Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Borculo

For one person, living is cheaper in Borculo: $2,525 a month against $3,138 in Rotterdam, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

150

Cost of Living Index in Rotterdam
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Rotterdam Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Borculo
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Borculo Living Index

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Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,138

/mo nomad

Borculo

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,525

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rotterdam and in Borculo

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

A single person spends $3,138 per month in Rotterdam vs $2,525 in Borculo, rent included.

Rotterdam $3,138
Borculo $2,525

A couple spends around $4,366 per month in Rotterdam vs $3,738 in Borculo, rent included.

Rotterdam $4,366
Borculo $3,738

A family of three spends $5,593 per month in Rotterdam vs $4,952 in Borculo, rent included.

Rotterdam $5,593
Borculo $4,952

Rotterdam costs about 24% more than Borculo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Rotterdam and Borculo sit above the global median – Rotterdam by 132%, Borculo by 87%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.90 €21.29

$22.27 €19.84

7.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.0 €68.6

$88.0 €78.4

-12.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.60 €12.11

$13.68 €12.18

-0.58%

Cappuccino

$4.37 €3.89

$4.29 €3.82

1.86%

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

$3.93 €3.50

$3.72 €3.32

5.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 €2.96

$3.01 €2.68

10.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.23 €6.44

$6.17 €5.50

17.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.19 €5.51

$5.64 €5.03

9.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 €1.33

$1.37 €1.22

8.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 €2.14

$2.29 €2.04

4.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.84 €2.53

$2.55 €2.27

11.37%

Eggs

$5.24 €4.67

$4.87 €4.34

7.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.16 €10.83

$13.68 €12.19

-11.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.67 €12.17

$13.88 €12.36

-1.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.63 €16.59

$17.26 €15.37

7.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 €3.00

$2.69 €2.39

25.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 €2.29

$2.40 €2.14

7.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 €2.26

$1.98 €1.77

27.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.43 €3.06

$4.43 €3.94

-22.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 €1.51

$1.80 €1.60

-6.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 €1.32

$1.97 €1.76

-24.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 €1.27

$1.22 €1.08

17.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.16

$0.92 €0.82

41.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.84 €13.22

$13.73 €12.23

8.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.55 €5.83

$6.97 €6.21

-6.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.49 €1.33

-1.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 €2.24

$2.63 €2.34

-4.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.26 €5.58

$3.54 €3.16

76.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 €99.8

$88.9 €79.2

26.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.77 €4.25

$4.00 €3.57

19.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 €3.25

$2.78 €2.47

31.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$67.5 €60.1

$29.11 €25.93

131.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.53 €2.25

$2.47 €2.20

2.43%

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

$41.7K €37.1K

$41.1K €36.6K

1.48%

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

$38.8K €34.5K

$39.9K €35.5K

-2.85%

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

$296 €264

$260 €232

13.67%

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

$22.01 €19.61

$22.32 €19.88

-1.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 €49.70

$49.17 €43.80

13.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.40 €39.55

$41.55 €37.01

6.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.95 €25.79

$23.98 €21.36

20.73%

Cinema Ticket

$15.78 €14.06

$15.10 €13.45

4.50%

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

$2,768 €2,466

$2,550 €2,271

8.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K €17.4K

$7,902 €7,039

147.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.1 €83.9

$94.5 €84.2

-0.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.79 €34.56

$43.03 €38.33

-9.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €99.3

$105 €93.4

6.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €117

$137 €122

-3.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,088 €1,860

$1,452 €1,294

43.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 €1,471

$1,152 €1,026

43.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,207 €2,857

$2,284 €2,035

40.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,371 €2,112

$1,875 €1,670

26.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,064 €5,402

$5,694 €5,072

6.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,218 €3,757

$4,538 €4,042

-7.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,162 €3,708

$3,391 €3,021

22.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.49

3.82

-8.64%

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

Last update for Rotterdam: November 2, 2026

Last update for Borculo: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rotterdam

$1.7K 52.6%

Borculo

$1.2K 45.6% 30.2% $499

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rotterdam

$374 11.9%

Borculo

$332 13.1% 11.2% $42

Eating Out

Rotterdam

$362 11.5%

Borculo

$340 13.5% 6.2% $22

Groceries & Markets

Rotterdam

$346 11%

Borculo

$338 13.4% 2.3% $8.1

Clothing & Footwear

Rotterdam

$169 5.4%

Borculo

$171 6.8% 0.8% $1.3

Getting Around

Rotterdam

$160 5.1%

Borculo

$121 4.8% 24.5% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Rotterdam

$76 2.4%

Borculo

$72 2.8% 5.5% $4.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,088 in Rotterdam versus $1,452 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 23% 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 $77 in Rotterdam versus $88 in Borculo. Groceries tell a different story – $346 in Rotterdam vs $338 in Borculo – so Borculo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Borculo

🕒 Local time

00:27 12:27 AM

Same time as Rotterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

572,392

10,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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 Borculo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,138 in Rotterdam, $2,525 in Borculo – Borculo comes out roughly 20% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,707 per month in Rotterdam and $3,787 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,452 there versus $2,088 in Rotterdam.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77 in Rotterdam and $88 in Borculo. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 21% less in Borculo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Borculo, where all-in costs run around $2,525, than in Rotterdam at $3,138. In Borculo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rotterdam it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Borculo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Borculo. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Rotterdam makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.