Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Best

For one person, living is cheaper in Best: $2,207 a month against $3,047 in Rotterdam, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 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
107

Cost of Living Index in Best
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Best Living Index

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Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,047

/mo nomad

Best

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rotterdam and in Best

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

A single person spends $3,047 per month in Rotterdam vs $2,207 in Best, rent included.

Rotterdam $3,047
Best $2,207

A couple spends around $4,256 per month in Rotterdam vs $3,092 in Best, rent included.

Rotterdam $4,256
Best $3,092

A family of three spends $5,466 per month in Rotterdam vs $3,977 in Best, rent included.

Rotterdam $5,466
Best $3,977

Rotterdam costs about 38% more than Best, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Rotterdam and Best sit above the global median – Rotterdam by 125%, Best by 63%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.91 €18.60

$22.57 €20.07

-7.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.4 €74.2

$85.7 €76.3

-2.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 €11.74

$12.34 €10.97

6.97%

Cappuccino

$4.37 €3.89

$3.70 €3.29

18.11%

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

$3.89 €3.46

$3.36 €2.99

15.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 €3.12

$2.60 €2.31

35.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.25 €6.45

$5.76 €5.13

25.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.98 €5.32

$4.87 €4.33

22.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.13 €1.01

30.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 €2.05

$1.94 €1.73

18.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.96 €2.64

$2.16 €1.92

37.04%

Eggs

$5.24 €4.66

$3.06 €2.72

71.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.22 €10.87

$10.98 €9.76

11.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.37 €11.90

$11.55 €10.27

15.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.62 €16.56

$14.74 €13.11

26.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 €3.01

$2.02 €1.79

67.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 €2.25

$1.57 €1.40

61.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 €2.28

$1.71 €1.52

49.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.51 €3.13

$5.17 €4.60

-32.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 €1.51

$1.12 €1.00

51.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.13 €1.00

30.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.06 €0.94

38.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.14

$0.72 €0.64

79.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.61 €12.99

$10.94 €9.73

33.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.67 €5.93

$5.47 €4.87

21.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 €1.30

$1.44 €1.28

2.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 €2.24

$2.58 €2.30

-2.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.40 €3.92

$2.50 €2.23

76.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 €98.6

$72.6 €64.6

52.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.73 €4.21

$3.96 €3.52

19.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.48 €3.10

$2.85 €2.54

22.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$68.4 €60.9

$30.20 €26.86

126.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.59 €2.31

$2.45 €2.18

5.71%

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

$42.3K €37.6K

$25.8K €23.0K

63.60%

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

$39.4K €35.0K

$39.1K €34.8K

0.78%

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

$297 €264

$185 €164

61.03%

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

$21.43 €19.06

$14.58 €12.97

46.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.6 €49.49

$37.75 €33.58

47.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.98 €42.68

$41.86 €37.24

14.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.31 €26.07

$25.34 €22.54

15.67%

Cinema Ticket

$15.40 €13.69

$13.86 €12.33

11.11%

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

$2,677 €2,381

$1,279 €1,137

109.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K €11.4K

$5,167 €4,596

147.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.3 €84.7

$50.6 €44.98

88.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.44 €35.08

$32.77 €29.15

20.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €98.2

$75.1 €66.8

46.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 €124

$57.2 €50.9

142.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,968 €1,750

$1,498 €1,333

31.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,588 €1,412

$1,098 €976

44.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,116 €2,771

$1,968 €1,750

58.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,281 €2,029

$1,391 €1,237

63.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,925 €5,271

$5,139 €4,571

15.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,979 €3,539

$4,419 €3,931

-9.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,135 €3,678

$4,117 €3,662

0.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.49

3.54

-1.41%

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

Last update for Rotterdam: October 19, 2026

Last update for Best: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rotterdam

$1.6K 52.1%

Best

$1.1K 49.7% 30.9% $490

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rotterdam

$374 12.3%

Best

$237 10.7% 36.7% $137

Groceries & Markets

Rotterdam

$345 11.3%

Best

$281 12.7% 18.6% $64

Eating Out

Rotterdam

$337 11.1%

Best

$324 14.7% 3.8% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Rotterdam

$173 5.7%

Best

$97 4.4% 43.8% $76

Getting Around

Rotterdam

$151 4.9%

Best

$101 4.6% 33.1% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Rotterdam

$79 2.6%

Best

$70 3.2% 11.7% $9.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,968 in Rotterdam versus $1,498 in Best. 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 0% 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 $86.0 in Best. Groceries tell a different story – $345 in Rotterdam vs $281 in Best – so Best wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Best

🕒 Local time

22:04 10:04 PM

Same time as Rotterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

572,392

29,988

💱 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 Best 79 km

From you

Rotterdam
Best

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 Best: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rotterdam is pricier by about 38%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,570 per month in Rotterdam and $3,311 in Best. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,047 in Rotterdam and $2,207 in Best. That's a gap of about 38%.

Public transport costs about 53% less in Best. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Best, where all-in costs run around $2,207, than in Rotterdam at $3,047. In Best it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rotterdam it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Best – 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 Best. 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.