Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Den Helder

For one person, living is cheaper in Den Helder: $2,005 a month against $3,153 in Rotterdam, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 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
97

Cost of Living Index in Den Helder
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Den Helder Living Index

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Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,153

/mo nomad

Den Helder

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,005

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rotterdam and in Den Helder

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

A single person spends $3,153 per month in Rotterdam vs $2,005 in Den Helder, rent included.

Rotterdam $3,153
Den Helder $2,005

A couple spends around $4,381 per month in Rotterdam vs $3,061 in Den Helder, rent included.

Rotterdam $4,381
Den Helder $3,061

A family of three spends $5,609 per month in Rotterdam vs $4,117 in Den Helder, rent included.

Rotterdam $5,609
Den Helder $4,117

Rotterdam costs about 57% more than Den Helder, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Rotterdam and Den Helder sit above the global median – Rotterdam by 132%, Den Helder by 47%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.81 €18.65

$19.39 €17.37

7.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.2 €76.3

$53.9 €48.34

57.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €12.24

$8.25 €7.39

65.58%

Cappuccino

$4.31 €3.86

$3.72 €3.33

15.86%

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

$3.79 €3.39

$2.98 €2.67

27.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.09

$3.02 €2.70

13.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.93 €6.21

$5.01 €4.49

38.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.05 €5.42

$4.88 €4.38

23.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 €1.28

$1.11 €0.99

27.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 €2.18

$1.24 €1.11

96.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.84 €2.55

$0.82 €0.73

246.34%

Eggs

$5.27 €4.72

$4.20 €3.76

25.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.09 €10.83

$10.10 €9.05

19.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.32 €11.93

$14.50 €12.99

-8.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.92 €16.95

$15.85 €14.20

19.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.43 €3.07

$2.60 €2.33

31.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 €2.24

$1.96 €1.76

27.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 €2.28

$1.22 €1.09

108.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.39 €3.03

$4.19 €3.76

-19.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 €1.50

$1.40 €1.26

20.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 €1.36

$1.01 €0.90

50.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.35

$1.03 €0.93

46.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.16

$0.70 €0.62

84.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.39 €12.90

$13.59 €12.17

5.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.82 €6.11

$7.22 €6.47

-5.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 €1.37

$1.32 €1.18

15.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 €2.32

$2.63 €2.36

-1.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.27 €5.62

$9.43 €8.45

-33.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 €99.3

$154 €138

-27.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.10

$3.83 €3.43

19.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.45 €3.09

$3.10 €2.78

11.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$67.3 €60.3

$36.21 €32.45

85.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.56 €2.29

$2.47 €2.22

3.64%

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

$41.3K €37.0K

$41.1K €36.8K

0.59%

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

$39.9K €35.7K

$39.0K €35.0K

2.20%

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

$305 €273

$201 €180

51.33%

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

$21.41 €19.19

$15.19 €13.61

40.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 €49.95

$20.22 €18.11

175.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.35 €40.64

$23.99 €21.50

89.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.35 €26.30

$19.17 €17.18

53.10%

Cinema Ticket

$15.68 €14.05

$14.70 €13.17

6.67%

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

$2,793 €2,503

$2,878 €2,579

-2.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K €11.2K

$13.0K €11.6K

-3.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.9 €83.2

$116 €104

-19.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.70 €35.58

$46.63 €41.79

-14.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €96.8

$119 €106

-8.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €127

$136 €122

4.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,068 €1,853

$883 €791

134.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,684 €1,509

$744 €666

126.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,183 €2,853

$1,792 €1,606

77.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,398 €2,149

$1,347 €1,207

77.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,140 €5,502

$2,912 €2,610

110.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,198 €3,762

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,933 €3,525

$2,429 €2,177

61.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.49

2.8

24.64%

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

Last update for Rotterdam: October 24, 2026

Last update for Den Helder: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rotterdam

$1.7K 53.4%

Den Helder

$744 37.1% 55.8% $940

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rotterdam

$382 12.1%

Den Helder

$237 11.8% 38% $145

Groceries & Markets

Rotterdam

$346 11%

Den Helder

$289 14.4% 16.3% $56

Eating Out

Rotterdam

$335 10.6%

Den Helder

$283 14.1% 15.4% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Rotterdam

$172 5.5%

Den Helder

$188 9.4% 9.2% $16

Getting Around

Rotterdam

$158 5%

Den Helder

$211 10.5% 33.6% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Rotterdam

$77 2.4%

Den Helder

$53 2.7% 30.4% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,068 in Rotterdam versus $883 in Den Helder. 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 62% higher in Rotterdam. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Rotterdam versus $54 in Den Helder. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $289 – making Den Helder the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Den Helder

🕒 Local time

11:23 11:23 AM

Same time as Rotterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

572,392

56,296

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Den Helder: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rotterdam is pricier by about 57%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,729 per month in Rotterdam and $3,007 in Den Helder. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Den Helder, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $883 there versus $2,068 in Rotterdam.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Rotterdam and $54 in Den Helder. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,153 in Rotterdam and $2,005 in Den Helder. That makes Den Helder about 36% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Den Helder, where all-in costs run around $2,005, than in Rotterdam at $3,153. In Den Helder 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 $2,005 in Den Helder to $3,153 in Rotterdam. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Den Helder. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Rotterdam makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.