Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Almelo

For one person, living is cheaper in Almelo: $2,541 a month against $3,153 in Rotterdam, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

150

Cost of Living Index in Rotterdam
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Rotterdam Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Almelo
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Almelo Living Index

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Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,153

/mo nomad

Almelo

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,541

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rotterdam and in Almelo

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 Almelo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,153 per month in Rotterdam vs $2,541 in Almelo, rent included.

Rotterdam $3,153
Almelo $2,541

A couple spends around $4,381 per month in Rotterdam vs $3,772 in Almelo, rent included.

Rotterdam $4,381
Almelo $3,772

A family of three spends $5,609 per month in Rotterdam vs $5,004 in Almelo, rent included.

Rotterdam $5,609
Almelo $5,004

Rotterdam costs about 24% more than Almelo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Rotterdam and Almelo sit above the global median – Rotterdam by 132%, Almelo by 87%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.81 €18.57

$19.80 €17.67

5.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.2 €76.0

$102 €91.0

-16.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €12.19

$15.75 €14.05

-13.27%

Cappuccino

$4.31 €3.84

$4.44 €3.97

-2.93%

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

$3.79 €3.38

$3.91 €3.49

-3.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.07

$3.12 €2.78

10.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.93 €6.18

$5.57 €4.97

24.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.05 €5.39

$5.43 €4.85

11.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 €1.27

$1.33 €1.19

6.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 €2.17

$2.54 €2.26

-3.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.84 €2.54

$2.62 €2.33

8.40%

Eggs

$5.27 €4.70

$4.51 €4.02

16.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.09 €10.79

$12.71 €11.34

-4.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.32 €11.88

$12.97 €11.58

2.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.92 €16.88

$18.13 €16.18

4.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.43 €3.06

$2.96 €2.64

15.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 €2.23

$2.48 €2.21

0.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 €2.27

$2.60 €2.32

-2.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.39 €3.02

$4.69 €4.19

-27.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 €1.50

$2.02 €1.81

-16.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 €1.35

$1.62 €1.44

-6.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.35

$1.24 €1.11

21.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.15

$1.27 €1.13

1.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.39 €12.84

$14.19 €12.66

1.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.82 €6.09

$6.76 €6.03

0.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 €1.36

$1.45 €1.29

4.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 €2.31

$2.47 €2.20

4.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.27 €5.60

$4.14 €3.70

51.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 €98.8

$93.0 €83.0

19.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.09

$6.66 €5.94

-31.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.45 €3.08

$2.71 €2.41

27.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$67.3 €60.1

$28.64 €25.55

134.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.56 €2.28

$2.15 €1.92

19.07%

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

$41.3K €36.9K

$41.1K €36.7K

0.48%

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

$39.9K €35.6K

$39.4K €35.1K

1.27%

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

$305 €272

$233 €208

30.90%

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

$21.41 €19.11

$21.16 €18.87

1.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 €49.74

$48.86 €43.60

14.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.35 €40.46

$40.62 €36.24

11.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.35 €26.19

$22.76 €20.30

28.95%

Cinema Ticket

$15.68 €13.99

$16.49 €14.71

-4.91%

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

$2,793 €2,492

$2,000 €1,784

39.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K €11.2K

$7,636 €6,813

63.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.9 €82.9

$106 €94.1

-11.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.70 €35.42

$45.17 €40.30

-12.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €96.4

$103 €92.0

4.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €126

$197 €176

-28.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,068 €1,845

$1,355 €1,209

52.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,684 €1,502

$1,162 €1,037

44.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,183 €2,840

$2,302 €2,054

38.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,398 €2,140

$1,819 €1,623

31.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,140 €5,478

$6,332 €5,650

-3.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,198 €3,746

$4,449 €3,970

-5.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,933 €3,509

$4,832 €4,311

-18.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.49

3.43

1.75%

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

Last update for Rotterdam: October 24, 2026

Last update for Almelo: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rotterdam

$1.7K 53.4%

Almelo

$1.2K 45.7% 31% $522

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rotterdam

$382 12.1%

Almelo

$303 11.9% 20.7% $79

Groceries & Markets

Rotterdam

$346 11%

Almelo

$343 13.5% 0.8% $2.6

Eating Out

Rotterdam

$335 10.6%

Almelo

$326 12.8% 2.7% $9

Clothing & Footwear

Rotterdam

$172 5.5%

Almelo

$203 8% 18.1% $31

Getting Around

Rotterdam

$158 5%

Almelo

$130 5.1% 17.7% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Rotterdam

$77 2.4%

Almelo

$74 2.9% 4.1% $3.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,068 in Rotterdam versus $1,355 in Almelo. 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 23% higher in Almelo, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Rotterdam versus $102 in Almelo. Groceries tell a different story – $346 in Rotterdam vs $343 in Almelo – so Almelo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Almelo

🕒 Local time

14:50 2:50 PM

Same time as Rotterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

572,392

73,107

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Rotterdam Almelo 160 km

From you

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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 Almelo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rotterdam costs about 24% more than Almelo, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,729 per month in Rotterdam and $3,811 in Almelo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Almelo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,355 there versus $2,068 in Rotterdam.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Rotterdam and $102 in Almelo. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 16% less in Almelo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,153 in Rotterdam and $2,541 in Almelo. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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