Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dublin and Rotterdam

For one person, living is cheaper in Rotterdam: $3,032 a month against $3,729 in Dublin, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

180

Cost of Living Index in Dublin
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Dublin Living Index
149

Cost of Living Index in Rotterdam
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Rotterdam Living Index

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Dublin

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,729

/mo nomad

Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,032

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,729 per month in Dublin vs $3,032 in Rotterdam, rent included.

Dublin $3,729
Rotterdam $3,032

A couple spends around $5,239 per month in Dublin vs $4,227 in Rotterdam, rent included.

Dublin $5,239
Rotterdam $4,227

A family of three spends $6,748 per month in Dublin vs $5,422 in Rotterdam, rent included.

Dublin $6,748
Rotterdam $5,422

Dublin costs about 23% more than Rotterdam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Dublin and Rotterdam sit above the global median – Dublin by 176%, Rotterdam by 125%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.58 €20.97

$20.82 €18.52

13.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 €89.6

$84.4 €75.1

19.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.50 €12.00

$13.49 €12.00

0.07%

Cappuccino

$4.82 €4.29

$4.42 €3.93

9.05%

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

$2.87 €2.56

$3.81 €3.39

-24.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 €1.99

$3.46 €3.07

-35.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.80 €6.94

$7.08 €6.29

10.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.32 €6.51

$6.01 €5.35

21.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 €1.48

$1.48 €1.31

12.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.42 €2.15

$2.37 €2.11

2.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.76

$2.86 €2.54

-30.77%

Eggs

$4.90 €4.36

$5.38 €4.78

-8.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 €8.91

$11.78 €10.48

-14.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.79 €11.38

$13.62 €12.11

-6.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.78 €14.04

$18.76 €16.69

-15.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 €2.53

$3.32 €2.96

-14.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.93

$2.60 €2.31

-16.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.36

$2.52 €2.24

5.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.29 €4.71

$3.37 €3.00

56.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.64

$1.70 €1.51

8.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.52 €1.35

-2.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 €1.16

$1.48 €1.32

-11.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 €1.80

$1.26 €1.12

60.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.78 €18.48

$14.24 €12.67

45.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.63 €12.12

$6.55 €5.82

108.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.06

$1.48 €1.32

132.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 €3.08

$2.60 €2.31

33.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.19 €1.95

$4.39 €3.90

-50.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 €97.1

0.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.05 €4.50

$4.51 €4.01

11.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 €1.38

$3.37 €3.00

-54.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.01 €32.92

$65.8 €58.6

-43.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 €1.91

$2.64 €2.34

-18.56%

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

$38.9K €34.6K

$40.9K €36.3K

-4.80%

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

$39.5K €35.1K

$38.8K €34.5K

1.83%

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

$281 €250

$300 €267

-6.31%

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

$17.94 €15.96

$21.55 €19.17

-16.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.6 €45.89

$53.7 €47.74

-3.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.0 €60.5

$48.47 €43.11

40.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.55 €18.28

$28.57 €25.41

-28.07%

Cinema Ticket

$15.45 €13.74

$15.60 €13.88

-0.96%

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

$1,281 €1,140

$2,658 €2,364

-51.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K €12.6K

$12.8K €11.4K

10.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 €95.0

$92.2 €82.0

15.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 €45.51

$38.50 €34.25

32.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 €99.4

$109 €97.0

2.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €115

$141 €125

-7.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,503 €2,227

$1,966 €1,748

27.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,245 €1,997

$1,577 €1,402

42.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,443 €3,952

$3,071 €2,732

44.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,431 €3,052

$2,238 €1,991

53.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,378 €8,342

$5,891 €5,240

59.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,995 €5,333

$3,967 €3,528

51.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,914 €3,482

$4,107 €3,653

-4.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.82

3.49

9.46%

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

Last update for Dublin: October 13, 2026

Last update for Rotterdam: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dublin

$2.2K 60.2%

Rotterdam

$1.6K 52% 29.8% $668

Groceries & Markets

Dublin

$363 9.7%

Rotterdam

$345 11.4% 5% $18

Eating Out

Dublin

$361 9.7%

Rotterdam

$336 11.1% 6.8% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dublin

$350 9.4%

Rotterdam

$375 12.4% 7% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Dublin

$180 4.8%

Rotterdam

$171 5.7% 4.8% $8.6

Getting Around

Dublin

$131 3.5%

Rotterdam

$148 4.9% 13.2% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Dublin

$99 2.7%

Rotterdam

$80 2.6% 19.4% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,503 in Dublin versus $1,966 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 5% higher in Rotterdam, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Dublin versus $84.0 in Rotterdam. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $363 vs $345 – making Rotterdam the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Dublin

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🕒 Local time

18:54 6:54 PM

19:54 7:54 PM

1 h ahead of Dublin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

588,233 Capital

572,392

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dublin Rotterdam 740 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Dublin
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

Dublin vs Rotterdam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,729 in Dublin, $3,032 in Rotterdam – roughly 23% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,594 per month in Dublin and $4,548 in Rotterdam. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rotterdam, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Dublin and $84.0 in Rotterdam. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,729 in Dublin and $3,032 in Rotterdam. That's a gap of about 23%.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,729 in Dublin and $3,032 in Rotterdam. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Dublin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,032 in Rotterdam to $3,729 in Dublin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Rotterdam. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Dublin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.