Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Alkmaar Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Alkmaar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,957 in Rotterdam versus $2,479 in Alkmaar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,244 in Rotterdam versus $3,896 in Alkmaar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,531 in Rotterdam versus $5,314 in Alkmaar.

Living in Rotterdam is roughly 19% more expensive than Alkmaar, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rotterdam 121% above, Alkmaar 85% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.59 €20.31

$28.41 €24.47

-16.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.1 €78.5

$90.7 €78.1

0.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.07 €12.12

$15.45 €13.30

-8.93%

Cappuccino

$4.42 €3.80

$3.95 €3.40

11.90%

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

$3.66 €3.15

$3.43 €2.96

6.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 €2.47

$2.62 €2.25

9.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.89 €5.93

$5.91 €5.09

16.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 €5.08

$4.53 €3.90

30.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 €1.15

$1.48 €1.28

-9.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.34 €2.01

$2.35 €2.02

-0.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 €2.81

$3.56 €3.06

-8.43%

Eggs

$5.17 €4.45

$4.91 €4.22

5.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.78

$14.13 €12.17

-3.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.30 €12.31

$16.20 €13.95

-11.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.86 €14.52

$20.33 €17.50

-17.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.58 €2.22

$2.46 €2.12

4.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$2.52 €2.17

-1.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.93 €1.66

3.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 €3.37

$4.45 €3.83

-12.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.02 €1.74

-0.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$2.24 €1.93

-11.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.31 €1.13

4.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.01

$1.11 €0.96

5.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.68 €11.78

$13.46 €11.59

1.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.39 €6.36

$7.31 €6.29

1.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 €1.37

$1.27 €1.10

25.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.31

$2.40 €2.06

11.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.76 €4.10

$2.85 €2.45

67.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.0 €78.3

$67.7 €58.3

34.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.08 €4.38

$4.26 €3.67

19.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 €1.77

$1.33 €1.15

54.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.01 €18.09

$35.68 €30.72

-41.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.23 €1.92

4.04%

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

$40.1K €34.5K

$37.0K €31.8K

8.43%

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

$36.2K €31.2K

$36.0K €31.0K

0.65%

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

$288 €248

$259 €223

11.08%

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

$24.70 €21.27

$21.09 €18.16

17.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.6 €49.60

$45.14 €38.87

27.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.03 €39.63

$44.01 €37.90

4.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.08 €24.18

$6.30 €5.43

345.71%

Cinema Ticket

$17.42 €15.00

$17.48 €15.05

-0.34%

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

$2,223 €1,914

$763 €657

191.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K €12.1K

$2,400 €2,067

485.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.5 €81.4

$116 €100

-18.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 €43.45

$47.54 €40.94

6.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 €110

$111 €95.2

15.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$182 €157

$132 €114

37.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,774 €1,528

$812 €699

118.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,486 €1,280

$1,050 €904

41.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,869 €2,470

$2,889 €2,488

-0.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,285 €1,967

$2,077 €1,789

10.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,223 €5,359

$5,291 €4,556

17.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,977 €3,424

$4,393 €3,783

-9.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,139 €3,564

$3,474 €2,992

19.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

2.00%

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

Last update for Rotterdam: June 1, 2026

Last update for Alkmaar: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,774 in Rotterdam and $812 in Alkmaar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rotterdam pays 19% 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: $91.0 in Rotterdam vs $91.0 in Alkmaar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $347 vs $369 per month, with Rotterdam 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

Rotterdam vs Alkmaar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alkmaar wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Rotterdam. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Alkmaar the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Rotterdam pays 19% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,774 in Rotterdam versus $812 in Alkmaar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Alkmaar runs roughly 34% less than in Rotterdam. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,223 in Rotterdam versus $763 in Alkmaar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,479 in Alkmaar versus $2,957 in Rotterdam, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Alkmaar but tight or insufficient in Rotterdam. The gap between the two cities makes Alkmaar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Alkmaar delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,479 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Alkmaar hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Rotterdam and Alkmaar 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 Alkmaar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Rotterdam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.