Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hilversum and Rotterdam

For one person, living is cheaper in Hilversum: $2,915 a month against $3,153 in Rotterdam, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Rotterdam outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

140

Cost of Living Index in Hilversum
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Hilversum Living Index
150

Cost of Living Index in Rotterdam
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Rotterdam Living Index

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Hilversum

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,915

/mo nomad

Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,153

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,915 in Hilversum versus $3,153 in Rotterdam.

Hilversum $2,915
Rotterdam $3,153

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,247 in Hilversum versus $4,381 in Rotterdam.

Hilversum $4,247
Rotterdam $4,381

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,579 in Hilversum versus $5,609 in Rotterdam.

Hilversum $5,579
Rotterdam $5,609

Living in Hilversum costs roughly 8% less than in Rotterdam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hilversum 114% above, Rotterdam 132% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.34 €25.38

$20.81 €18.64

36.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.5 €69.4

$85.2 €76.3

-9.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.08 €15.30

$13.66 €12.24

25.04%

Cappuccino

$4.29 €3.84

$4.31 €3.86

-0.46%

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

$4.02 €3.60

$3.79 €3.39

6.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 €2.69

$3.44 €3.09

-12.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.48 €4.91

$6.93 €6.21

-20.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.61 €5.02

$6.05 €5.41

-7.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 €1.50

$1.42 €1.28

18.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 €1.96

$2.44 €2.18

-10.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.10 €2.77

$2.84 €2.54

9.15%

Eggs

$5.06 €4.53

$5.27 €4.72

-3.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.89 €12.44

$12.09 €10.83

14.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.50 €12.98

$13.32 €11.93

8.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.70 €14.96

$18.92 €16.94

-11.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 €2.20

$3.43 €3.07

-28.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 €2.48

$2.50 €2.24

10.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.81

$2.54 €2.28

-20.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.44 €3.98

$3.39 €3.03

30.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 €1.59

$1.68 €1.50

5.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.80

$1.52 €1.36

32.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 €1.35

$1.51 €1.35

-0.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.99

$1.29 €1.15

-13.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.17 €10.90

$14.39 €12.89

-15.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.72 €6.02

$6.82 €6.11

-1.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.28

$1.52 €1.36

-5.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 €2.32

$2.58 €2.31

0.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.61 €3.23

$6.27 €5.62

-42.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.8 €60.8

$111 €99.2

-38.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.57 €4.99

$4.58 €4.10

21.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.42 €3.06

$3.45 €3.09

-0.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.70 €20.33

$67.3 €60.3

-66.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.46 €2.20

$2.56 €2.29

-3.91%

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

$41.9K €37.6K

$41.3K €37.0K

1.50%

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

$42.2K €37.8K

$39.9K €35.7K

5.78%

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

$262 €234

$305 €273

-14.15%

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

$29.44 €26.36

$21.41 €19.18

37.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.6 €57.0

$55.8 €49.93

14.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 €60.5

$45.35 €40.62

48.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.64 €31.03

$29.35 €26.29

18.02%

Cinema Ticket

$16.51 €14.79

$15.68 €14.05

5.29%

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

$700 €627

$2,793 €2,501

-74.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K €13.9K

$12.5K €11.2K

24.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 €100

$92.9 €83.2

20.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.96 €42.95

$39.70 €35.56

20.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €82.5

$108 €96.8

-14.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 €130

$141 €127

2.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,667 €1,493

$2,068 €1,852

-19.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,430 €1,281

$1,684 €1,508

-15.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,731 €2,446

$3,183 €2,851

-14.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,323 €2,080

$2,398 €2,148

-3.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,907 €6,186

$6,140 €5,499

12.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,692

$4,198 €3,760

24.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,008 €3,590

$3,933 €3,523

1.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.3

3.49

23.21%

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

Last update for Hilversum: October 24, 2026

Last update for Rotterdam: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hilversum

$1.4K 49.1%

Rotterdam

$1.7K 53.4% 17.7% $254

Eating Out

Hilversum

$396 13.6%

Rotterdam

$335 10.6% 15.5% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hilversum

$355 12.2%

Rotterdam

$382 12.1% 7.7% $27

Groceries & Markets

Hilversum

$349 12%

Rotterdam

$346 11% 0.9% $3.3

Clothing & Footwear

Hilversum

$179 6.1%

Rotterdam

$172 5.5% 3.9% $7.1

Getting Around

Hilversum

$105 3.6%

Rotterdam

$158 5% 50.2% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Hilversum

$101 3.5%

Rotterdam

$77 2.4% 23.7% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,667 in Hilversum and $2,068 in Rotterdam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $77 in Hilversum vs $85 in Rotterdam. Groceries flip the comparison at $349 vs $346, with Rotterdam cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Hilversum

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🕒 Local time

20:06 8:06 PM

Same time as Hilversum

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

93,345

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

Hilversum vs Rotterdam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,915 in Hilversum and $3,153 in Rotterdam, so Hilversum is about 8% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $4,372 in Hilversum and $4,729 in Rotterdam to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,667 in Hilversum versus $2,068 in Rotterdam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Hilversum runs roughly 39% less than in Rotterdam. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $2,915 per month in Hilversum versus $3,153 in Rotterdam – Hilversum is about 8% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Hilversum and Rotterdam are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.