Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Amsterdam

For one person, living is cheaper in Rotterdam: $3,032 a month against $3,465 in Amsterdam, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 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
168

Cost of Living Index in Amsterdam
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Amsterdam Living Index

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Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,032

/mo nomad

Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,465

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rotterdam and in Amsterdam

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

A single person spends $3,032 per month in Rotterdam vs $3,465 in Amsterdam, rent included.

Rotterdam $3,032
Amsterdam $3,465

A couple spends around $4,227 per month in Rotterdam vs $4,929 in Amsterdam, rent included.

Rotterdam $4,227
Amsterdam $4,929

A family of three spends $5,422 per month in Rotterdam vs $6,393 in Amsterdam, rent included.

Rotterdam $5,422
Amsterdam $6,393

Rotterdam is about 12% cheaper than Amsterdam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Rotterdam and Amsterdam sit above the global median – Rotterdam by 125%, Amsterdam by 157%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.82 €18.52

$22.10 €19.66

-5.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.4 €75.1

$90.0 €80.0

-6.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.49 €12.00

$15.32 €13.63

-11.95%

Cappuccino

$4.42 €3.93

$4.58 €4.07

-3.49%

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

$3.81 €3.39

$3.70 €3.29

2.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 €3.07

$2.98 €2.65

16.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.08 €6.29

$7.38 €6.56

-4.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.01 €5.35

$5.73 €5.10

4.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 €1.31

$1.57 €1.40

-5.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 €2.11

$2.30 €2.04

3.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 €2.54

$2.51 €2.23

13.94%

Eggs

$5.38 €4.78

$5.07 €4.51

6.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.78 €10.48

$16.73 €14.88

-29.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.62 €12.11

$13.11 €11.66

3.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.76 €16.69

$22.79 €20.28

-17.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 €2.96

$2.73 €2.43

21.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 €2.31

$2.76 €2.46

-5.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 €2.24

$2.74 €2.44

-8.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 €3.00

$3.78 €3.37

-10.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 €1.51

$2.38 €2.11

-28.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 €1.35

$1.61 €1.43

-5.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.46 €1.30

1.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 €1.12

$1.77 €1.58

-28.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.24 €12.67

$14.52 €12.92

-1.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.55 €5.82

$9.10 €8.09

-28.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.79 €1.59

-17.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 €2.31

$2.43 €2.16

7.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.39 €3.90

$3.69 €3.29

18.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 €97.1

$112 €100

-3.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 €4.01

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.37 €3.00

$3.44 €3.06

-2.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.8 €58.6

$39.71 €35.32

65.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.64 €2.34

$2.63 €2.34

0.38%

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

$40.9K €36.3K

$41.3K €36.7K

-1.10%

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

$38.8K €34.5K

$39.4K €35.1K

-1.54%

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

$300 €267

$295 €262

1.70%

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

$21.55 €19.17

$22.26 €19.80

-3.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 €47.74

$51.1 €45.46

5.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.47 €43.11

$59.9 €53.3

-19.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.57 €25.41

$35.44 €31.52

-19.38%

Cinema Ticket

$15.60 €13.88

$16.82 €14.96

-7.25%

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

$2,658 €2,364

$2,826 €2,513

-5.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K €11.4K

$17.1K €15.2K

-25.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.2 €82.0

$92.5 €82.3

-0.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.50 €34.25

$41.61 €37.01

-7.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €97.0

$97.6 €86.9

11.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €125

$132 €117

6.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,748

$2,575 €2,290

-23.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 €1,402

$1,955 €1,739

-19.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,071 €2,732

$3,997 €3,555

-23.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,238 €1,991

$3,053 €2,716

-26.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,891 €5,240

$10.4K €9,222

-43.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,967 €3,528

$6,494 €5,776

-38.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,107 €3,653

$4,692 €4,174

-12.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.49

3.27

6.73%

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

Last update for Rotterdam: October 10, 2026

Last update for Amsterdam: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rotterdam

$1.6K 52%

Amsterdam

$2K 56.4% 24% $378

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rotterdam

$375 12.4%

Amsterdam

$368 10.6% 1.8% $6.9

Groceries & Markets

Rotterdam

$345 11.4%

Amsterdam

$383 11% 10.9% $37

Eating Out

Rotterdam

$336 11.1%

Amsterdam

$353 10.2% 4.8% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Rotterdam

$171 5.7%

Amsterdam

$164 4.7% 4.4% $7.5

Getting Around

Rotterdam

$148 4.9%

Amsterdam

$149 4.3% 0.6% $0.9

Sport & Entertainment

Rotterdam

$80 2.6%

Amsterdam

$94 2.7% 17.4% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,966 in Rotterdam versus $2,575 in Amsterdam. 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 14% higher in Amsterdam, 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 $84.0 in Rotterdam versus $90.0 in Amsterdam. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $345 vs $383 – making Rotterdam the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Amsterdam

🕒 Local time

15:09 3:09 PM

Same time as Rotterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

572,392

881,933 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Rotterdam Amsterdam 57 km

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Rotterdam
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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 Amsterdam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Amsterdam is pricier by about 14%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,548 per month in Rotterdam and $5,197 in Amsterdam. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rotterdam, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 3% less in Rotterdam. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,658 per month in Rotterdam and $2,826 in Amsterdam. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,032 in Rotterdam and $3,465 in Amsterdam. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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