Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Alkmaar

For one person, living is cheaper in Alkmaar: $2,394 a month against $3,047 in Rotterdam, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

149

Cost of Living Index in Rotterdam
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Rotterdam Living Index
115

Cost of Living Index in Alkmaar
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Alkmaar Living Index

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Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,047

/mo nomad

Alkmaar

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,394

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rotterdam and in Alkmaar

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Rotterdam and in Alkmaar actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,047 in Rotterdam versus $2,394 in Alkmaar.

Rotterdam $3,047
Alkmaar $2,394

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,256 in Rotterdam versus $3,536 in Alkmaar.

Rotterdam $4,256
Alkmaar $3,536

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,466 in Rotterdam versus $4,677 in Alkmaar.

Rotterdam $5,466
Alkmaar $4,677

Living in Rotterdam is roughly 27% more expensive than in Alkmaar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rotterdam 125% above, Alkmaar 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.91 €18.60

$29.74 €26.45

-29.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.4 €74.2

$88.1 €78.3

-5.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 €11.74

$14.67 €13.05

-10.02%

Cappuccino

$4.37 €3.89

$3.96 €3.52

10.35%

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

$3.89 €3.46

$3.19 €2.83

21.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 €3.12

$2.47 €2.20

42.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.25 €6.45

$5.75 €5.12

26.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.98 €5.32

$4.57 €4.06

30.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.43 €1.27

2.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 €2.05

$2.37 €2.10

-2.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.96 €2.64

$3.45 €3.07

-14.20%

Eggs

$5.24 €4.66

$4.90 €4.36

6.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.22 €10.87

$14.23 €12.66

-14.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.37 €11.90

$15.08 €13.41

-11.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.62 €16.56

$16.85 €14.99

10.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 €3.01

$2.54 €2.26

33.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 €2.25

$2.47 €2.20

2.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 €2.28

$1.84 €1.64

39.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.51 €3.13

$4.25 €3.78

-17.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 €1.51

$1.94 €1.73

-12.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 €1.31

$2.15 €1.91

-31.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.28 €1.13

14.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.14

$0.80 €0.71

61.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.61 €12.99

$12.78 €11.37

14.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.67 €5.93

$6.89 €6.13

-3.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 €1.30

$1.34 €1.19

9.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 €2.24

$2.19 €1.95

15.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.40 €3.92

$2.20 €1.96

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 €98.6

$57.9 €51.5

91.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.73 €4.21

$2.75 €2.44

72.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.48 €3.10

$1.63 €1.45

113.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$68.4 €60.9

$24.82 €22.07

175.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.59 €2.31

$2.24 €1.99

15.62%

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

$42.3K €37.6K

$41.3K €36.7K

2.41%

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

$39.4K €35.0K

$38.6K €34.4K

1.92%

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

$297 €264

$242 €216

22.71%

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

$21.43 €19.06

$20.63 €18.35

3.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.6 €49.49

$46.41 €41.28

19.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.98 €42.68

$46.05 €40.96

4.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.31 €26.07

$6.11 €5.44

379.71%

Cinema Ticket

$15.40 €13.69

$15.00 €13.34

2.67%

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

$2,677 €2,381

$726 €645

269.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K €11.4K

$2,393 €2,128

435.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.3 €84.7

$116 €103

-17.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.44 €35.08

$46.67 €41.51

-15.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €98.2

$109 €97.3

0.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 €124

$118 €105

17.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,968 €1,750

$778 €692

152.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,588 €1,412

$1,020 €907

55.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,116 €2,771

$2,855 €2,539

9.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,281 €2,029

$1,576 €1,401

44.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,925 €5,271

$4,974 €4,424

19.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,979 €3,539

$4,169 €3,709

-4.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,135 €3,678

$3,317 €2,950

24.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.49

-12.75%

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

Last update for Rotterdam: October 19, 2026

Last update for Alkmaar: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rotterdam

$1.6K 52.1%

Alkmaar

$1K 42.6% 35.8% $568

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rotterdam

$374 12.3%

Alkmaar

$309 12.9% 17.4% $65

Groceries & Markets

Rotterdam

$345 11.3%

Alkmaar

$346 14.5% 0.3% $1

Eating Out

Rotterdam

$337 11.1%

Alkmaar

$390 16.3% 15.7% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Rotterdam

$173 5.7%

Alkmaar

$176 7.3% 1.7% $2.9

Getting Around

Rotterdam

$151 4.9%

Alkmaar

$78 3.2% 48.5% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Rotterdam

$79 2.6%

Alkmaar

$76 3.2% 3.5% $2.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,968 in Rotterdam and $778 in Alkmaar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rotterdam pays 25% 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: $83.0 in Rotterdam vs $88.0 in Alkmaar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $346 per month, with Rotterdam cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Alkmaar

🕒 Local time

14:35 2:35 PM

Same time as Rotterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

572,392

111,834

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Rotterdam Alkmaar 79 km

From you

Rotterdam
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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

Rotterdam vs Alkmaar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alkmaar wins on cost – living expenses run 27% 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.

Average pay runs 25% higher in Rotterdam, 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: $1,968 in Rotterdam versus $778 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 92% less than in Rotterdam. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,677 in Rotterdam versus $726 in Alkmaar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,394 in Alkmaar versus $3,047 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 $2,394 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 27% less than in Rotterdam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.