Cost of Living Comparison Between Leiden and Rotterdam Cost of Living Comparison Between Leiden and Rotterdam

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,654 in Leiden versus $2,914 in Rotterdam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,897 in Leiden versus $4,233 in Rotterdam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,140 in Leiden versus $5,553 in Rotterdam.

Living in Leiden costs roughly 9% less than in Rotterdam, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Leiden 99% above, Rotterdam 118% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.32 €15.13

$23.60 €20.62

-26.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.8 €75.0

$91.2 €79.7

-5.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.73 €12.00

$13.92 €12.16

-1.36%

Cappuccino

$3.76 €3.28

$4.36 €3.81

-13.76%

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

$3.87 €3.38

$3.49 €3.05

10.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 €2.49

$2.93 €2.56

-2.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.92 €6.05

$7.09 €6.20

-2.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.84 €5.10

$5.80 €5.07

0.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.33 €1.16

-4.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 €1.97

$2.40 €2.10

-6.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.16 €2.76

$3.23 €2.82

-2.17%

Eggs

$4.72 €4.13

$5.23 €4.57

-9.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.10 €13.19

$13.74 €12.00

9.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.45 €14.37

$14.23 €12.43

15.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.43 €15.23

$16.89 €14.75

3.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$2.61 €2.28

-9.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.59 €2.26

$2.44 €2.14

6.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 €1.67

$2.08 €1.82

-7.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.01 €3.50

$4.04 €3.53

-0.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 €1.83

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 €1.74

$1.99 €1.73

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 €1.08

$1.33 €1.16

-6.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 €0.64

$1.17 €1.02

-37.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.19 €11.53

$13.65 €11.93

-3.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.13 €6.23

$7.01 €6.13

1.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 €1.28

$1.53 €1.33

-3.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 €2.31

$2.71 €2.37

-2.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.00 €2.62

$4.70 €4.11

-36.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.3 €76.3

$91.0 €79.5

-4.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.75 €5.03

$5.26 €4.60

9.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.05 €1.79

3.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.09 €29.78

$21.21 €18.53

60.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 €1.95

$2.24 €1.96

-0.45%

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

$29.6K €25.8K

$40.4K €35.3K

-26.90%

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

$28.3K €24.7K

$35.5K €31.0K

-20.22%

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

$286 €250

$285 €249

0.44%

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

$21.72 €18.97

$23.95 €20.92

-9.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 €45.20

$55.8 €48.75

-7.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.42 €37.07

$45.62 €39.86

-7.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.86 €17.35

$28.20 €24.64

-29.57%

Cinema Ticket

$14.03 €12.26

$17.01 €14.87

-17.52%

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

$2,118 €1,850

$2,268 €1,982

-6.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.3K

$14.0K €12.2K

17.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 €97.3

$93.8 €82.0

18.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.08 €41.14

$50.8 €44.38

-7.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 €101

$126 €110

-8.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 €131

$177 €155

-15.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,550 €1,355

$1,758 €1,536

-11.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,307 €1,142

$1,452 €1,268

-10.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,368 €2,069

$2,834 €2,476

-16.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,994 €1,742

$2,303 €2,012

-13.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,792 €6,808

$5,997 €5,240

29.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,931 €5,182

$3,900 €3,408

52.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,916 €3,421

$4,092 €3,576

-4.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.99

4.08

-2.21%

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

Last update for Leiden: July 13, 2026

Last update for Rotterdam: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,550 in Leiden and $1,758 in Rotterdam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rotterdam pays 5% 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: $86.0 in Leiden vs $91.0 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

Leiden vs Rotterdam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Leiden wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Rotterdam. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Leiden the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 5% 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: $1,550 in Leiden versus $1,758 in Rotterdam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Rotterdam pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Leiden – a meal for two runs $86.0 versus $91.0 in Rotterdam. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Leiden is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Leiden delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,654 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Leiden hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Leiden 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 Leiden gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Rotterdam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.