.5K
-40.67%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bussum
Rotterdam
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$282 €251
$300 €267
-6.05%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.44 €21.74
$21.55 €19.17
13.41%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$49.21 €43.77
$53.7 €47.74
-8.31%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bussum
Rotterdam
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$59.0 €52.5
$48.47 €43.11
21.66%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.98 €21.33
$28.57 €25.41
-16.07%
Cinema Ticket
$16.68 €14.83
$15.60 €13.88
6.92%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bussum
Rotterdam
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,374 €2,112
$2,658 €2,364
-10.66%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,848 €6,981
$12.8K €11.4K
-38.55%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bussum
Rotterdam
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.5 €52.0
$92.2 €82.0
-36.61%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.85 €39.01
$38.50 €34.25
13.90%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.6 €80.6
$109 €97.0
-16.91%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$140 €125
$141 €125
-0.28%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bussum
Rotterdam
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,639 €1,458
$1,966 €1,748
-16.59%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,177 €1,047
$1,577 €1,402
-25.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,393 €2,129
$3,071 €2,732
-22.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,886 €1,678
$2,238 €1,991
-15.72%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,963 €5,304
$5,891 €5,240
1.23%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,301 €5,605
$3,967 €3,528
58.85%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bussum
Rotterdam
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,538 €4,037
$4,107 €3,653
10.49%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.3
3.49
23.21%

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

Last update for Bussum: 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
Bussum
$1.2K
Rotterdam
$1.6K 33.9% $400
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bussum
$355
Rotterdam
$375 5.5% $20
Eating Out
Bussum
$352
Rotterdam
$336 4.5% $16
Groceries & Markets
Bussum
$306
Rotterdam
$345 12.6% $39
Clothing & Footwear
Bussum
$150
Rotterdam
$171 14.2% $21
Getting Around
Bussum
$123
Rotterdam
$148 20% $25
Sport & Entertainment
Bussum
$92
Rotterdam
$80 13.7% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,639 in Bussum and $1,966 in Rotterdam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bussum pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $84.0 in Bussum vs $84.0 in Rotterdam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $306 vs $345 per month, with Bussum cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇳🇱 Bussum
🇳🇱 Rotterdam
🕒 Local time
02:06 2:06 AM
02:06 2:06 AM
Same time as Bussum
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
33,220
572,392
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bussum Rotterdam 61 km
From you
  • Bussum
  • 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
Bussum vs Rotterdam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Bussum and in Rotterdam?
Bussum and Rotterdam differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($2,557 vs $3,032 including rent). Bussum is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Bussum or Rotterdam?
Average pay runs 10% higher in Bussum, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Bussum and in Rotterdam?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,639 in Bussum versus $1,966 in Rotterdam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city is more expensive overall: Bussum or Rotterdam?
All in, you'll spend $2,557 per month in Bussum versus $3,032 in Rotterdam – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How do commuting costs compare in Bussum and in Rotterdam?
A monthly transit pass in Bussum runs roughly 23% less than in Rotterdam. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Which city is feasible on a $3,000 budget?
Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Bussum is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
How does quality of life compare between Bussum and Rotterdam?
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.
Is Bussum or Rotterdam safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Bussum 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.
Where should expats move: Bussum or Rotterdam?
Expats usually find Bussum 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.

Bussum vs other spots: cost of living compared

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