Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Deventer Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Deventer

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,110 in Rotterdam versus $2,512 in Deventer.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,402 in Rotterdam versus $3,742 in Deventer.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,694 in Rotterdam versus $4,972 in Deventer.

Living in Rotterdam is roughly 24% more expensive than in Deventer, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rotterdam 126% above, Deventer 83% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.52 €22.82

$17.64 €15.18

50.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.3 €81.2

$82.6 €71.0

14.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.00 €12.05

$13.87 €11.94

0.94%

Cappuccino

$4.50 €3.87

$4.44 €3.82

1.35%

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

$3.94 €3.39

$4.05 €3.48

-2.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 €3.11

$2.36 €2.03

52.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.22 €6.22

$5.97 €5.14

20.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.01 €5.17

$3.56 €3.07

68.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 €1.36

$1.40 €1.21

13.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 €2.06

$1.65 €1.42

44.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.96 €2.54

$2.79 €2.40

6.09%

Eggs

$5.67 €4.88

$4.68 €4.03

21.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.70 €10.93

$14.20 €12.22

-10.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.81 €11.88

$13.30 €11.44

3.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.92 €17.14

$17.46 €15.03

14.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 €2.92

$2.12 €1.82

59.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 €2.34

$2.42 €2.08

12.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.91 €1.65

38.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.49 €3.00

$4.25 €3.65

-17.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.68

$1.88 €1.62

4.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 €1.33

$2.16 €1.86

-28.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 €1.33

$1.23 €1.06

25.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

$0.93 €0.80

53.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.05 €12.95

$14.54 €12.51

3.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.84 €5.89

$7.08 €6.09

-3.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.33

$1.41 €1.22

9.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.27

$2.69 €2.32

-2.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.78 €4.12

$3.26 €2.81

46.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$116 €99.9

$93.4 €80.3

24.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.92 €4.23

$8.76 €7.54

-43.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 €3.01

$1.99 €1.71

75.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$68.9 €59.3

$23.59 €20.30

192.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.62 €2.25

$2.49 €2.15

5.22%

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

$42.7K €36.7K

$42.4K €36.5K

0.71%

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

$41.0K €35.3K

$39.8K €34.3K

2.88%

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

$306 €263

$321 €277

-4.93%

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

$22.36 €19.24

$28.20 €24.26

-20.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.9 €48.93

$45.99 €39.57

23.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.50 €42.59

$31.16 €26.81

58.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.92 €25.75

$23.44 €20.17

27.65%

Cinema Ticket

$16.20 €13.94

$16.96 €14.60

-4.48%

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

$2,820 €2,426

$2,542 €2,187

10.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K €11.4K

$8,451 €7,272

56.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.0 €83.4

$80.5 €69.3

20.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.59 €34.92

$42.19 €36.31

-3.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 €98.5

$94.3 €81.2

21.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 €126

$105 €90.7

38.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,904 €1,638

$1,443 €1,242

31.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 €1,342

$1,196 €1,030

30.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,304 €2,843

$2,098 €1,805

57.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,402 €2,067

$2,113 €1,818

13.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,232 €5,363

$5,782 €4,976

7.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,161 €3,580

$4,932 €4,244

-15.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,257 €3,663

$3,492 €3,005

21.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.49

3.65

-4.38%

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

Last update for Rotterdam: September 1, 2026

Last update for Deventer: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,904 in Rotterdam and $1,443 in Deventer. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rotterdam pays 22% 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 $83.0 in Deventer for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $361 vs $329 per month, with Deventer 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 Deventer: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Deventer is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 22% 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 $1,443 in Deventer. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,820 in Rotterdam versus $2,542 in Deventer. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Rotterdam. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Deventer is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Deventer is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Rotterdam, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Rotterdam and Deventer 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 Deventer gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Rotterdam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.