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: $2,914 in Rotterdam versus $2,432 in Alkmaar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,233 in Rotterdam versus $3,858 in Alkmaar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,553 in Rotterdam versus $5,284 in Alkmaar.

Living in Rotterdam is roughly 20% more expensive than in Alkmaar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rotterdam 118% above, Alkmaar 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.60 €20.67

$29.33 €25.69

-19.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 €79.9

$88.9 €77.8

2.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.92 €12.19

$15.41 €13.49

-9.67%

Cappuccino

$4.36 €3.82

$4.04 €3.54

7.92%

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

$3.49 €3.06

$3.39 €2.97

2.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 €2.57

$2.62 €2.29

11.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.09 €6.21

$5.89 €5.16

20.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 €5.08

$4.60 €4.03

26.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.43 €1.25

-6.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 €2.10

$2.28 €2.00

5.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.23 €2.83

$3.53 €3.09

-8.50%

Eggs

$5.23 €4.58

$5.05 €4.42

3.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.74 €12.03

$14.28 €12.51

-3.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.23 €12.46

$16.17 €14.16

-12.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.89 €14.79

$20.49 €17.95

-17.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.29

$2.59 €2.27

0.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.44 €2.14

$2.51 €2.20

-2.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.89 €1.66

10.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 €3.54

$4.29 €3.75

-5.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 €1.83

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 €1.74

$2.17 €1.90

-8.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 €1.16

$1.26 €1.10

5.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.03

$1.10 €0.97

6.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.65 €11.95

$13.20 €11.56

3.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.01 €6.14

$7.20 €6.31

-2.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 €1.34

$1.21 €1.06

26.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 €2.38

$2.31 €2.02

17.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.70 €4.12

$2.84 €2.49

65.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.0 €79.7

$67.7 €59.3

34.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.26 €4.61

$4.40 €3.86

19.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.79

$1.34 €1.17

52.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.21 €18.57

$35.30 €30.91

-39.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 €1.96

$2.27 €1.99

-1.32%

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

$40.4K €35.4K

$36.6K €32.1K

10.47%

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

$35.5K €31.1K

$35.3K €30.9K

0.66%

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

$285 €250

$267 €234

6.84%

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

$23.95 €20.97

$21.63 €18.94

10.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 €48.87

$44.42 €38.90

25.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.62 €39.96

$43.77 €38.34

4.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.20 €24.70

$6.30 €5.52

347.62%

Cinema Ticket

$17.01 €14.90

$17.67 €15.48

-3.74%

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

$2,268 €1,986

$747 €654

203.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K €12.2K

$2,449 €2,144

470.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.8 €82.2

$119 €104

-20.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 €44.48

$47.37 €41.49

7.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 €111

$109 €95.7

15.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$177 €155

$131 €115

35.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,758 €1,540

$824 €722

113.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,452 €1,272

$1,029 €901

41.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,834 €2,482

$2,878 €2,521

-1.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,303 €2,017

$2,083 €1,824

10.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,997 €5,252

$5,215 €4,567

14.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,900 €3,416

$4,219 €3,695

-7.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,092 €3,584

$3,300 €2,890

24.00%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Alkmaar: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,758 in Rotterdam and $824 in Alkmaar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rotterdam pays 24% 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 $89.0 in Alkmaar. Groceries flip the comparison at $347 vs $368, with Rotterdam cheaper for home cooking.

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 20% 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 24% 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: $1,758 in Rotterdam versus $824 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 $2,268 in Rotterdam versus $747 in Alkmaar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,432 in Alkmaar versus $2,914 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 $2,432 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 20% less than in Rotterdam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.