Cost of Living Comparison Between Rijswijk and Rotterdam Cost of Living Comparison Between Rijswijk and Rotterdam

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,717 in Rijswijk versus $3,110 in Rotterdam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,684 in Rijswijk versus $4,402 in Rotterdam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,650 in Rijswijk versus $5,694 in Rotterdam.

Living in Rijswijk costs roughly 13% less than in Rotterdam, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rijswijk 98% above, Rotterdam 126% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.58 €20.27

$26.52 €22.80

-11.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.0 €69.6

$94.3 €81.1

-14.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.79 €7.55

$14.00 €12.04

-37.21%

Cappuccino

$3.74 €3.22

$4.50 €3.87

-16.89%

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

$3.58 €3.08

$3.94 €3.38

-9.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 €2.71

$3.61 €3.10

-12.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.80 €5.85

$7.22 €6.21

-5.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.02 €5.18

$6.01 €5.17

0.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 €1.20

$1.59 €1.36

-11.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 €1.53

$2.39 €2.05

-25.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 €1.79

$2.96 €2.54

-29.73%

Eggs

$4.13 €3.55

$5.67 €4.88

-27.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.25 €12.25

$12.70 €10.92

12.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.80 €10.15

$13.81 €11.87

-14.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.67 €15.19

$19.92 €17.13

-11.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$3.39 €2.92

-40.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 €1.79

$2.72 €2.34

-23.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$2.64 €2.27

-20.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 €2.02

$3.49 €3.00

-32.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 €1.09

$1.96 €1.68

-35.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 €1.20

$1.54 €1.33

-9.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 €1.04

$1.54 €1.33

-21.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 €0.85

$1.43 €1.23

-30.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.87 €11.93

$15.05 €12.93

-7.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.90 €5.07

$6.84 €5.88

-13.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.17

$1.54 €1.33

-11.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 €1.57

$2.63 €2.26

-30.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.58 €4.80

$4.78 €4.11

16.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 €64.3

$116 €99.8

-35.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.85 €4.17

$4.92 €4.23

-1.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.46 €2.98

$3.50 €3.01

-1.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.37 €30.40

$68.9 €59.2

-48.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.55 €2.19

$2.62 €2.25

-2.67%

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

$43.4K €37.3K

$42.7K €36.7K

1.80%

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

$39.8K €34.3K

$41.0K €35.2K

-2.76%

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

$293 €251

$306 €263

-4.27%

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

$20.43 €17.57

$22.36 €19.23

-8.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.3 €44.10

$56.9 €48.89

-9.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.09 €37.04

$49.50 €42.55

-12.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.92 €25.72

Cinema Ticket

$14.08 €12.10

$16.20 €13.93

-13.09%

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

$2,475 €2,128

$2,820 €2,424

-12.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K €10.5K

$13.3K €11.4K

-8.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.0 €85.1

$97.0 €83.4

2.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.35 €38.99

$40.59 €34.89

11.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 €96.1

$114 €98.4

-2.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 €125

$146 €126

-0.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,481 €1,273

$1,904 €1,637

-22.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,350 €1,161

$1,560 €1,341

-13.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,554 €1,336

$3,304 €2,840

-52.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,609 €1,384

$2,402 €2,065

-33.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,232 €5,358

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,161 €3,577

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,881 €3,337

$4,257 €3,660

-8.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.4

3.49

-2.58%

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

Last update for Rijswijk: August 31, 2026

Last update for Rotterdam: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,481 in Rijswijk and $1,904 in Rotterdam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rotterdam pays 10% 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: $81.0 in Rijswijk vs $94.0 in Rotterdam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $361 per month, with Rijswijk cheaper across the board.

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

Rijswijk vs Rotterdam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rijswijk and Rotterdam differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($2,717 vs $3,110 including rent). Rijswijk is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 10% 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: $1,481 in Rijswijk versus $1,904 in Rotterdam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Rotterdam. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Rijswijk – a meal for two runs $81.0 versus $94.0 in Rotterdam. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Rijswijk is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Rijswijk 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 Rijswijk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Rotterdam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.