Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maastricht and Rotterdam

For one person, living is cheaper in Maastricht: $2,529 a month against $3,047 in Rotterdam, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Maastricht
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Maastricht Living Index
149

Cost of Living Index in Rotterdam
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Rotterdam Living Index

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Maastricht

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,529

/mo nomad

Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,047

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,529 per month in Maastricht vs $3,047 in Rotterdam, rent included.

Maastricht $2,529
Rotterdam $3,047

A couple spends around $3,661 per month in Maastricht vs $4,256 in Rotterdam, rent included.

Maastricht $3,661
Rotterdam $4,256

A family of three spends $4,793 per month in Maastricht vs $5,466 in Rotterdam, rent included.

Maastricht $4,793
Rotterdam $5,466

Maastricht is about 17% cheaper than Rotterdam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Maastricht and Rotterdam sit above the global median – Maastricht by 87%, Rotterdam by 125%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.93 €17.73

$20.91 €18.60

-4.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.0 €80.0

$83.4 €74.2

7.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.26 €10.91

$13.20 €11.74

-7.12%

Cappuccino

$4.26 €3.79

$4.37 €3.89

-2.52%

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

$3.79 €3.37

$3.89 €3.46

-2.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.69

$3.51 €3.12

-13.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.47 €7.53

$7.25 €6.45

16.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.54 €4.93

$5.98 €5.32

-7.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.47 €1.31

-12.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.48 €2.21

$2.30 €2.05

7.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.63 €2.34

$2.96 €2.64

-11.15%

Eggs

$4.49 €4.00

$5.24 €4.66

-14.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.94 €13.29

$12.22 €10.87

22.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.71 €12.19

$13.37 €11.90

2.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.14 €14.35

$18.62 €16.56

-13.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.58 €2.29

$3.38 €3.01

-23.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 €2.25

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.73

$2.56 €2.28

-24.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.55 €4.04

$3.51 €3.13

29.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 €1.66

$1.70 €1.51

10.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.47 €1.31

55.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 €1.15

$1.47 €1.31

-12.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.70

$1.29 €1.14

-38.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 €12.36

$14.61 €12.99

-4.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.69 €5.95

$6.67 €5.93

0.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 €1.30

$1.47 €1.30

-0.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 €2.36

$2.52 €2.24

5.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.17 €2.82

$4.40 €3.92

-27.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.2 €80.2

$111 €98.6

-18.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$11.03 €9.81

$4.73 €4.21

133.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.31 €2.95

$3.48 €3.10

-4.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.34 €25.21

$68.4 €60.9

-58.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.36 €2.10

$2.59 €2.31

-8.88%

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

$42.2K €37.6K

$42.3K €37.6K

-0.03%

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

$40.1K €35.7K

$39.4K €35.0K

1.87%

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

$297 €264

-0.09%

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

$16.93 €15.06

$21.43 €19.06

-21.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.67 €43.29

$55.6 €49.49

-12.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 €40.11

$47.98 €42.68

-6.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.68 €24.62

$29.31 €26.07

-5.56%

Cinema Ticket

$15.51 €13.79

$15.40 €13.69

0.71%

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

$1,250 €1,111

$2,677 €2,381

-53.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K €9,771

$12.8K €11.4K

-14.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.6 €73.5

$95.3 €84.7

-13.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.35 €34.11

$39.44 €35.08

-2.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €97.4

$110 €98.2

-0.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 €113

$139 €124

-8.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,278 €1,137

$1,968 €1,750

-35.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 €1,008

$1,588 €1,412

-28.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 €1,876

$3,116 €2,771

-32.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,706 €1,517

$2,281 €2,029

-25.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,408 €4,811

$5,925 €5,271

-8.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,604 €3,206

$3,979 €3,539

-9.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,265 €2,904

$4,135 €3,678

-21.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.42

3.49

26.65%

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

Last update for Maastricht: October 19, 2026

Last update for Rotterdam: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Maastricht

$1.1K 44.8%

Rotterdam

$1.6K 52.1% 40.1% $454

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Maastricht

$363 14.3%

Rotterdam

$374 12.3% 3.2% $12

Groceries & Markets

Maastricht

$337 13.3%

Rotterdam

$345 11.3% 2.3% $7.6

Eating Out

Maastricht

$328 13%

Rotterdam

$337 11.1% 2.8% $9.1

Clothing & Footwear

Maastricht

$161 6.4%

Rotterdam

$173 5.7% 7.5% $12

Getting Around

Maastricht

$130 5.2%

Rotterdam

$151 4.9% 15.5% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Maastricht

$76 3%

Rotterdam

$79 2.6% 3.5% $2.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,278 in Maastricht 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 27% 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 $90.0 in Maastricht versus $83.0 in Rotterdam. Groceries tell a different story – $337 in Maastricht vs $345 in Rotterdam – so Maastricht wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Maastricht

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🕒 Local time

17:16 5:16 PM

Same time as Maastricht

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

120,105

572,392

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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

Maastricht vs Rotterdam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rotterdam costs about 20% more than Maastricht, 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 $3,793 per month in Maastricht 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 Maastricht, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,529 in Maastricht and $3,047 in Rotterdam. That's a gap of about 20%.

Public transport costs about 23% less in Maastricht. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Maastricht, where all-in costs run around $2,529, than in Rotterdam at $3,047. In Maastricht it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rotterdam it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Maastricht costs $2,529 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 Maastricht. 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.