Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Drachten and Rotterdam

For one person, living is cheaper in Drachten: $2,491 a month against $3,153 in Rotterdam, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Drachten
Learn more

Drachten Living Index
150

Cost of Living Index in Rotterdam
Learn more

Rotterdam Living Index

Jump to prices

Drachten

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,491

/mo nomad

Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,153

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,491 in Drachten versus $3,153 in Rotterdam.

Drachten $2,491
Rotterdam $3,153

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,653 in Drachten versus $4,381 in Rotterdam.

Drachten $3,653
Rotterdam $4,381

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,816 in Drachten versus $5,609 in Rotterdam.

Drachten $4,816
Rotterdam $5,609

Living in Drachten costs roughly 21% less than in Rotterdam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Drachten 83% above, Rotterdam 132% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.29 €21.82

$20.81 €18.70

16.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.4 €75.9

$85.2 €76.5

-0.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.49 €12.12

$13.66 €12.27

-1.24%

Cappuccino

$4.02 €3.61

$4.31 €3.87

-6.73%

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

$3.76 €3.38

$3.79 €3.40

-0.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 €2.82

$3.44 €3.09

-8.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.56 €4.99

$6.93 €6.22

-19.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 €5.13

$6.05 €5.43

-5.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.05

$1.42 €1.28

-17.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 €1.21

$2.44 €2.19

-44.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 €1.38

$2.84 €2.55

-45.77%

Eggs

$5.04 €4.52

$5.27 €4.73

-4.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 €11.32

$12.09 €10.86

4.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.58 €12.20

$13.32 €11.96

1.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 €10.90

$18.92 €16.99

-35.84%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 €1.70

$3.43 €3.08

-44.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.15

$2.50 €2.24

-4.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 €1.68

$2.54 €2.28

-26.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.06 €2.75

$3.39 €3.04

-9.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.65 €1.48

$1.68 €1.51

-1.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 €1.37

$1.52 €1.36

0.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 €1.12

$1.51 €1.36

-17.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 €0.62

$1.29 €1.16

-46.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.17 €8.24

$14.39 €12.93

-36.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.66 €5.99

$6.82 €6.13

-2.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 €1.34

$1.52 €1.37

-1.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 €2.37

$2.58 €2.32

2.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.66 €3.29

$6.27 €5.64

-41.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.6 €80.5

$111 €99.5

-19.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.16 €3.74

$4.58 €4.11

-9.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.21 €2.89

$3.45 €3.10

-6.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.57 €44.53

$67.3 €60.5

-26.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €2.02

$2.56 €2.30

-12.11%

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

$41.0K €36.8K

$41.3K €37.1K

-0.75%

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

$37.5K €33.7K

$39.9K €35.8K

-5.96%

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

$277 €249

$305 €274

-9.22%

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

$23.94 €21.50

$21.41 €19.24

11.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.81 €44.74

$55.8 €50.1

-10.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.38 €37.17

$45.35 €40.74

-8.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.42 €23.73

$29.35 €26.37

-9.98%

Cinema Ticket

$16.14 €14.50

$15.68 €14.09

2.93%

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

$2,362 €2,122

$2,793 €2,509

-15.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,090 €7,267

$12.5K €11.2K

-35.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 €53.1

$92.9 €83.4

-36.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.01 €39.53

$39.70 €35.66

10.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.3 €80.2

$108 €97.0

-17.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €120

$141 €127

-5.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,436 €1,290

$2,068 €1,858

-30.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,158 €1,040

$1,684 €1,513

-31.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,345 €2,107

$3,183 €2,860

-26.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,871 €1,680

$2,398 €2,154

-21.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,630 €5,058

$6,140 €5,516

-8.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,529 €4,068

$4,198 €3,771

7.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,606 €2,341

$3,933 €3,533

-33.75%

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 Drachten: October 26, 2026

Last update for Rotterdam: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Drachten

$1.2K 46.5%

Rotterdam

$1.7K 53.4% 45.4% $526

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Drachten

$350 14.1%

Rotterdam

$382 12.1% 9% $32

Eating Out

Drachten

$350 14%

Rotterdam

$335 10.6% 4.3% $15

Groceries & Markets

Drachten

$288 11.5%

Rotterdam

$346 11% 20.3% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Drachten

$147 5.9%

Rotterdam

$172 5.5% 17% $25

Getting Around

Drachten

$124 5%

Rotterdam

$158 5% 26.7% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Drachten

$74 3%

Rotterdam

$77 2.4% 4.2% $3.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,436 in Drachten and $2,068 in Rotterdam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rotterdam pays 51% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $84 in Drachten vs $85 in Rotterdam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $346 per month, with Drachten cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Drachten

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🕒 Local time

00:11 12:11 AM

Same time as Drachten

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

45,186

572,392

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Drachten Rotterdam 170 km

From you

Drachten
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

Drachten vs Rotterdam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Drachten is about 21% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 34% lower in Drachten. 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 Drachten versus $2,068 in Rotterdam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,362 in Drachten versus $2,793 in Rotterdam. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Drachten runs roughly 19% less than in Rotterdam. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

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, Drachten and Rotterdam are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Drachten wins on affordability, Rotterdam on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.