Cost of Living Comparison Between Haarlem and Rotterdam Cost of Living Comparison Between Haarlem and Rotterdam

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,909 per month in Haarlem vs $2,914 in Rotterdam, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,195 per month in Haarlem vs $4,233 in Rotterdam, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,481 per month in Haarlem vs $5,553 in Rotterdam, rent included.

Haarlem and Rotterdam have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Haarlem and Rotterdam sit above the global median – Haarlem by 118%, Rotterdam by 118%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.15 €25.47

$23.60 €20.62

23.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$104 €91.1

$91.2 €79.7

14.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.07 €12.30

$13.92 €12.16

1.08%

Cappuccino

$4.51 €3.94

$4.36 €3.81

3.44%

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

$4.09 €3.57

$3.49 €3.05

17.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 €3.00

$2.93 €2.56

17.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.96 €6.08

$7.09 €6.20

-1.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.78 €5.05

$5.80 €5.07

-0.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 €1.22

$1.33 €1.16

5.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 €2.23

$2.40 €2.10

6.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.08 €2.69

$3.23 €2.82

-4.64%

Eggs

$4.75 €4.15

$5.23 €4.57

-9.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.35 €12.54

$13.74 €12.00

4.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.72 €13.73

$14.23 €12.43

10.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.96 €16.57

$16.89 €14.75

12.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 €2.32

$2.61 €2.28

1.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 €2.22

$2.44 €2.14

4.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.69

$2.08 €1.82

-7.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.06 €3.55

$4.04 €3.53

0.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 €1.80

$2.09 €1.83

-1.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 €1.70

$1.99 €1.73

-2.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 €1.09

$1.33 €1.16

-6.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.82

$1.17 €1.02

-19.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.24 €12.44

$13.65 €11.93

4.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.79 €6.80

$7.01 €6.13

11.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.32

$1.53 €1.33

-1.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 €2.18

$2.71 €2.37

-7.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.72

$4.70 €4.11

-33.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 €97.2

$91.0 €79.5

22.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 €5.04

$5.26 €4.60

9.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.05 €1.79

26.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.26 €23.82

$21.21 €18.53

28.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 €1.95

$2.24 €1.96

-0.45%

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

$41.1K €35.9K

$40.4K €35.3K

1.73%

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

$39.0K €34.1K

$35.5K €31.0K

9.92%

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

$245 €214

$285 €249

-13.84%

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

$28.53 €24.93

$23.95 €20.92

19.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.5 €51.1

$55.8 €48.75

4.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.02 €35.84

$45.62 €39.86

-10.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.85 €20.84

$28.20 €24.64

-15.43%

Cinema Ticket

$16.60 €14.51

$17.01 €14.87

-2.41%

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

$2,698 €2,357

$2,268 €1,982

18.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,175 €5,395

$14.0K €12.2K

-55.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.9 €86.4

$93.8 €82.0

5.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.2 €45.64

$50.8 €44.38

2.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 €105

$126 €110

-5.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 €139

$177 €155

-10.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,727 €1,509

$1,758 €1,536

-1.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,382 €1,207

$1,452 €1,268

-4.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,584 €2,257

$2,834 €2,476

-8.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,114 €1,847

$2,303 €2,012

-8.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,923 €6,922

$5,997 €5,240

32.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,009 €5,250

$3,900 €3,408

54.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,143 €3,620

$4,092 €3,576

1.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

4.08

4.90%

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

Last update for Haarlem: July 14, 2026

Last update for Rotterdam: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,727 in Haarlem versus $1,758 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 1% higher in Haarlem. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $104 in Haarlem versus $91.0 in Rotterdam. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $360 vs $347 – making Rotterdam the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Haarlem vs Rotterdam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,363 per month in Haarlem and $4,371 in Rotterdam. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Haarlem, 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 $104 in Haarlem and $91.0 in Rotterdam. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 22% less in Haarlem. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,909 in Haarlem and $2,914 in Rotterdam. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Haarlem costs $2,909 versus $2,914 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 Haarlem. 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.