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: $3,065 in Hilversum versus $2,909 in Rotterdam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,539 in Hilversum versus $4,274 in Rotterdam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,013 in Hilversum versus $5,639 in Rotterdam.

Living in Hilversum is roughly 5% more expensive than Rotterdam, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hilversum 129% above, Rotterdam 117% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.98 €24.81

$22.74 €19.47

27.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.8 €79.4

$92.5 €79.2

0.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.05 €13.74

$13.69 €11.72

17.24%

Cappuccino

$4.44 €3.80

$4.37 €3.74

1.60%

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

$3.75 €3.21

$3.49 €2.99

7.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 €2.68

$2.82 €2.42

10.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.82 €4.98

$7.13 €6.11

-18.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.28 €4.52

$5.64 €4.83

-6.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.30 €1.11

5.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 €1.87

$2.43 €2.08

-9.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.66 €3.13

$3.18 €2.72

15.09%

Eggs

$4.91 €4.20

$5.08 €4.35

-3.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.00 €11.12

$14.07 €12.04

-7.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.48 €14.96

$13.88 €11.88

25.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.52 €15.00

$17.07 €14.61

2.64%

Apples (1kg)

$1.95 €1.67

$2.68 €2.30

-27.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.46 €2.10

$2.44 €2.09

0.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.01 €1.72

-7.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.70 €3.17

$3.96 €3.39

-6.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 €1.84

$2.06 €1.76

4.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 €1.92

$1.94 €1.66

15.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 €1.04

$1.34 €1.15

-8.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$1.17 €1.00

-23.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.37 €10.59

$13.78 €11.79

-10.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.93 €5.93

$7.48 €6.40

-7.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.33

$1.58 €1.35

-1.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 €2.32

$2.69 €2.31

0.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.69 €4.01

$4.72 €4.04

-0.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.4 €82.5

$90.6 €77.6

6.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.75 €4.93

$5.15 €4.41

11.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.11 €1.80

$2.03 €1.74

3.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.04 €24.86

$21.00 €17.98

38.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 €1.90

$2.26 €1.93

-1.77%

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

$41.2K €35.3K

0.03%

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

$40.1K €34.3K

$35.7K €30.6K

12.28%

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

$257 €220

$286 €245

-10.04%

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

$29.55 €25.29

$24.41 €20.89

21.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.8 €48.61

$56.0 €47.90

1.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 €59.0

$46.67 €39.95

47.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.66 €34.81

$29.02 €24.84

40.11%

Cinema Ticket

$17.52 €15.00

$17.29 €14.80

1.33%

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

$673 €576

$2,270 €1,943

-70.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,530 €6,446

$13.8K €11.8K

-45.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$129 €110

$91.8 €78.6

40.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.7 €52.8

$51.0 €43.69

20.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 €116

$130 €111

4.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$186 €159

$180 €154

3.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,721 €1,473

$1,724 €1,476

-0.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,502 €1,285

$1,440 €1,233

4.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,047 €2,608

$2,837 €2,429

7.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,448 €2,096

$2,271 €1,944

7.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,085 €6,065

$6,207 €5,313

14.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,409 €4,630

$4,222 €3,614

28.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,909 €3,346

$4,095 €3,505

-4.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

4.08

10.29%

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

Last update for Hilversum: April 26, 2026

Last update for Rotterdam: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,721 in Hilversum and $1,724 in Rotterdam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rotterdam pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $93.0 in Hilversum vs $93.0 in Rotterdam. Groceries flip the comparison at $353 vs $347, with Rotterdam cheaper for home cooking.

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 5% in total monthly costs ($3,065 vs $2,909 including rent). Rotterdam is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Rotterdam earns 5% less. 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: $1,721 in Hilversum versus $1,724 in Rotterdam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Rotterdam runs roughly 6% less than in Hilversum. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $673 in Hilversum versus $2,270 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 $2,500. Rotterdam 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 Rotterdam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Hilversum. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.