Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Arnhem

For one person, living is cheaper in Arnhem: $2,557 a month against $3,032 in Rotterdam, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 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
125

Cost of Living Index in Arnhem
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Arnhem Living Index

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Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,032

/mo nomad

Arnhem

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,557

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rotterdam and in Arnhem

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,032 in Rotterdam versus $2,557 in Arnhem.

Rotterdam $3,032
Arnhem $2,557

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,227 in Rotterdam versus $3,743 in Arnhem.

Rotterdam $4,227
Arnhem $3,743

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,422 in Rotterdam versus $4,930 in Arnhem.

Rotterdam $5,422
Arnhem $4,930

Living in Rotterdam is roughly 19% more expensive than in Arnhem, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rotterdam 125% above, Arnhem 89% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.82 €18.52

$21.91 €19.49

-4.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.4 €75.1

$85.2 €75.8

-0.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.49 €12.00

$14.98 €13.32

-9.95%

Cappuccino

$4.42 €3.93

$4.07 €3.62

8.60%

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

$3.81 €3.39

$3.34 €2.97

14.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 €3.07

$2.83 €2.52

22.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.08 €6.29

$5.62 €5.00

25.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.01 €5.35

$5.47 €4.86

9.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 €1.31

$1.48 €1.32

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 €2.11

$1.99 €1.77

19.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 €2.54

$2.29 €2.04

24.89%

Eggs

$5.38 €4.78

$5.21 €4.64

3.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.78 €10.48

$12.74 €11.33

-7.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.62 €12.11

$14.14 €12.58

-3.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.76 €16.69

$15.77 €14.03

18.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 €2.96

$2.82 €2.50

17.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 €2.31

$2.54 €2.26

2.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 €2.24

$1.86 €1.65

35.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 €3.00

$5.39 €4.79

-37.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 €1.51

$1.88 €1.67

-9.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 €1.35

$2.39 €2.13

-36.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.22 €1.08

21.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 €1.12

$0.71 €0.63

77.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.24 €12.67

$14.23 €12.65

0.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.55 €5.82

$7.15 €6.36

-8.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.44 €1.28

2.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 €2.31

$2.63 €2.34

-1.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.39 €3.90

$4.35 €3.87

0.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 €97.1

$113 €100

-3.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 €4.01

$4.00 €3.56

12.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.37 €3.00

$2.38 €2.12

41.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.8 €58.6

$32.86 €29.23

100.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.64 €2.34

$2.39 €2.12

10.46%

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

$40.9K €36.3K

$41.8K €37.2K

-2.33%

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

$38.8K €34.5K

$39.7K €35.3K

-2.24%

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

$300 €267

$276 €245

8.78%

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

$21.55 €19.17

$22.71 €20.20

-5.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 €47.74

$42.44 €37.75

26.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.47 €43.11

$41.30 €36.73

17.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.57 €25.41

$10.99 €9.78

159.96%

Cinema Ticket

$15.60 €13.88

$14.38 €12.79

8.48%

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

$2,658 €2,364

$1,259 €1,120

111.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K €11.4K

$5,925 €5,270

115.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.2 €82.0

$95.3 €84.8

-3.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.50 €34.25

$29.13 €25.91

32.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €97.0

$107 €94.8

2.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €125

$152 €136

-7.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,748

$1,436 €1,278

36.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 €1,402

$1,159 €1,031

36.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,071 €2,732

$2,228 €1,982

37.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,238 €1,991

$1,834 €1,632

22.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,891 €5,240

$5,312 €4,725

10.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,967 €3,528

$4,175 €3,714

-4.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,107 €3,653

$3,723 €3,312

10.32%

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 10, 2026

Last update for Arnhem: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rotterdam

$1.6K 52%

Arnhem

$1.2K 45.3% 26.5% $417

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rotterdam

$375 12.4%

Arnhem

$341 13.3% 9.1% $34

Groceries & Markets

Rotterdam

$345 11.4%

Arnhem

$335 13.1% 2.9% $10

Eating Out

Rotterdam

$336 11.1%

Arnhem

$333 13% 1.1% $3.7

Clothing & Footwear

Rotterdam

$171 5.7%

Arnhem

$173 6.8% 0.8% $1.3

Getting Around

Rotterdam

$148 4.9%

Arnhem

$146 5.7% 1.3% $1.9

Sport & Entertainment

Rotterdam

$80 2.6%

Arnhem

$70 2.7% 12.1% $9.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,966 in Rotterdam and $1,436 in Arnhem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rotterdam pays 10% 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: $84.0 in Rotterdam vs $85.0 in Arnhem. Groceries flip the comparison at $345 vs $335, with Arnhem cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Arnhem

🕒 Local time

02:31 2:31 AM

Same time as Rotterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

572,392

165,770

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Arnhem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rotterdam and Arnhem differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($3,032 vs $2,557 including rent). Arnhem is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 10% 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: $1,966 in Rotterdam versus $1,436 in Arnhem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Rotterdam. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Arnhem – a meal for two runs $85.0 versus $84.0 in Rotterdam. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Arnhem is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Rotterdam and Arnhem 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 Arnhem gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Rotterdam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.