Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Leeuwarden and Rotterdam

For one person, living is cheaper in Leeuwarden: $2,588 a month against $3,047 in Rotterdam, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Rotterdam outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

125

Cost of Living Index in Leeuwarden
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Leeuwarden Living Index
149

Cost of Living Index in Rotterdam
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Rotterdam Living Index

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Leeuwarden

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,588

/mo nomad

Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,047

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,588 per month in Leeuwarden vs $3,047 in Rotterdam, rent included.

Leeuwarden $2,588
Rotterdam $3,047

A couple spends around $3,825 per month in Leeuwarden vs $4,256 in Rotterdam, rent included.

Leeuwarden $3,825
Rotterdam $4,256

A family of three spends $5,063 per month in Leeuwarden vs $5,466 in Rotterdam, rent included.

Leeuwarden $5,063
Rotterdam $5,466

Leeuwarden is about 15% cheaper than Rotterdam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Leeuwarden and Rotterdam sit above the global median – Leeuwarden by 91%, Rotterdam by 125%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.50 €20.01

$20.91 €18.60

7.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$112 €99.2

$83.4 €74.2

33.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.61 €13.88

$13.20 €11.74

18.26%

Cappuccino

$3.86 €3.44

$4.37 €3.89

-11.67%

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

$3.73 €3.32

$3.89 €3.46

-4.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 €2.54

$3.51 €3.12

-18.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 €6.12

$7.25 €6.45

-5.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.35 €4.75

$5.98 €5.32

-10.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.03

$1.47 €1.31

-21.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 €1.71

$2.30 €2.05

-16.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 €2.17

$2.96 €2.64

-17.57%

Eggs

$4.37 €3.89

$5.24 €4.66

-16.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.73 €11.32

$12.22 €10.87

4.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.38 €12.79

$13.37 €11.90

7.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.29 €14.49

$18.62 €16.56

-12.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.07

$3.38 €3.01

-31.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.13

$2.53 €2.25

-5.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.65

$2.56 €2.28

-27.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.25 €4.67

$3.51 €3.13

49.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 €1.53

$1.70 €1.51

1.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 €1.72

$1.47 €1.31

31.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 €1.08

$1.47 €1.31

-17.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.81

$1.29 €1.14

-29.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.20 €12.63

$14.61 €12.99

-2.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.02 €6.24

$6.67 €5.93

5.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.67

$1.47 €1.30

27.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.50

$2.52 €2.24

-32.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.29 €2.92

$4.40 €3.92

-25.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$127 €113

$111 €98.6

14.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.78 €7.81

$4.73 €4.21

85.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.98 €3.54

$3.48 €3.10

14.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.0 €45.38

$68.4 €60.9

-25.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.41 €2.15

$2.59 €2.31

-6.95%

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

$41.7K €37.1K

$42.3K €37.6K

-1.42%

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

$39.0K €34.7K

$39.4K €35.0K

-1.00%

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

$369 €328

$297 €264

24.19%

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

$43.01 €38.26

$21.43 €19.06

100.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.83 €40.77

$55.6 €49.49

-17.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.73 €33.56

$47.98 €42.68

-21.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 €16.90

$29.31 €26.07

-35.18%

Cinema Ticket

$16.54 €14.71

$15.40 €13.69

7.40%

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

$1,353 €1,204

$2,677 €2,381

-49.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K €20.0K

$12.8K €11.4K

75.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 €102

$95.3 €84.7

20.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.18 €34.85

$39.44 €35.08

-0.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 €116

$110 €98.2

17.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 €121

$139 €124

-2.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,351 €1,202

$1,968 €1,750

-31.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 €915

$1,588 €1,412

-35.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,851 €3,425

$3,116 €2,771

23.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,434

$2,281 €2,029

-29.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,638 €3,236

$5,925 €5,271

-38.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,248 €2,889

$3,979 €3,539

-18.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,989 €2,658

$4,135 €3,678

-27.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.38

3.49

25.50%

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

Last update for Leeuwarden: October 20, 2026

Last update for Rotterdam: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Leeuwarden

$1K 39.7%

Rotterdam

$1.6K 52.1% 54.4% $560

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Leeuwarden

$458 17.7%

Rotterdam

$374 12.3% 18.3% $84

Eating Out

Leeuwarden

$345 13.3%

Rotterdam

$337 11.1% 2.2% $7.4

Groceries & Markets

Leeuwarden

$328 12.7%

Rotterdam

$345 11.3% 5% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Leeuwarden

$189 7.3%

Rotterdam

$173 5.7% 8.4% $16

Getting Around

Leeuwarden

$169 6.5%

Rotterdam

$151 4.9% 10.9% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Leeuwarden

$71 2.7%

Rotterdam

$79 2.6% 11.2% $8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,351 in Leeuwarden versus $1,968 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 38% higher in Rotterdam, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $112 in Leeuwarden versus $83.0 in Rotterdam. Groceries tell a different story – $328 in Leeuwarden vs $345 in Rotterdam – so Leeuwarden wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Leeuwarden

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🕒 Local time

11:33 11:33 AM

Same time as Leeuwarden

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

91,992

572,392

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Leeuwarden Rotterdam 170 km

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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

Leeuwarden vs Rotterdam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rotterdam costs about 18% more than Leeuwarden, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,882 per month in Leeuwarden and $4,570 in Rotterdam. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Leeuwarden, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,353 per month in Leeuwarden and $2,677 in Rotterdam. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Rotterdam, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,588 in Leeuwarden and $3,047 in Rotterdam. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Leeuwarden costs $2,588 versus $3,047 in Rotterdam. 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 Leeuwarden. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Rotterdam makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.