Cost of Living Comparison Between Hilversum and Rotterdam Cost of Living Comparison Between Hilversum and Rotterdam

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,015 in Hilversum versus $3,122 in Rotterdam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,326 in Hilversum versus $4,415 in Rotterdam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,636 in Hilversum versus $5,708 in Rotterdam.

Living in Hilversum costs roughly 3% less than in Rotterdam, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hilversum 120% above, Rotterdam 128% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.39 €24.75

$27.04 €23.57

4.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.1 €69.8

$93.8 €81.7

-14.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.48 €15.24

$14.05 €12.25

24.41%

Cappuccino

$4.62 €4.03

$4.60 €4.01

0.43%

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

$4.02 €3.51

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 €2.65

$3.61 €3.15

-15.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.63 €4.91

$7.16 €6.24

-21.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.87 €5.12

$6.16 €5.37

-4.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.08

$1.56 €1.36

-20.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 €2.14

$2.46 €2.15

-0.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.63 €3.17

$2.96 €2.58

22.64%

Eggs

$5.44 €4.75

$5.68 €4.95

-4.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.67 €11.05

$12.18 €10.62

4.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.16 €14.96

$13.62 €11.87

25.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.53 €15.28

$19.85 €17.30

-11.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$3.36 €2.93

-37.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.15

$2.62 €2.28

-5.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.68

$2.63 €2.30

-26.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.42 €2.98

$3.48 €3.03

-1.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.89

$1.84 €1.61

17.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 €1.90

$1.52 €1.33

43.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 €1.04

$1.49 €1.30

-19.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 €1.01

$1.30 €1.13

-11.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.92 €11.26

$15.21 €13.26

-15.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.04 €6.13

$6.90 €6.01

2.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 €1.34

$1.59 €1.39

-3.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.40

$2.67 €2.33

3.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.80 €3.32

$4.48 €3.91

-15.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.0 €59.3

$116 €101

-41.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.86 €5.11

$4.88 €4.25

20.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.42 €2.98

$3.50 €3.05

-2.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.42 €20.42

$70.6 €61.5

-66.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.35 €2.04

$2.52 €2.20

-6.75%

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

$42.5K €37.1K

$43.3K €37.8K

-1.81%

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

$44.2K €38.5K

$40.2K €35.0K

9.96%

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

$272 €237

$315 €275

-13.64%

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

$29.81 €25.98

$22.59 €19.69

31.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.5 €57.1

$57.6 €50.2

13.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.6 €61.5

$51.0 €44.44

38.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.81 €30.34

$30.20 €26.32

15.26%

Cinema Ticket

$17.62 €15.36

$16.00 €13.95

10.13%

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

$716 €624

$2,716 €2,368

-73.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K €14.0K

$13.0K €11.3K

23.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 €99.1

$96.4 €84.1

17.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.87 €43.47

$40.50 €35.30

23.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.0 €82.8

$112 €97.8

-15.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 €131

$145 €126

3.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,747 €1,523

$1,959 €1,708

-10.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,512 €1,318

$1,578 €1,375

-4.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,034 €2,645

$3,204 €2,793

-5.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,376 €2,071

$2,377 €2,072

-0.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 €6,157

$6,095 €5,313

15.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,456 €4,756

$4,180 €3,644

30.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,029 €3,512

$4,268 €3,721

-5.61%

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: September 14, 2026

Last update for Rotterdam: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,747 in Hilversum and $1,959 in Rotterdam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rotterdam pays 6% 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: $80.0 in Hilversum vs $94.0 in Rotterdam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $357 vs $357 per month, with Hilversum cheaper across the board.

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

Hilversum and Rotterdam differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($3,015 vs $3,122 including rent). Hilversum is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 6% 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: $1,747 in Hilversum versus $1,959 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 71% less than in Rotterdam. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $716 in Hilversum versus $2,716 in Rotterdam. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Hilversum is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 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 Hilversum gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Rotterdam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.