Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Groningen and Rotterdam

For one person, living is cheaper in Groningen: $2,282 a month against $3,032 in Rotterdam, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Groningen
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Groningen Living Index
149

Cost of Living Index in Rotterdam
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Rotterdam Living Index

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Groningen

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,282

/mo nomad

Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,032

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,282 in Groningen versus $3,032 in Rotterdam.

Groningen $2,282
Rotterdam $3,032

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,443 in Groningen versus $4,227 in Rotterdam.

Groningen $3,443
Rotterdam $4,227

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,603 in Groningen versus $5,422 in Rotterdam.

Groningen $4,603
Rotterdam $5,422

Living in Groningen costs roughly 25% less than in Rotterdam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Groningen 69% above, Rotterdam 125% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.82 €17.63

$20.82 €18.52

-4.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 €91.0

$84.4 €75.1

21.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.34 €13.65

$13.49 €12.00

13.71%

Cappuccino

$4.60 €4.10

$4.42 €3.93

4.07%

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

$3.94 €3.50

$3.81 €3.39

3.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 €2.83

$3.46 €3.07

-8.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €5.06

$7.08 €6.29

-19.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.47 €4.87

$6.01 €5.35

-8.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 €1.32

$1.48 €1.31

0.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 €2.34

$2.37 €2.11

10.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.61 €2.32

$2.86 €2.54

-8.74%

Eggs

$4.55 €4.05

$5.38 €4.78

-15.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.72 €11.31

$11.78 €10.48

7.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.16 €11.71

$13.62 €12.11

-3.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.17 €16.16

$18.76 €16.69

-3.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 €2.66

$3.32 €2.96

-9.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 €2.13

$2.60 €2.31

-8.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 €2.22

$2.52 €2.24

-0.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 €4.23

$3.37 €3.00

41.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.82

$1.70 €1.51

20.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 €1.40

$1.52 €1.35

3.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 €1.16

$1.48 €1.32

-12.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.26 €1.12

0.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.45 €12.86

$14.24 €12.67

1.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.54 €5.82

$6.55 €5.82

-0.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.22

$1.48 €1.32

-6.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.23

$2.60 €2.31

-3.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.14 €3.68

$4.39 €3.90

-5.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.5 €60.0

$109 €97.1

-38.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.78 €6.03

$4.51 €4.01

50.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.73 €2.43

$3.37 €3.00

-18.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.38 €25.24

$65.8 €58.6

-56.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.52 €2.24

$2.64 €2.34

-4.55%

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

$42.0K €37.3K

$40.9K €36.3K

2.69%

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

$39.1K €34.7K

$38.8K €34.5K

0.64%

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

$230 €204

$300 €267

-23.45%

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

$20.48 €18.21

$21.55 €19.17

-4.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.87 €43.47

$53.7 €47.74

-8.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.10 €34.78

$48.47 €43.11

-19.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.07 €13.40

$28.57 €25.41

-47.25%

Cinema Ticket

$16.69 €14.84

$15.60 €13.88

6.99%

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

$1,756 €1,562

$2,658 €2,364

-33.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,621 €6,779

$12.8K €11.4K

-40.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €93.3

$92.2 €82.0

13.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.13 €39.25

$38.50 €34.25

14.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €91.8

$109 €97.0

-5.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$196 €174

$141 €125

39.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,342 €1,194

$1,966 €1,748

-31.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$931 €828

$1,577 €1,402

-40.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,965 €1,748

$3,071 €2,732

-36.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,473 €1,310

$2,238 €1,991

-34.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,191 €4,618

$5,891 €5,240

-11.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,906 €3,474

$3,967 €3,528

-1.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,025 €2,691

$4,107 €3,653

-26.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.43

3.49

-1.72%

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

Last update for Groningen: 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

Groningen

$931 40.8%

Rotterdam

$1.6K 52% 69.4% $646

Groceries & Markets

Groningen

$346 15.2%

Rotterdam

$345 11.4% 0.3% $0.9

Eating Out

Groningen

$328 14.4%

Rotterdam

$336 11.1% 2.7% $8.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Groningen

$299 13.1%

Rotterdam

$375 12.4% 25.5% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Groningen

$202 8.8%

Rotterdam

$171 5.7% 15.1% $30

Getting Around

Groningen

$104 4.6%

Rotterdam

$148 4.9% 41.7% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Groningen

$72 3.2%

Rotterdam

$80 2.6% 9.9% $7.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,342 in Groningen and $1,966 in Rotterdam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rotterdam pays 36% 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 Groningen vs $84.0 in Rotterdam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 vs $345 per month, with Rotterdam cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Groningen

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🕒 Local time

20:14 8:14 PM

Same time as Groningen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

201,242

572,392

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Groningen vs Rotterdam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Groningen wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in Rotterdam. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Groningen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 36% 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: $1,342 in Groningen versus $1,966 in Rotterdam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Rotterdam pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Groningen – a meal for two runs $102 versus $84.0 in Rotterdam. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,282 in Groningen versus $3,032 in Rotterdam, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Groningen but tight or insufficient in Rotterdam. The gap between the two cities makes Groningen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Groningen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,282 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Groningen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Groningen 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 Groningen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Rotterdam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.