Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,704 a month against $2,933 in Rotterdam, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

145

Cost of Living Index in Rotterdam
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Rotterdam Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,933

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rotterdam and in Austin, TX

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,933 in Rotterdam versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

Rotterdam $2,933
Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,252 in Rotterdam versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Rotterdam $4,252
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,572 in Rotterdam versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

Rotterdam $5,572
Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Rotterdam is roughly 8% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rotterdam 119% above, Austin, TX 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.05 €18.77

$20.22 $20.22

4.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.3 €76.0

$85.0 $85.0

0.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.37 €11.92

$12.35 $12.35

8.26%

Cappuccino

$4.45 €3.97

$5.47 $5.47

-18.65%

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

$3.79 €3.38

$3.82 $3.82

-0.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.07

$2.50 $2.50

37.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.16 €6.39

$8.06 $8.06

-11.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.79 €5.17

$8.99 $8.99

-35.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 €1.33

$1.13 $1.13

31.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 €2.18

$3.78 $3.78

-35.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.00 €2.67

$3.25 $3.25

-7.69%

Eggs

$5.41 €4.82

$4.14 $4.14

30.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.94 €10.65

$13.08 $13.08

-8.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.72 €12.23

$14.31 $14.31

-4.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.80 €16.77

$15.96 $15.96

17.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 €2.96

$4.38 $4.38

-24.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.58 €2.30

$1.45 $1.45

77.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 €2.35

$4.54 $4.54

-42.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.38 €3.01

$4.19 $4.19

-19.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 €1.51

$2.63 $2.63

-35.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 €1.32

$2.36 $2.36

-37.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.35

$1.76 $1.76

-13.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.13

$2.16 $2.16

-41.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.33 €12.78

$9.81 $9.81

46.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.87 €6.12

$14.72 $14.72

-53.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 €1.35

$2.78 $2.78

-45.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 €2.26

$3.48 $3.48

-27.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.46 €3.98

$1.49 $1.49

199.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 €97.3

$40.51 $40.51

169.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.68 €4.17

$2.67 $2.67

75.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.48 €3.11

$1.58 $1.58

120.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$67.0 €59.8

$35.29 $35.29

89.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.61 €2.33

$0.99 $0.99

163.64%

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

$42.1K €37.5K

$35.8K $35.8K

17.58%

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

$39.4K €35.1K

$27.2K $27.2K

44.83%

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

$303 €270

$219 $219

38.17%

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

$21.48 €19.15

$58.0 $58.0

-62.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.5 €49.47

$68.4 $68.4

-18.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €43.67

$57.9 $57.9

-15.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.43 €26.24

$14.82 $14.82

98.58%

Cinema Ticket

$15.81 €14.10

$14.13 $14.13

11.89%

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

$2,685 €2,394

$1,509 $1,509

77.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K €11.3K

$21.5K $21.5K

-41.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.5 €83.3

$51.7 $51.7

80.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.63 €34.44

$44.05 $44.05

-12.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €97.6

$85.1 $85.1

28.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €127

$105 $105

35.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 €1,736

$1,932 $1,932

0.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 €1,343

$1,272 $1,272

18.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,178 €2,833

$3,670 $3,670

-13.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,245 €2,002

$2,525 $2,525

-11.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,780 €5,153

$7,617 $7,617

-24.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,917 €3,492

$3,199 $3,199

22.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,152 €3,701

$5,105 $5,105

-18.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.49

6.79

-48.60%

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

Last update for Rotterdam: October 5, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rotterdam

$1.5K 50.6%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 15.5% $234

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rotterdam

$380 12.8%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 9% $34

Groceries & Markets

Rotterdam

$349 11.7%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 15.5% $54

Eating Out

Rotterdam

$338 11.4%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 2.9% $9.8

Clothing & Footwear

Rotterdam

$173 5.8%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 25.5% $44

Getting Around

Rotterdam

$149 5%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 61.8% $92

Sport & Entertainment

Rotterdam

$81 2.7%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 6.9% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,947 in Rotterdam and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 23% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85.0 in Rotterdam vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $349 vs $403 per month, with Rotterdam cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

05:31 5:31 AM

22:31 10:31 PM

7 h behind Rotterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

572,392

974,447

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Rotterdam Austin, TX 8,170 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Rotterdam
Austin, TX

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 Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Rotterdam. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 23% lower in Austin, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,947 in Rotterdam versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,933 per month in Rotterdam versus $2,704 in Austin, TX – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 169% less than in Rotterdam. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Austin, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,704 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Austin, TX hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Rotterdam and Austin, TX 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 Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Rotterdam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.