Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Apeldoorn

For one person, living is cheaper in Apeldoorn: $2,582 a month against $3,047 in Rotterdam, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 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
124

Cost of Living Index in Apeldoorn
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Apeldoorn Living Index

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Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,047

/mo nomad

Apeldoorn

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,582

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rotterdam and in Apeldoorn

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

A single person spends $3,047 per month in Rotterdam vs $2,582 in Apeldoorn, rent included.

Rotterdam $3,047
Apeldoorn $2,582

A couple spends around $4,256 per month in Rotterdam vs $3,624 in Apeldoorn, rent included.

Rotterdam $4,256
Apeldoorn $3,624

A family of three spends $5,466 per month in Rotterdam vs $4,666 in Apeldoorn, rent included.

Rotterdam $5,466
Apeldoorn $4,666

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

Both Rotterdam and Apeldoorn sit above the global median – Rotterdam by 125%, Apeldoorn by 91%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.91 €18.60

$22.22 €19.77

-5.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.4 €74.2

$81.6 €72.6

2.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 €11.74

$13.67 €12.16

-3.44%

Cappuccino

$4.37 €3.89

$4.53 €4.03

-3.53%

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

$3.89 €3.46

$3.74 €3.33

4.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 €3.12

$3.29 €2.92

6.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.25 €6.45

$5.82 €5.18

24.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.98 €5.32

$5.47 €4.87

9.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 €1.31

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 €2.05

$2.20 €1.96

4.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.96 €2.64

$3.03 €2.70

-2.31%

Eggs

$5.24 €4.66

$5.37 €4.78

-2.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.22 €10.87

$13.91 €12.37

-12.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.37 €11.90

$14.33 €12.75

-6.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.62 €16.56

$17.31 €15.40

7.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 €3.01

$2.69 €2.40

25.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 €2.25

$2.42 €2.16

4.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 €2.28

$2.19 €1.95

16.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.51 €3.13

$4.26 €3.79

-17.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 €1.51

$1.92 €1.71

-11.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 €1.31

$2.32 €2.06

-36.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.24 €1.10

18.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.14

$0.91 €0.81

41.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.61 €12.99

$13.76 €12.24

6.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.67 €5.93

$7.17 €6.38

-6.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 €1.30

$1.32 €1.18

11.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 €2.24

$2.70 €2.40

-6.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.40 €3.92

$4.10 €3.65

7.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 €98.6

$67.6 €60.1

64.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.73 €4.21

$8.39 €7.46

-43.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.48 €3.10

$1.98 €1.76

75.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$68.4 €60.9

$22.66 €20.15

202.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.59 €2.31

$2.48 €2.21

4.44%

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

$42.3K €37.6K

$41.4K €36.8K

2.01%

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

$39.4K €35.0K

$39.2K €34.9K

0.36%

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

$297 €264

$314 €280

-5.41%

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

$21.43 €19.06

$26.74 €23.78

-19.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.6 €49.49

$57.2 €50.9

-2.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.98 €42.68

$34.18 €30.40

40.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.31 €26.07

Cinema Ticket

$15.40 €13.69

$15.77 €14.02

-2.35%

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

$2,677 €2,381

$1,211 €1,078

120.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K €11.4K

$6,072 €5,401

110.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.3 €84.7

$77.7 €69.2

22.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.44 €35.08

$39.87 €35.47

-1.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €98.2

$89.3 €79.4

23.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 €124

$103 €91.6

35.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,968 €1,750

$971 €864

102.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,588 €1,412

$1,188 €1,057

33.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,116 €2,771

$1,575 €1,401

97.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,281 €2,029

$1,667 €1,483

36.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,925 €5,271

$4,556 €4,053

30.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,979 €3,539

$3,630 €3,229

9.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,135 €3,678

$3,222 €2,866

28.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.49

3.95

-11.65%

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

Last update for Rotterdam: October 19, 2026

Last update for Apeldoorn: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rotterdam

$1.6K 52.1%

Apeldoorn

$1.2K 46% 25.2% $400

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rotterdam

$374 12.3%

Apeldoorn

$398 15.4% 6.4% $24

Groceries & Markets

Rotterdam

$345 11.3%

Apeldoorn

$346 13.4% 0.4% $1.5

Eating Out

Rotterdam

$337 11.1%

Apeldoorn

$341 13.2% 1.2% $4.2

Clothing & Footwear

Rotterdam

$173 5.7%

Apeldoorn

$139 5.4% 19.3% $33

Getting Around

Rotterdam

$151 4.9%

Apeldoorn

$102 4% 32.1% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Rotterdam

$79 2.6%

Apeldoorn

$66 2.6% 16.6% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,968 in Rotterdam versus $971 in Apeldoorn. 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 28% 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 $83.0 in Rotterdam versus $82.0 in Apeldoorn. Groceries tell a different story – $345 in Rotterdam vs $346 in Apeldoorn – so Rotterdam wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Apeldoorn

🕒 Local time

15:16 3:16 PM

Same time as Rotterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

572,392

167,191

💱 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 Apeldoorn 100 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 Apeldoorn: 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 $4,570 per month in Rotterdam and $3,873 in Apeldoorn. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $83.0 in Rotterdam and $82.0 in Apeldoorn. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,047 in Rotterdam and $2,582 in Apeldoorn. That's a gap of about 18%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Apeldoorn, where all-in costs run around $2,582, than in Rotterdam at $3,047. In Apeldoorn it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rotterdam it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Apeldoorn – 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 Apeldoorn. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Rotterdam makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.