Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nijmegen and Rotterdam

For one person, living is cheaper in Nijmegen: $2,510 a month against $3,047 in Rotterdam, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Rotterdam outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

120

Cost of Living Index in Nijmegen
Learn more

Nijmegen Living Index
149

Cost of Living Index in Rotterdam
Learn more

Rotterdam Living Index

Jump to prices

Nijmegen

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,510

/mo nomad

Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,047

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,468 in Nijmegen versus $3,032 in Rotterdam.

Nijmegen $2,468
Rotterdam $3,032

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,703 in Nijmegen versus $4,227 in Rotterdam.

Nijmegen $3,703
Rotterdam $4,227

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,938 in Nijmegen versus $5,422 in Rotterdam.

Nijmegen $4,938
Rotterdam $5,422

Living in Nijmegen costs roughly 19% less than in Rotterdam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nijmegen 83% above, Rotterdam 125% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.04 €22.27

$20.91 €18.60

19.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.8 €84.3

$83.4 €74.2

13.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €12.13

$13.20 €11.74

3.33%

Cappuccino

$4.26 €3.79

$4.37 €3.89

-2.52%

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

$3.95 €3.51

$3.89 €3.46

1.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 €2.38

$3.51 €3.12

-23.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.63 €5.01

$7.25 €6.45

-22.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.48 €4.87

$5.98 €5.32

-8.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 €1.25

$1.47 €1.31

-4.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 €1.84

$2.30 €2.05

-10.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 €2.12

$2.96 €2.64

-19.59%

Eggs

$5.17 €4.60

$5.24 €4.66

-1.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 €11.76

$12.22 €10.87

8.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.42 €12.83

$13.37 €11.90

7.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.65 €13.92

$18.62 €16.56

-15.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 €2.41

$3.38 €3.01

-19.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 €2.26

$2.53 €2.25

0.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 €1.67

$2.56 €2.28

-26.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.50 €4.89

$3.51 €3.13

56.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

$1.70 €1.51

18.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 €2.16

$1.47 €1.31

65.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 €1.09

$1.47 €1.31

-16.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 €0.63

$1.29 €1.14

-44.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.80 €12.27

$14.61 €12.99

-5.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.22 €6.43

$6.67 €5.93

8.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.35

$1.47 €1.30

2.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 €2.25

$2.52 €2.24

0.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.41 €3.04

$4.40 €3.92

-22.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 €124

$111 €98.6

26.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.94 €3.50

$4.73 €4.21

-16.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.24 €2.88

$3.48 €3.10

-6.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.76 €39.81

$68.4 €60.9

-34.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.34 €2.08

$2.59 €2.31

-9.65%

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

$42.1K €37.5K

$42.3K €37.6K

-0.36%

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

$40.2K €35.8K

$39.4K €35.0K

2.17%

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

$286 €254

$297 €264

-3.79%

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

$22.40 €19.92

$21.43 €19.06

4.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.98 €37.34

$55.6 €49.49

-24.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.23 €26.89

$47.98 €42.68

-36.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.93 €22.18

$29.31 €26.07

-14.94%

Cinema Ticket

$15.96 €14.19

$15.40 €13.69

3.64%

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

$2,837 €2,524

$2,677 €2,381

5.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €15.2K

$12.8K €11.4K

33.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.3 €86.5

$95.3 €84.7

2.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.10 €38.34

$39.44 €35.08

9.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.1

$110 €98.2

-5.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$169 €150

$139 €124

21.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,484 €1,320

$1,968 €1,750

-24.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,041 €926

$1,588 €1,412

-34.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,382 €2,119

$3,116 €2,771

-23.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,634 €1,454

$2,281 €2,029

-28.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,488 €4,881

$5,925 €5,271

-7.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,140 €3,682

$3,979 €3,539

4.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,469 €3,086

$4,135 €3,678

-16.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.49

14.61%

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

Last update for Nijmegen: October 18, 2026

Last update for Rotterdam: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nijmegen

$1K 41.5%

Rotterdam

$1.6K 52.1% 52.6% $547

Eating Out

Nijmegen

$358 14.3%

Rotterdam

$337 11.1% 5.8% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nijmegen

$350 14%

Rotterdam

$374 12.3% 6.8% $24

Groceries & Markets

Nijmegen

$339 13.5%

Rotterdam

$345 11.3% 1.8% $6

Clothing & Footwear

Nijmegen

$186 7.4%

Rotterdam

$173 5.7% 7.2% $13

Getting Around

Nijmegen

$174 6.9%

Rotterdam

$151 4.9% 13.2% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Nijmegen

$62 2.5%

Rotterdam

$79 2.6% 26.8% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,504 in Nijmegen and $1,966 in Rotterdam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rotterdam pays 22% 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: $94.0 in Nijmegen vs $84.0 in Rotterdam. Groceries flip the comparison at $336 vs $345, with Nijmegen cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Nijmegen

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🕒 Local time

11:57 11:57 AM

Same time as Nijmegen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

177,359

572,392

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nijmegen Rotterdam 94 km

From you

Nijmegen
Rotterdam

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Nijmegen vs Rotterdam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nijmegen is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and leisure. The 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 22% 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: $1,504 in Nijmegen versus $1,966 in Rotterdam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Nijmegen – a meal for two runs $94.0 versus $84.0 in Rotterdam. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,468 per month in Nijmegen versus $3,032 in Rotterdam – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Nijmegen is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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

Safety-wise, Nijmegen 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 Nijmegen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Rotterdam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.