Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Breda

For one person, living is cheaper in Breda: $2,462 a month against $3,153 in Rotterdam, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Rotterdam outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

150

Cost of Living Index in Rotterdam
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Rotterdam Living Index
119

Cost of Living Index in Breda
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Breda Living Index

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Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,153

/mo nomad

Breda

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,462

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rotterdam and in Breda

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

A single person spends $3,153 per month in Rotterdam vs $2,462 in Breda, rent included.

Rotterdam $3,153
Breda $2,462

A couple spends around $4,381 per month in Rotterdam vs $4,008 in Breda, rent included.

Rotterdam $4,381
Breda $4,008

A family of three spends $5,609 per month in Rotterdam vs $5,553 in Breda, rent included.

Rotterdam $5,609
Breda $5,553

Rotterdam costs about 28% more than Breda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Rotterdam and Breda sit above the global median – Rotterdam by 132%, Breda by 81%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.81 €18.64

$25.62 €22.95

-18.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.2 €76.3

$111 €99.0

-22.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €12.24

$13.66 €12.23

Cappuccino

$4.31 €3.86

$3.94 €3.53

9.39%

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

$3.79 €3.39

$3.51 €3.15

7.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.09

$3.36 €3.01

2.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.93 €6.21

$7.98 €7.15

-13.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.05 €5.41

$5.11 €4.58

18.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 €1.28

$1.35 €1.21

5.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 €2.18

$2.39 €2.14

2.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.84 €2.54

$2.58 €2.31

10.08%

Eggs

$5.27 €4.72

$4.87 €4.37

8.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.09 €10.83

$14.34 €12.84

-15.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.32 €11.93

$14.47 €12.96

-7.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.92 €16.94

$18.32 €16.41

3.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.43 €3.07

$2.95 €2.65

16.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 €2.24

$2.40 €2.15

4.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 €2.28

$2.13 €1.90

19.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.39 €3.03

$5.95 €5.33

-43.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 €1.50

$1.99 €1.78

-15.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 €1.36

$2.05 €1.83

-25.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.35

$1.37 €1.22

10.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.15

$0.85 €0.76

51.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.39 €12.89

$14.14 €12.66

1.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.82 €6.11

$7.21 €6.46

-5.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 €1.36

$1.44 €1.29

5.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 €2.31

$2.56 €2.29

0.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.27 €5.62

$5.63 €5.04

11.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 €99.2

$152 €136

-27.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.10

$7.91 €7.09

-42.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.45 €3.09

$1.66 €1.48

107.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$67.3 €60.3

$22.39 €20.05

200.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.56 €2.29

$2.38 €2.13

7.56%

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

$41.3K €37.0K

$41.8K €37.4K

-1.11%

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

$39.9K €35.7K

$39.0K €35.0K

2.14%

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

$305 €273

$190 €170

60.51%

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

$21.41 €19.18

$26.12 €23.39

-18.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 €49.93

$58.5 €52.4

-4.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.35 €40.62

$34.37 €30.78

31.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.35 €26.29

$28.50 €25.53

2.98%

Cinema Ticket

$15.68 €14.05

$17.06 €15.28

-8.09%

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

$2,793 €2,501

$1,906 €1,707

46.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K €11.2K

$5,384 €4,822

132.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.9 €83.2

$89.6 €80.2

3.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.70 €35.56

$92.7 €83.0

-57.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €96.8

$130 €117

-17.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €127

$204 €183

-30.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,068 €1,852

$1,435 €1,285

44.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,684 €1,508

$968 €867

73.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,183 €2,851

$2,500 €2,239

27.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,398 €2,148

$2,026 €1,814

18.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,140 €5,499

$6,051 €5,420

1.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,198 €3,760

$4,488 €4,019

-6.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,933 €3,523

$4,051 €3,628

-2.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.49

4.35

-19.77%

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

Last update for Rotterdam: October 24, 2026

Last update for Breda: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rotterdam

$1.7K 53.4%

Breda

$968 39.3% 42.5% $716

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rotterdam

$382 12.1%

Breda

$274 11.2% 28.1% $107

Groceries & Markets

Rotterdam

$346 11%

Breda

$357 14.5% 3.3% $11

Eating Out

Rotterdam

$335 10.6%

Breda

$371 15.1% 10.7% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Rotterdam

$172 5.5%

Breda

$233 9.5% 35.4% $61

Getting Around

Rotterdam

$158 5%

Breda

$191 7.8% 21% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Rotterdam

$77 2.4%

Breda

$68 2.8% 10.7% $8.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,068 in Rotterdam versus $1,435 in Breda. 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 3% higher in Breda, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Rotterdam versus $111 in Breda. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $357 – making Rotterdam the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Breda

🕒 Local time

20:05 8:05 PM

Same time as Rotterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

572,392

150,008

💱 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 Breda 43 km

From you

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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 Breda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rotterdam costs about 28% more than Breda, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,729 per month in Rotterdam and $3,694 in Breda. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Breda, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,435 there versus $2,068 in Rotterdam.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,153 in Rotterdam and $2,462 in Breda. That makes Breda about 22% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 27% less in Rotterdam. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,153 in Rotterdam and $2,462 in Breda. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Breda costs $2,462 versus $3,153 in Rotterdam. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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