Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Bussum

For one person, living is cheaper in Bussum: $2,560 a month against $3,153 in Rotterdam, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 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
123

Cost of Living Index in Bussum
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Bussum Living Index

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Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,153

/mo nomad

Bussum

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,560

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rotterdam and in Bussum

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,153 in Rotterdam versus $2,560 in Bussum.

Rotterdam $3,153
Bussum $2,560

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,381 in Rotterdam versus $3,734 in Bussum.

Rotterdam $4,381
Bussum $3,734

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,609 in Rotterdam versus $4,907 in Bussum.

Rotterdam $5,609
Bussum $4,907

Living in Rotterdam is roughly 23% more expensive than in Bussum, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rotterdam 132% above, Bussum 88% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.81 €18.70

$24.67 €22.16

-15.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.2 €76.5

$85.1 €76.5

0.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €12.27

$13.37 €12.01

2.17%

Cappuccino

$4.31 €3.87

$3.89 €3.50

10.80%

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

$3.79 €3.40

$3.67 €3.30

3.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.09

$3.23 €2.90

6.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.93 €6.22

$5.52 €4.96

25.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.05 €5.43

$5.76 €5.17

5.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 €1.28

$1.17 €1.05

21.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 €2.19

$1.33 €1.20

83.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.84 €2.55

$2.44 €2.19

16.39%

Eggs

$5.27 €4.73

$5.05 €4.53

4.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.09 €10.86

$12.82 €11.52

-5.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.32 €11.96

$14.58 €13.09

-8.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.92 €16.99

$17.05 €15.31

10.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.43 €3.08

$1.88 €1.69

82.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 €2.24

$2.39 €2.15

4.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 €2.28

$1.82 €1.63

39.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.39 €3.04

$2.68 €2.40

26.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 €1.51

$2.05 €1.84

-18.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 €1.36

$1.53 €1.37

-0.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.36

$1.23 €1.10

22.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.16

$0.74 €0.67

74.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.39 €12.93

$13.83 €12.42

4.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.82 €6.13

$6.66 €5.98

2.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 €1.37

$1.48 €1.33

2.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 €2.32

$1.83 €1.64

40.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.27 €5.64

$3.54 €3.18

77.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 €99.5

$90.0 €80.8

23.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.11

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.45 €3.10

$3.31 €2.97

4.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$67.3 €60.5

$61.2 €55.0

9.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.56 €2.30

$2.18 €1.96

17.43%

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

$41.3K €37.1K

$38.4K €34.5K

7.70%

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

$39.9K €35.8K

$23.4K €21.0K

70.12%

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

$305 €274

$279 €251

9.09%

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

$21.41 €19.24

$24.08 €21.63

-11.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 €50.1

$50.2 €45.06

11.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.35 €40.74

$58.6 €52.6

-22.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.35 €26.37

$23.43 €21.05

25.27%

Cinema Ticket

$15.68 €14.09

$16.85 €15.14

-6.94%

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

$2,793 €2,509

$2,374 €2,133

17.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K €11.2K

$7,760 €6,971

61.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.9 €83.4

$57.7 €51.8

61.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.70 €35.66

$44.39 €39.88

-10.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €97.0

$90.4 €81.2

19.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €127

0.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,068 €1,858

$1,667 €1,498

24.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,684 €1,513

$1,179 €1,059

42.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,183 €2,860

$2,358 €2,119

34.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,398 €2,154

$1,855 €1,666

29.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,140 €5,516

$5,977 €5,369

2.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,198 €3,771

$6,291 €5,651

-33.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,933 €3,533

$4,612 €4,143

-14.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.49

4.3

-18.84%

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

Last update for Rotterdam: October 24, 2026

Last update for Bussum: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rotterdam

$1.7K 53.4%

Bussum

$1.2K 46% 30% $505

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rotterdam

$382 12.1%

Bussum

$354 13.8% 7.4% $28

Groceries & Markets

Rotterdam

$346 11%

Bussum

$309 12.1% 10.6% $37

Eating Out

Rotterdam

$335 10.6%

Bussum

$351 13.7% 4.8% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Rotterdam

$172 5.5%

Bussum

$150 5.9% 12.6% $22

Getting Around

Rotterdam

$158 5%

Bussum

$125 4.9% 20.6% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Rotterdam

$77 2.4%

Bussum

$92 3.6% 20.2% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,068 in Rotterdam and $1,667 in Bussum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bussum pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85 in Rotterdam vs $85 in Bussum. Groceries flip the comparison at $346 vs $309, with Bussum cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Bussum

🕒 Local time

03:50 3:50 AM

Same time as Rotterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

572,392

33,220

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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 Bussum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,153 in Rotterdam and $2,560 in Bussum, so Bussum is about 19% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 15% lower in Rotterdam. 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: $2,068 in Rotterdam versus $1,667 in Bussum. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Rotterdam. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $3,153 per month in Rotterdam versus $2,560 in Bussum – Bussum is about 19% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $2,560 in Bussum versus $3,153 in Rotterdam, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Bussum but tight or insufficient in Rotterdam. The gap between the two cities makes Bussum the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Rotterdam and Bussum are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.