Cost of Living Comparison Between Drachten and Rotterdam Cost of Living Comparison Between Drachten and Rotterdam

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,966 in Drachten versus $2,957 in Rotterdam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,869 in Drachten versus $4,244 in Rotterdam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,773 in Drachten versus $5,531 in Rotterdam.

Living in Drachten costs roughly 34% less than in Rotterdam, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Drachten 47% above, Rotterdam 121% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.87 €16.25

$23.59 €20.31

-20.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.2 €62.2

$91.1 €78.5

-20.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.74 €10.97

$14.07 €12.12

-9.45%

Cappuccino

$3.50 €3.01

$4.42 €3.80

-20.81%

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

$3.13 €2.69

$3.66 €3.15

-14.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 €2.09

$2.86 €2.47

-15.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.77 €4.97

$6.89 €5.93

-16.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 €3.39

$5.90 €5.08

-33.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 €1.05

$1.34 €1.15

-9.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 €1.19

$2.34 €2.01

-40.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 €1.36

$3.26 €2.81

-51.84%

Eggs

$4.78 €4.11

$5.17 €4.45

-7.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.00 €12.05

$13.68 €11.78

2.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.93 €11.99

$14.30 €12.31

-2.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.61 €10.86

$16.86 €14.52

-25.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.06

$2.58 €2.22

-7.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.51 €2.16

$2.47 €2.13

1.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.99 €1.71

-3.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.31 €2.85

$3.91 €3.37

-15.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 €1.53

$2.01 €1.73

-11.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 €1.42

$1.99 €1.71

-17.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 €1.05

$1.37 €1.18

-10.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 €0.58

$1.17 €1.01

-41.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.27 €7.98

$13.68 €11.78

-32.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.18 €6.18

$7.39 €6.36

-2.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.17

$1.59 €1.37

-14.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 €2.33

$2.68 €2.31

1.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.11 €3.54

$4.76 €4.10

-13.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.34 €39.04

$91.0 €78.3

-50.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.30 €3.70

$5.08 €4.38

-15.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.62 €2.26

$2.06 €1.77

27.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.9 €44.72

$21.01 €18.09

147.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.87

$2.32 €2.00

-6.47%

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

$44.6K €38.4K

$40.1K €34.5K

11.27%

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

$39.2K €33.8K

$36.2K €31.2K

8.25%

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

$267 €230

$288 €248

-7.36%

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

$30.31 €26.10

$24.70 €21.27

22.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.1 €44.04

$57.6 €49.60

-11.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.46

$46.03 €39.63

24.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.78 €19.62

$28.08 €24.18

-18.87%

Cinema Ticket

$15.15 €13.05

$17.42 €15.00

-13.03%

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

$1,896 €1,633

$2,223 €1,914

-14.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,148 €5,294

$14.0K €12.1K

-56.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.3 €80.3

$94.5 €81.4

-1.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.45 €39.14

$50.5 €43.45

-9.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.6 €74.6

$127 €110

-31.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.8 €78.2

$182 €157

-50.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 €788

$1,774 €1,528

-48.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$763 €657

$1,486 €1,280

-48.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,382 €1,190

$2,869 €2,470

-51.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 €908

$2,285 €1,967

-53.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,648 €4,003

$6,223 €5,359

-25.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,550 €3,057

$3,977 €3,424

-10.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,669 €2,298

$4,139 €3,564

-35.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

4.08

-20.34%

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

Last update for Drachten: May 30, 2026

Last update for Rotterdam: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $915 in Drachten and $1,774 in Rotterdam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rotterdam pays 55% 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: $72.0 in Drachten vs $91.0 in Rotterdam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $347 per month, with Drachten cheaper across the board.

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

Drachten vs Rotterdam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Drachten is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 50% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Rotterdam earns 55% less. 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: $915 in Drachten versus $1,774 in Rotterdam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,896 in Drachten versus $2,223 in Rotterdam. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Rotterdam. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,966 in Drachten versus $2,957 in Rotterdam, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Drachten but tight or insufficient in Rotterdam. The gap between the two cities makes Drachten the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Drachten is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Rotterdam, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Drachten 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 Drachten gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Rotterdam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.