Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Borculo Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Borculo

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,914 per month in Rotterdam vs $2,547 in Borculo, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,233 per month in Rotterdam vs $3,714 in Borculo, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,553 per month in Rotterdam vs $4,882 in Borculo, rent included.

Rotterdam costs about 14% more than Borculo, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Rotterdam and Borculo sit above the global median – Rotterdam by 118%, Borculo by 91%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.60 €20.67

$20.97 €18.36

12.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 €79.9

$86.5 €75.8

5.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.92 €12.19

$13.95 €12.21

-0.22%

Cappuccino

$4.36 €3.82

$4.05 €3.55

7.65%

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

$3.49 €3.06

$3.37 €2.96

3.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 €2.57

$2.81 €2.46

4.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.09 €6.21

$6.20 €5.43

14.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 €5.08

$5.63 €4.93

3.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.29 €1.13

3.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 €2.10

$2.30 €2.02

4.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.23 €2.83

$3.28 €2.87

-1.52%

Eggs

$5.23 €4.58

$4.63 €4.05

12.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.74 €12.03

$13.73 €12.03

0.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.23 €12.46

$15.40 €13.48

-7.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.89 €14.79

$17.13 €15.01

-1.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.29

$2.40 €2.10

8.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.44 €2.14

$2.46 €2.16

-0.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.95 €1.71

6.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 €3.54

$3.86 €3.38

4.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 €1.83

$2.10 €1.84

-0.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 €1.74

$1.99 €1.75

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 €1.16

$1.27 €1.12

4.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.03

$0.84 €0.74

39.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.65 €11.95

$14.08 €12.33

-3.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.01 €6.14

$6.93 €6.07

1.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 €1.34

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 €2.38

$2.73 €2.39

-0.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.70 €4.12

$3.66 €3.21

28.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.0 €79.7

$94.4 €82.7

-3.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.26 €4.61

$4.24 €3.72

24.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.79

$2.34 €2.05

-12.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.21 €18.57

$29.09 €25.48

-27.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 €1.96

$2.19 €1.92

2.28%

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

$40.4K €35.4K

$34.4K €30.1K

17.49%

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

$35.5K €31.1K

-0.01%

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

$285 €250

$261 €229

9.07%

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

$23.95 €20.97

$25.06 €21.95

-4.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 €48.87

$47.71 €41.78

16.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.62 €39.96

$40.12 €35.14

13.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.20 €24.70

$22.94 €20.09

22.93%

Cinema Ticket

$17.01 €14.90

$16.08 €14.08

5.78%

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

$2,268 €1,986

$2,000 €1,752

13.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K €12.2K

$7,859 €6,883

77.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.8 €82.2

$92.4 €80.9

1.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 €44.48

$46.99 €41.16

8.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 €111

$105 €92.3

20.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$177 €155

$133 €117

33.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,758 €1,540

$1,418 €1,242

23.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,452 €1,272

$1,185 €1,038

22.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,834 €2,482

$2,267 €1,986

24.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,303 €2,017

$1,735 €1,520

32.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,997 €5,252

$5,388 €4,718

11.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,900 €3,416

$4,442 €3,890

-12.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,092 €3,584

$3,394 €2,973

20.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

4.28

-4.67%

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

Last update for Rotterdam: July 13, 2026

Last update for Borculo: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,758 in Rotterdam versus $1,418 in Borculo. 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 21% 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 $91.0 in Rotterdam versus $86.0 in Borculo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $347 vs $343 – making Borculo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Borculo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,914 in Rotterdam, $2,547 in Borculo – roughly 14% apart. Rotterdam costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,371 per month in Rotterdam and $3,820 in Borculo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 4% less in Borculo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,268 per month in Rotterdam and $2,000 in Borculo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Borculo, where all-in costs run around $2,547, than in Rotterdam at $2,914. In Borculo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rotterdam it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Rotterdam has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,547 in Borculo to $2,914 in Rotterdam. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Borculo. 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.