Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Delft Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Delft

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,110 in Rotterdam versus $2,883 in Delft.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,402 in Rotterdam versus $4,172 in Delft.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,694 in Rotterdam versus $5,461 in Delft.

Living in Rotterdam is roughly 8% more expensive than in Delft, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rotterdam 126% above, Delft 110% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.52 €22.80

$23.15 €19.90

14.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.3 €81.1

$97.9 €84.1

-3.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.00 €12.04

$13.90 €11.95

0.72%

Cappuccino

$4.50 €3.87

$4.07 €3.50

10.57%

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

$3.94 €3.38

$4.06 €3.49

-2.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 €3.10

$3.16 €2.71

14.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.22 €6.21

$6.25 €5.37

15.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.01 €5.17

$5.77 €4.96

4.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 €1.36

$1.43 €1.23

11.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 €2.05

$2.23 €1.92

7.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.96 €2.54

$3.09 €2.66

-4.21%

Eggs

$5.67 €4.88

$5.25 €4.51

8.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.70 €10.92

$16.78 €14.43

-24.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.81 €11.87

$16.02 €13.77

-13.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.92 €17.13

$18.33 €15.76

8.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 €2.92

$2.92 €2.51

16.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 €2.34

$2.47 €2.12

10.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.91 €1.64

38.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.49 €3.00

$4.74 €4.08

-26.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.68

$2.02 €1.74

-2.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 €1.33

$2.47 €2.12

-37.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 €1.33

$1.29 €1.11

19.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

$0.83 €0.71

72.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.05 €12.93

$14.66 €12.60

2.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.84 €5.88

$7.50 €6.45

-8.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.33

$1.50 €1.29

2.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.26

$2.85 €2.45

-7.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.78 €4.11

$2.26 €1.94

111.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$116 €99.8

$78.1 €67.1

48.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.92 €4.23

$3.54 €3.05

38.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 €3.01

$3.47 €2.99

0.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$68.9 €59.2

$52.4 €45.03

31.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.62 €2.25

$2.40 €2.06

9.17%

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

$42.7K €36.7K

$42.2K €36.3K

1.20%

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

$41.0K €35.2K

$40.0K €34.4K

2.40%

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

$306 €263

$275 €236

11.19%

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

$22.36 €19.23

$31.49 €27.07

-28.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.9 €48.89

$43.47 €37.37

30.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.50 €42.55

$42.73 €36.74

15.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.92 €25.72

$16.77 €14.42

78.41%

Cinema Ticket

$16.20 €13.93

$15.92 €13.69

1.76%

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

$2,820 €2,424

$1,656 €1,424

70.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K €11.4K

$6,888 €5,921

92.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.0 €83.4

$87.2 €75.0

11.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.59 €34.89

$51.6 €44.35

-21.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 €98.4

$92.6 €79.6

23.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 €126

$144 €124

1.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,904 €1,637

$1,765 €1,517

7.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 €1,341

$1,446 €1,243

7.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,304 €2,840

$2,874 €2,471

14.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,402 €2,065

$2,263 €1,945

6.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,232 €5,358

$6,826 €5,869

-8.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,161 €3,577

$4,612 €3,965

-9.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,257 €3,660

$3,759 €3,232

13.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.49

3.89

-10.28%

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

Last update for Rotterdam: September 1, 2026

Last update for Delft: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,904 in Rotterdam and $1,765 in Delft. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rotterdam pays 13% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $94.0 in Rotterdam vs $98.0 in Delft for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $361 vs $370 per month, with Rotterdam cheaper across the board.

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 Delft: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rotterdam and Delft differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($3,110 vs $2,883 including rent). Delft is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 13% higher in Rotterdam, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,904 in Rotterdam versus $1,765 in Delft. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Delft runs roughly 49% less than in Rotterdam. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,820 in Rotterdam versus $1,656 in Delft. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Delft is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Delft are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Delft gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Rotterdam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.