Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Haarlem and Rotterdam

For one person, living costs are similar in Haarlem and in Rotterdam: $3,258 and $3,153 a month, rent and utilities included.

156

Cost of Living Index in Haarlem
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Haarlem Living Index
150

Cost of Living Index in Rotterdam
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Rotterdam Living Index

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Haarlem

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,258

/mo nomad

Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,153

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,258 per month in Haarlem vs $3,153 in Rotterdam, rent included.

Haarlem $3,258
Rotterdam $3,153

A couple spends around $4,615 per month in Haarlem vs $4,381 in Rotterdam, rent included.

Haarlem $4,615
Rotterdam $4,381

A family of three spends $5,971 per month in Haarlem vs $5,609 in Rotterdam, rent included.

Haarlem $5,971
Rotterdam $5,609

Haarlem costs about 3% more than Rotterdam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Haarlem and Rotterdam sit above the global median – Haarlem by 139%, Rotterdam by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.24 €26.27

$20.81 €18.70

40.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 €89.9

$85.2 €76.5

17.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.67 €12.28

$13.66 €12.27

0.07%

Cappuccino

$4.14 €3.72

$4.31 €3.87

-3.94%

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

$4.08 €3.67

$3.79 €3.40

7.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 €3.03

$3.44 €3.09

-2.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.03 €7.21

$6.93 €6.22

15.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.63 €5.06

$6.05 €5.43

-6.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 €1.31

$1.42 €1.28

2.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 €2.51

$2.44 €2.19

14.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 €2.37

$2.84 €2.55

-7.04%

Eggs

$4.75 €4.27

$5.27 €4.73

-9.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.92 €12.50

$12.09 €10.86

15.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.30 €11.95

$13.32 €11.96

-0.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.49 €19.31

$18.92 €16.99

13.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 €2.68

$3.43 €3.08

-13.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 €2.27

$2.50 €2.24

1.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 €1.62

$2.54 €2.28

-29.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 €4.48

$3.39 €3.04

46.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 €1.70

$1.68 €1.51

12.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 €2.04

$1.52 €1.36

49.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 €1.16

$1.51 €1.36

-14.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 €0.90

$1.29 €1.16

-22.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.88 €12.47

$14.39 €12.93

-3.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.73 €6.95

$6.82 €6.13

13.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.34

$1.52 €1.37

-1.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.12

$2.58 €2.32

-8.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.84 €2.55

$6.27 €5.64

-54.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.0 €74.6

$111 €99.5

-25.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.19 €5.56

$4.58 €4.11

35.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 €2.24

$3.45 €3.10

-27.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.38 €23.70

$67.3 €60.5

-60.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.53 €2.27

$2.56 €2.30

-1.17%

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

$41.4K €37.2K

$41.3K €37.1K

0.29%

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

$39.6K €35.5K

$39.9K €35.8K

-0.76%

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

$249 €224

$305 €274

-18.33%

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

$23.98 €21.54

$21.41 €19.24

12.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.9 €54.7

$55.8 €50.1

9.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 €47.91

$45.35 €40.74

17.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.02 €25.17

$29.35 €26.37

-4.53%

Cinema Ticket

$16.09 €14.45

$15.68 €14.09

2.61%

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

$2,598 €2,334

$2,793 €2,509

-6.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,587 €5,917

$12.5K €11.2K

-47.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.1 €76.4

$92.9 €83.4

-8.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.2 €56.8

$39.70 €35.66

59.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.7 €87.8

$108 €97.0

-9.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 €132

$141 €127

3.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,825

$2,068 €1,858

-1.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,781 €1,600

$1,684 €1,513

5.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,215 €2,888

$3,183 €2,860

0.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,603 €2,338

$2,398 €2,154

8.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,820 €7,025

$6,140 €5,516

27.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,830 €5,237

$4,198 €3,771

38.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,219 €3,790

$3,933 €3,533

7.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

3.49

8.88%

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

Last update for Haarlem: October 25, 2026

Last update for Rotterdam: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Haarlem

$1.8K 54.7%

Rotterdam

$1.7K 53.4% 5.5% $97

Eating Out

Haarlem

$406 12.5%

Rotterdam

$335 10.6% 17.5% $71

Groceries & Markets

Haarlem

$362 11.1%

Rotterdam

$346 11% 4.5% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Haarlem

$334 10.3%

Rotterdam

$382 12.1% 14.4% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Haarlem

$177 5.4%

Rotterdam

$172 5.5% 2.7% $4.8

Getting Around

Haarlem

$113 3.5%

Rotterdam

$158 5% 39.5% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Haarlem

$86 2.6%

Rotterdam

$77 2.4% 10.3% $8.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,031 in Haarlem versus $2,068 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 7% higher in Haarlem. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $100 in Haarlem versus $85 in Rotterdam. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $362 vs $346 – making Rotterdam the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Haarlem

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🕒 Local time

19:40 7:40 PM

Same time as Haarlem

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

165,396

572,392

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Haarlem Rotterdam 53 km

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Haarlem
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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

Haarlem vs Rotterdam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Haarlem costs about 3% more than Rotterdam, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,887 per month in Haarlem and $4,729 in Rotterdam. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $2,031 in Haarlem and $2,068 in Rotterdam. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $100 in Haarlem and $85 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 $3,258 in Haarlem and $3,153 in Rotterdam. That’s a gap of about 3%.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,258 in Haarlem and $3,153 in Rotterdam. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Rotterdam costs $3,153 versus $3,258 in Haarlem. 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 Rotterdam. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Haarlem makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.