Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gouda and Rotterdam

For one person, living is cheaper in Gouda: $2,472 a month against $3,032 in Rotterdam, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Gouda
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Gouda Living Index
149

Cost of Living Index in Rotterdam
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Rotterdam Living Index

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Gouda

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,472

/mo nomad

Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,032

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,472 per month in Gouda vs $3,032 in Rotterdam, rent included.

Gouda $2,472
Rotterdam $3,032

A couple spends around $3,894 per month in Gouda vs $4,227 in Rotterdam, rent included.

Gouda $3,894
Rotterdam $4,227

A family of three spends $5,316 per month in Gouda vs $5,422 in Rotterdam, rent included.

Gouda $5,316
Rotterdam $5,422

Gouda is about 18% cheaper than Rotterdam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Gouda and Rotterdam sit above the global median – Gouda by 83%, Rotterdam by 125%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.24 €17.11

$20.82 €18.52

-7.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.0 €80.1

$84.4 €75.1

6.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.22 €13.54

$13.49 €12.00

12.82%

Cappuccino

$4.45 €3.96

$4.42 €3.93

0.68%

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

$3.43 €3.05

$3.81 €3.39

-9.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 €2.73

$3.46 €3.07

-11.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.95 €7.07

$7.08 €6.29

12.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.84 €5.19

$6.01 €5.35

-2.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.11

$1.48 €1.31

-15.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 €1.96

$2.37 €2.11

-6.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 €2.28

$2.86 €2.54

-10.14%

Eggs

$4.59 €4.08

$5.38 €4.78

-14.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.53 €12.93

$11.78 €10.48

23.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.91 €11.49

$13.62 €12.11

-5.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.62 €14.78

$18.76 €16.69

-11.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 €2.39

$3.32 €2.96

-19.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 €2.03

$2.60 €2.31

-12.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$2.52 €2.24

-21.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.65 €3.24

$3.37 €3.00

8.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 €1.53

$1.70 €1.51

1.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 €1.70

$1.52 €1.35

25.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.48 €1.32

-20.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.85

$1.26 €1.12

-24.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.40 €11.92

$14.24 €12.67

-5.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.58 €5.85

$6.55 €5.82

0.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 €1.29

$1.48 €1.32

-2.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.23

$2.60 €2.31

-3.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.53 €3.14

$4.39 €3.90

-19.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.2 €74.0

$109 €97.1

-23.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.44 €3.06

$4.51 €4.01

-23.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.30 €2.93

$3.37 €3.00

-2.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.00 €19.57

$65.8 €58.6

-66.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.39 €2.12

$2.64 €2.34

-9.47%

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

$41.9K €37.3K

$40.9K €36.3K

2.68%

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

$38.1K €33.9K

$38.8K €34.5K

-1.71%

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

$274 €244

$300 €267

-8.52%

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

$15.23 €13.55

$21.55 €19.17

-29.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.04 €43.62

$53.7 €47.74

-8.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.1 €52.6

$48.47 €43.11

21.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.27 €21.59

$28.57 €25.41

-15.05%

Cinema Ticket

$14.77 €13.14

$15.60 €13.88

-5.32%

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

$1,751 €1,558

$2,658 €2,364

-34.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K €11.8K

$12.8K €11.4K

4.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.0 €84.5

$92.2 €82.0

3.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.29 €37.62

$38.50 €34.25

9.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.4

$109 €97.0

-3.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 €124

$141 €125

-0.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,785 €1,588

$1,966 €1,748

-9.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,100 €978

$1,577 €1,402

-30.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,804 €2,494

$3,071 €2,732

-8.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,261 €2,011

$2,238 €1,991

1.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,355 €4,763

$5,891 €5,240

-9.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,381 €3,897

$3,967 €3,528

10.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,477 €2,203

$4,107 €3,653

-39.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.4

3.49

-2.58%

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

Last update for Gouda: October 12, 2026

Last update for Rotterdam: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gouda

$1.1K 44.5%

Rotterdam

$1.6K 52% 43.3% $477

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gouda

$339 13.7%

Rotterdam

$375 12.4% 10.8% $36

Eating Out

Gouda

$330 13.4%

Rotterdam

$336 11.1% 1.8% $6.1

Groceries & Markets

Gouda

$325 13.2%

Rotterdam

$345 11.4% 6.2% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Gouda

$172 7%

Rotterdam

$171 5.7% 0.4% $0.7

Getting Around

Gouda

$117 4.7%

Rotterdam

$148 4.9% 26.3% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Gouda

$89 3.6%

Rotterdam

$80 2.6% 10.1% $9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,785 in Gouda 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 66% higher in Rotterdam, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90.0 in Gouda versus $84.0 in Rotterdam. Groceries tell a different story – $325 in Gouda vs $345 in Rotterdam – so Gouda wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Gouda

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🕒 Local time

17:51 5:51 PM

Same time as Gouda

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

73,427

572,392

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Gouda Rotterdam 19 km

From you

Gouda
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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

Gouda vs Rotterdam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rotterdam costs about 23% more than Gouda, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,707 per month in Gouda 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 Gouda, 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 $90.0 in Gouda 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 $2,472 in Gouda and $3,032 in Rotterdam. That's a gap of about 23%.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,472 in Gouda and $3,032 in Rotterdam. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Gouda costs $2,472 versus $3,032 in Rotterdam. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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