Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Enschede and Rotterdam

For one person, living is cheaper in Enschede: $2,363 a month against $3,047 in Rotterdam, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

115

Cost of Living Index in Enschede
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Enschede Living Index
149

Cost of Living Index in Rotterdam
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Rotterdam Living Index

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Enschede

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,363

/mo nomad

Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,047

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,363 in Enschede versus $3,047 in Rotterdam.

Enschede $2,363
Rotterdam $3,047

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,680 in Enschede versus $4,256 in Rotterdam.

Enschede $3,680
Rotterdam $4,256

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,996 in Enschede versus $5,466 in Rotterdam.

Enschede $4,996
Rotterdam $5,466

Living in Enschede costs roughly 22% less than in Rotterdam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Enschede 74% above, Rotterdam 125% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.35 €18.99

$20.91 €18.60

2.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.9 €71.1

$83.4 €74.2

-4.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.56 €13.84

$13.20 €11.74

17.88%

Cappuccino

$4.06 €3.62

$4.37 €3.89

-7.09%

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

$3.55 €3.16

$3.89 €3.46

-8.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 €2.57

$3.51 €3.12

-17.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.02 €5.35

$7.25 €6.45

-16.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.31 €5.61

$5.98 €5.32

5.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.20

$1.47 €1.31

-8.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.50 €2.22

$2.30 €2.05

8.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 €2.35

$2.96 €2.64

-10.81%

Eggs

$4.39 €3.91

$5.24 €4.66

-16.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.75 €12.23

$12.22 €10.87

12.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.53 €12.92

$13.37 €11.90

8.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.76 €13.13

$18.62 €16.56

-20.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 €2.39

$3.38 €3.01

-20.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 €1.95

$2.53 €2.25

-13.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 €1.95

$2.56 €2.28

-14.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 €4.24

$3.51 €3.13

35.90%

Potato (1kg)

$3.12 €2.77

$1.70 €1.51

83.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 €1.90

$1.47 €1.31

44.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 €1.06

$1.47 €1.31

-18.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.67

$1.29 €1.14

-41.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.10 €12.54

$14.61 €12.99

-3.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.65 €5.91

$6.67 €5.93

-0.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.28

$1.47 €1.30

-2.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.64

$2.52 €2.24

17.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 €2.64

$4.40 €3.92

-32.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$113 €101

$111 €98.6

1.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.76 €3.34

$4.73 €4.21

-20.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.56 €2.28

$3.48 €3.10

-26.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.53 €24.49

$68.4 €60.9

-59.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.54 €2.26

$2.59 €2.31

-1.93%

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

$41.9K €37.2K

$42.3K €37.6K

-0.93%

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

$38.9K €34.6K

$39.4K €35.0K

-1.20%

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

$262 €233

$297 €264

-11.83%

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

$21.36 €19.00

$21.43 €19.06

-0.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.78 €39.83

$55.6 €49.49

-19.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.20 €30.42

$47.98 €42.68

-28.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.17 €21.50

$29.31 €26.07

-17.54%

Cinema Ticket

$19.13 €17.02

$15.40 €13.69

24.22%

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

$1,198 €1,065

$2,677 €2,381

-55.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,959 €7,079

$12.8K €11.4K

-37.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.5 €83.1

$95.3 €84.7

-1.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.39 €33.26

$39.44 €35.08

-5.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 €81.5

$110 €98.2

-16.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 €89.7

$139 €124

-27.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,334 €1,187

$1,968 €1,750

-32.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,002 €892

$1,588 €1,412

-36.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,509 €2,232

$3,116 €2,771

-19.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,994 €1,774

$2,281 €2,029

-12.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,629 €4,118

$5,925 €5,271

-21.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,233 €2,876

$3,979 €3,539

-18.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,857 €2,541

$4,135 €3,678

-30.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

3.49

31.81%

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

Last update for Enschede: October 17, 2026

Last update for Rotterdam: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Enschede

$1K 42.4%

Rotterdam

$1.6K 52.1% 58.4% $585

Groceries & Markets

Enschede

$338 14.3%

Rotterdam

$345 11.3% 2.1% $7

Eating Out

Enschede

$335 14.2%

Rotterdam

$337 11.1% 0.7% $2.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Enschede

$328 13.9%

Rotterdam

$374 12.3% 14% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Enschede

$145 6.2%

Rotterdam

$173 5.7% 18.8% $27

Getting Around

Enschede

$141 6%

Rotterdam

$151 4.9% 6.5% $9.2

Sport & Entertainment

Enschede

$72 3.1%

Rotterdam

$79 2.6% 8.7% $6.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,334 in Enschede and $1,968 in Rotterdam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rotterdam pays 45% 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: $80.0 in Enschede vs $83.0 in Rotterdam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $338 vs $345 per month, with Enschede cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Enschede

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🕒 Local time

00:50 12:50 AM

Same time as Enschede

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

161,235

572,392

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Enschede Rotterdam 170 km

From you

Enschede
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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

Enschede vs Rotterdam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Enschede and Rotterdam differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($2,363 vs $3,047 including rent). Enschede is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 45% 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: $1,334 in Enschede versus $1,968 in Rotterdam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,363 per month in Enschede versus $3,047 in Rotterdam – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Enschede runs roughly 2% less than in Rotterdam. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,363 in Enschede versus $3,047 in Rotterdam, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Enschede but tight or insufficient in Rotterdam. The gap between the two cities makes Enschede the clear choice for anyone on this 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, Enschede 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 Enschede gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Rotterdam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.