Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Almere

For one person, living is cheaper in Almere: $2,669 a month against $3,153 in Rotterdam, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 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
130

Cost of Living Index in Almere
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Almere Living Index

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Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,153

/mo nomad

Almere

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,669

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rotterdam and in Almere

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

A single person spends $3,153 per month in Rotterdam vs $2,669 in Almere, rent included.

Rotterdam $3,153
Almere $2,669

A couple spends around $4,381 per month in Rotterdam vs $3,785 in Almere, rent included.

Rotterdam $4,381
Almere $3,785

A family of three spends $5,609 per month in Rotterdam vs $4,900 in Almere, rent included.

Rotterdam $5,609
Almere $4,900

Rotterdam costs about 18% more than Almere, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Rotterdam and Almere sit above the global median – Rotterdam by 132%, Almere by 96%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.81 €18.64

$21.67 €19.41

-3.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.2 €76.3

$81.3 €72.8

4.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €12.24

$13.47 €12.06

1.41%

Cappuccino

$4.31 €3.86

$4.26 €3.82

1.17%

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

$3.79 €3.39

$3.71 €3.32

2.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.09

$3.58 €3.21

-3.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.93 €6.21

$5.54 €4.97

25.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.05 €5.41

$5.08 €4.55

19.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 €1.28

$1.35 €1.21

5.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 €2.18

$2.27 €2.03

7.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.84 €2.54

$2.62 €2.35

8.40%

Eggs

$5.27 €4.72

$5.06 €4.53

4.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.09 €10.83

$13.84 €12.40

-12.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.32 €11.93

$12.83 €11.49

3.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.92 €16.94

$16.93 €15.16

11.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.43 €3.07

$2.63 €2.36

30.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 €2.24

$2.36 €2.11

5.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 €2.28

$2.09 €1.87

21.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.39 €3.03

$4.22 €3.78

-19.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 €1.50

$1.81 €1.62

-7.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 €1.36

$2.27 €2.03

-33.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.35

$1.18 €1.05

27.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.15

$1.06 €0.95

21.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.39 €12.89

$14.05 €12.58

2.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.82 €6.11

$7.19 €6.44

-5.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 €1.36

$1.31 €1.17

16.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 €2.31

$2.79 €2.50

-7.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.27 €5.62

$3.15 €2.82

99.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 €99.2

$82.8 €74.1

33.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.10

$8.57 €7.68

-46.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.45 €3.09

$1.98 €1.77

74.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$67.3 €60.3

$22.10 €19.79

204.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.56 €2.29

$2.39 €2.14

7.11%

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

$41.3K €37.0K

0.08%

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

$39.9K €35.7K

$39.8K €35.7K

0.09%

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

$305 €273

$309 €277

-1.38%

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

$21.41 €19.18

$27.22 €24.38

-21.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 €49.93

$56.1 €50.2

-0.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.35 €40.62

$30.43 €27.25

49.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.35 €26.29

$23.61 €21.15

24.31%

Cinema Ticket

$15.68 €14.05

$16.48 €14.76

-4.85%

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

$2,793 €2,501

$2,671 €2,392

4.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K €11.2K

$7,976 €7,143

57.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.9 €83.2

$75.3 €67.5

23.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.70 €35.56

$40.79 €36.53

-2.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €96.8

$89.3 €80.0

21.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €127

$103 €92.5

36.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,068 €1,852

$1,385 €1,241

49.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,684 €1,508

$1,295 €1,160

30.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,183 €2,851

$2,260 €2,024

40.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,398 €2,148

$1,920 €1,719

24.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,140 €5,499

$5,817 €5,210

5.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,198 €3,760

$4,279 €3,832

-1.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,933 €3,523

$3,699 €3,313

6.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.49

3.65

-4.38%

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

Last update for Rotterdam: October 24, 2026

Last update for Almere: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rotterdam

$1.7K 53.4%

Almere

$1.3K 48.5% 23.1% $389

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rotterdam

$382 12.1%

Almere

$392 14.7% 2.7% $10

Groceries & Markets

Rotterdam

$346 11%

Almere

$334 12.5% 3.5% $12

Eating Out

Rotterdam

$335 10.6%

Almere

$332 12.4% 0.9% $2.9

Clothing & Footwear

Rotterdam

$172 5.5%

Almere

$139 5.2% 19.2% $33

Getting Around

Rotterdam

$158 5%

Almere

$114 4.3% 27.8% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Rotterdam

$77 2.4%

Almere

$63 2.4% 17.4% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,068 in Rotterdam versus $1,385 in Almere. 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 6% higher in Rotterdam, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Rotterdam versus $81 in Almere. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $334 – making Almere the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Almere

🕒 Local time

00:34 12:34 AM

Same time as Rotterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

572,392

222,825

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Rotterdam Almere 71 km

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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 Almere: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rotterdam is pricier by about 18%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,729 per month in Rotterdam and $4,004 in Almere. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Almere, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,385 there versus $2,068 in Rotterdam.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Rotterdam, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Rotterdam and $81 in Almere. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,153 in Rotterdam and $2,669 in Almere. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Almere. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Rotterdam makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.