Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Purmerend and Rotterdam

For one person, living is cheaper in Purmerend: $2,481 a month against $3,138 in Rotterdam, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

120

Cost of Living Index in Purmerend
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Purmerend Living Index
150

Cost of Living Index in Rotterdam
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Rotterdam Living Index

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Purmerend

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,481

/mo nomad

Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,138

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,481 per month in Purmerend vs $3,138 in Rotterdam, rent included.

Purmerend $2,481
Rotterdam $3,138

A couple spends around $3,542 per month in Purmerend vs $4,366 in Rotterdam, rent included.

Purmerend $3,542
Rotterdam $4,366

A family of three spends $4,603 per month in Purmerend vs $5,593 in Rotterdam, rent included.

Purmerend $4,603
Rotterdam $5,593

Purmerend is about 21% cheaper than Rotterdam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Purmerend and Rotterdam sit above the global median – Purmerend by 84%, Rotterdam by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.48 €14.68

$23.90 €21.29

-31.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.53 €44.12

$77.0 €68.6

-35.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 €11.47

$13.60 €12.11

-5.29%

Cappuccino

$4.11 €3.66

$4.37 €3.89

-5.95%

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

$3.58 €3.19

$3.93 €3.50

-8.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 €2.30

$3.32 €2.96

-22.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.99 €5.34

$7.23 €6.44

-17.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.72 €5.09

$6.19 €5.51

-7.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.49 €1.33

-8.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.18 €1.94

$2.40 €2.14

-9.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 €2.24

$2.84 €2.53

-11.62%

Eggs

$4.85 €4.32

$5.24 €4.67

-7.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €12.19

$12.16 €10.83

12.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.71 €12.21

$13.67 €12.17

0.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.15 €15.27

$18.63 €16.59

-7.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 €2.31

$3.37 €3.00

-23.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.14

$2.57 €2.29

-6.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 €1.74

$2.53 €2.26

-22.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 €3.80

$3.43 €3.06

24.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.60

$1.69 €1.51

5.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 €1.69

$1.49 €1.32

27.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 €1.10

$1.43 €1.27

-13.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.81

$1.30 €1.16

-30.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.05 €12.52

$14.84 €13.22

-5.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.00 €6.23

$6.55 €5.83

6.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 €1.29

$1.47 €1.31

-1.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 €2.35

$2.52 €2.24

4.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.59 €3.20

$6.26 €5.58

-42.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.1 €81.2

$112 €99.8

-18.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.18 €3.72

$4.77 €4.25

-12.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.70 €2.40

$3.65 €3.25

-26.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.99 €25.82

$67.5 €60.1

-57.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.39 €2.13

$2.53 €2.25

-5.53%

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

$40.5K €36.1K

$41.7K €37.1K

-2.74%

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

$38.6K €34.4K

$38.8K €34.5K

-0.35%

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

$261 €233

$296 €264

-11.74%

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

$22.37 €19.93

$22.01 €19.61

1.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.8 €45.22

$55.8 €49.70

-9.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.26 €36.76

$44.40 €39.55

-7.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.41 €20.85

$28.95 €25.79

-19.14%

Cinema Ticket

$15.29 €13.62

$15.78 €14.06

-3.11%

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

$2,578 €2,296

$2,768 €2,466

-6.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,039 €7,161

$19.5K €17.4K

-58.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.8 €81.8

$94.1 €83.9

-2.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.92 €39.12

$38.79 €34.56

13.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €91.6

$111 €99.3

-7.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 €122

$132 €117

3.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,441 €1,283

$2,088 €1,860

-30.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,163 €1,036

$1,651 €1,471

-29.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,340 €2,085

$3,207 €2,857

-27.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,842 €1,641

$2,371 €2,112

-22.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,646 €5,029

$6,064 €5,402

-6.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,415 €3,933

$4,218 €3,757

4.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,977 €3,543

$4,162 €3,708

-4.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.03

3.49

15.47%

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

Last update for Purmerend: November 3, 2026

Last update for Rotterdam: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Purmerend

$1.2K 46.9%

Rotterdam

$1.7K 52.6% 41.9% $488

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Purmerend

$334 13.5%

Rotterdam

$374 11.9% 11.8% $39

Groceries & Markets

Purmerend

$334 13.5%

Rotterdam

$346 11% 3.7% $12

Eating Out

Purmerend

$286 11.5%

Rotterdam

$362 11.5% 26.6% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Purmerend

$169 6.8%

Rotterdam

$169 5.4% 0.3% $0.6

Getting Around

Purmerend

$123 5%

Rotterdam

$160 5.1% 30% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Purmerend

$72 2.9%

Rotterdam

$76 2.4% 5.7% $4.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,441 in Purmerend versus $2,088 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 5% 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 $50 in Purmerend versus $77 in Rotterdam. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $334 vs $346 – making Purmerend the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Purmerend

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🕒 Local time

20:19 8:19 PM

Same time as Purmerend

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,915

572,392

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Purmerend Rotterdam 72 km

From you

Purmerend
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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

Purmerend vs Rotterdam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,481 in Purmerend, $3,138 in Rotterdam – Purmerend comes out roughly 21% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,722 per month in Purmerend and $4,707 in Rotterdam. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Purmerend, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,441 there versus $2,088 in Rotterdam.

Public transport costs about 19% less in Purmerend. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,578 per month in Purmerend and $2,768 in Rotterdam. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Purmerend, where all-in costs run around $2,481, than in Rotterdam at $3,138. In Purmerend it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rotterdam it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Purmerend – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Purmerend. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Rotterdam makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.