Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hoofddorp and Rotterdam

For one person, living costs are similar in Hoofddorp and in Rotterdam: $3,102 and $3,047 a month, rent and utilities included.

152

Cost of Living Index in Hoofddorp
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Hoofddorp Living Index
149

Cost of Living Index in Rotterdam
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Rotterdam Living Index

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Hoofddorp

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,102

/mo nomad

Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,047

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,102 in Hoofddorp versus $3,047 in Rotterdam.

Hoofddorp $3,102
Rotterdam $3,047

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,244 in Hoofddorp versus $4,256 in Rotterdam.

Hoofddorp $4,244
Rotterdam $4,256

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,387 in Hoofddorp versus $5,466 in Rotterdam.

Hoofddorp $5,387
Rotterdam $5,466

Living in Hoofddorp is roughly 2% more expensive than in Rotterdam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hoofddorp 129% above, Rotterdam 125% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.21 €19.76

$20.91 €18.60

6.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.5 €80.5

$83.4 €74.2

8.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.43 €12.84

$13.20 €11.74

9.32%

Cappuccino

$3.34 €2.97

$4.37 €3.89

-23.57%

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

$2.83 €2.52

$3.89 €3.46

-27.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €2.04

$3.51 €3.12

-34.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 €7.16

$7.25 €6.45

11.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.17 €4.60

$5.98 €5.32

-13.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.47 €1.31

0.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 €2.10

$2.30 €2.05

2.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 €2.21

$2.96 €2.64

-15.88%

Eggs

$5.20 €4.63

$5.24 €4.66

-0.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.58 €11.19

$12.22 €10.87

2.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.83 €11.42

$13.37 €11.90

-4.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.67 €15.72

$18.62 €16.56

-5.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.44

$3.38 €3.01

-18.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 €2.49

$2.53 €2.25

10.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 €2.39

$2.56 €2.28

4.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.28 €2.92

$3.51 €3.13

-6.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.20

$1.70 €1.51

45.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 €1.48

$1.47 €1.31

12.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 €1.01

$1.47 €1.31

-22.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.40

$1.29 €1.14

21.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.22 €8.20

$14.61 €12.99

-36.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.20 €6.40

$6.67 €5.93

7.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.33

$1.47 €1.30

2.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 €2.35

$2.52 €2.24

5.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.16 €4.59

$4.40 €3.92

17.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 €98.6

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.66 €3.25

$4.73 €4.21

-22.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.79 €2.48

$3.48 €3.10

-19.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.18 €24.18

$68.4 €60.9

-60.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.47 €2.20

$2.59 €2.31

-4.63%

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

$37.7K €33.6K

$42.3K €37.6K

-10.72%

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

$37.8K €33.6K

$39.4K €35.0K

-4.02%

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

$298 €266

$297 €264

0.40%

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

$22.45 €19.97

$21.43 €19.06

4.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.6 €45.85

$55.6 €49.49

-7.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.82 €24.74

$47.98 €42.68

-42.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.02 €9.80

$29.31 €26.07

-62.40%

Cinema Ticket

$10.54 €9.37

$15.40 €13.69

-31.56%

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

$1,921 €1,709

$2,677 €2,381

-28.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.3K €15.4K

$12.8K €11.4K

34.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.7 €78.9

$95.3 €84.7

-6.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.50 €36.91

$39.44 €35.08

5.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €91.0

$110 €98.2

-7.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 €121

$139 €124

-2.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,797

$1,968 €1,750

2.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,801 €1,602

$1,588 €1,412

13.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,792 €2,483

$3,116 €2,771

-10.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,495 €2,220

$2,281 €2,029

9.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,936 €5,280

$5,925 €5,271

0.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,761 €4,235

$3,979 €3,539

19.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,413 €3,036

$4,135 €3,678

-17.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.3

3.49

-5.44%

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

Last update for Hoofddorp: October 17, 2026

Last update for Rotterdam: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hoofddorp

$1.8K 58.1%

Rotterdam

$1.6K 52.1% 11.8% $213

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hoofddorp

$372 12%

Rotterdam

$374 12.3% 0.5% $1.9

Groceries & Markets

Hoofddorp

$343 11.1%

Rotterdam

$345 11.3% 0.5% $1.8

Eating Out

Hoofddorp

$332 10.7%

Rotterdam

$337 11.1% 1.5% $5

Clothing & Footwear

Hoofddorp

$166 5.4%

Rotterdam

$173 5.7% 4.2% $6.9

Sport & Entertainment

Hoofddorp

$49 1.6%

Rotterdam

$79 2.6% 61.1% $30

Getting Around

Hoofddorp

$38 * 1.2%

Rotterdam

$151 4.9% 294% $112

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,020 in Hoofddorp and $1,968 in Rotterdam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rotterdam pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $90.0 in Hoofddorp vs $83.0 in Rotterdam. Groceries flip the comparison at $343 vs $345, with Hoofddorp cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Hoofddorp

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🕒 Local time

13:42 1:42 PM

Same time as Hoofddorp

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

76,638

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

Hoofddorp vs Rotterdam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hoofddorp and Rotterdam differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($3,102 vs $3,047 including rent). Rotterdam is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 21% 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: $2,020 in Hoofddorp versus $1,968 in Rotterdam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Hoofddorp pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $3,102 per month in Hoofddorp versus $3,047 in Rotterdam – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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.

For families, Rotterdam is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Hoofddorp, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Hoofddorp 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 2% less than in Hoofddorp. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.