Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort Lee, NJ and Rotterdam Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort Lee, NJ and Rotterdam

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,156 in Fort Lee, NJ versus $2,927 in Rotterdam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,053 in Fort Lee, NJ versus $4,242 in Rotterdam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,951 in Fort Lee, NJ versus $5,557 in Rotterdam.

Living in Fort Lee, NJ is roughly 8% more expensive than in Rotterdam, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Fort Lee, NJ 136% above, Rotterdam 119% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.76 $19.76

$23.49 €20.58

-15.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 $102

$92.9 €81.4

9.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.54 $12.54

$14.03 €12.29

-10.62%

Cappuccino

$5.32 $5.32

$4.41 €3.87

20.63%

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

$2.40 $2.40

$3.65 €3.20

-34.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 $1.28

$2.85 €2.50

-55.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.97 $6.97

$6.97 €6.11

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.98 $8.98

$5.93 €5.20

51.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.28 €1.12

3.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.23 $3.23

$2.32 €2.03

39.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$3.22 €2.82

37.89%

Eggs

$4.23 $4.23

$5.24 €4.59

-19.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.03 $21.03

$13.59 €11.91

54.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.88 $11.88

$14.04 €12.30

-15.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.56 $17.56

$17.31 €15.17

1.44%

Apples (1kg)

$4.88 $4.88

$2.72 €2.38

79.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$2.44 €2.13

-38.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.84 $3.84

$2.07 €1.81

85.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 $4.08

$3.98 €3.48

2.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 $2.77

$1.99 €1.74

39.20%

Onion (1kg)

$3.91 $3.91

$2.00 €1.75

95.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.38 €1.21

73.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$1.16 €1.02

121.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.05 $12.05

$13.98 €12.25

-13.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.18 $12.18

$6.75 €5.91

80.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.53 €1.34

15.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.82 $5.82

$2.63 €2.30

121.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.80 $3.80

$4.68 €4.10

-18.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.1 €78.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 $3.03

$5.18 €4.54

-41.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 $2.00

$2.10 €1.84

-4.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.47 $24.47

$20.72 €18.16

18.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$2.29 €2.01

-61.57%

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

$30.0K $30.0K

$40.1K €35.1K

-25.09%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$36.1K €31.7K

-29.05%

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

$127 $127

$286 €250

-55.65%

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

$45.43 $45.43

$24.21 €21.21

87.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.5 $64.5

$55.9 €48.98

15.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$126 $126

$46.65 €40.87

169.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.96 €25.37

Cinema Ticket

$14.74 $14.74

$17.62 €15.44

-16.35%

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

$2,014 $2,014

$2,258 €1,978

-10.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.4K $23.4K

$14.1K €12.4K

66.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.1 $75.1

$93.4 €81.8

-19.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.7 $59.7

$49.35 €43.23

21.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.2 $70.2

$125 €110

-43.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 $101

$183 €161

-44.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,203 $2,203

$1,764 €1,545

24.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,842 $1,842

$1,480 €1,297

24.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,685 $4,685

$2,811 €2,463

66.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,869 $3,869

$2,336 €2,046

65.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,241 $4,241

$6,089 €5,335

-30.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,753 $3,753

$4,018 €3,520

-6.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,521 $6,521

$4,028 €3,529

61.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.35

4.08

55.64%

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

Last update for Fort Lee, NJ: July 20, 2026

Last update for Rotterdam: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,203 in Fort Lee, NJ and $1,764 in Rotterdam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort Lee, NJ pays 62% 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: $102 in Fort Lee, NJ vs $93.0 in Rotterdam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $426 vs $345 per month, with Rotterdam 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

Fort Lee, NJ vs Rotterdam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rotterdam wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Fort Lee, NJ. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Rotterdam the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 62% higher in Fort Lee, NJ, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,203 in Fort Lee, NJ versus $1,764 in Rotterdam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,014 in Fort Lee, NJ versus $2,258 in Rotterdam. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Rotterdam – a meal for two runs $93.0 versus $102 in Fort Lee, NJ. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Rotterdam is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Rotterdam delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,927 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Rotterdam hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Fort Lee, NJ 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 Rotterdam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Fort Lee, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.