Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Dordrecht Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Dordrecht

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,914 in Rotterdam versus $2,568 in Dordrecht.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,233 in Rotterdam versus $3,613 in Dordrecht.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,553 in Rotterdam versus $4,657 in Dordrecht.

Living in Rotterdam is roughly 13% more expensive than in Dordrecht, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rotterdam 118% above, Dordrecht 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.60 €20.70

$17.28 €15.15

36.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 €80.0

$93.7 €82.1

-2.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.92 €12.21

$12.48 €10.94

11.54%

Cappuccino

$4.36 €3.82

$3.81 €3.34

14.44%

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

$3.49 €3.06

$3.53 €3.10

-1.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 €2.57

$3.17 €2.78

-7.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.09 €6.22

$6.75 €5.92

5.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 €5.09

$5.67 €4.97

2.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.28 €1.12

3.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 €2.11

$2.27 €1.99

5.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.23 €2.83

$3.11 €2.72

3.86%

Eggs

$5.23 €4.59

$4.70 €4.12

11.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.74 €12.05

$14.06 €12.33

-2.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.23 €12.48

$15.52 €13.61

-8.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.89 €14.80

$16.63 €14.58

1.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.29

$2.37 €2.08

10.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.44 €2.14

$2.45 €2.15

-0.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.83

$1.98 €1.73

5.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 €3.54

$4.73 €4.15

-14.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 €1.83

$2.04 €1.78

2.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 €1.74

$2.00 €1.75

-0.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 €1.16

$1.25 €1.09

6.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.03

$0.86 €0.76

36.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.65 €11.97

$13.83 €12.12

-1.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.01 €6.15

$7.27 €6.37

-3.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 €1.34

$1.50 €1.32

2.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 €2.38

$2.73 €2.39

-0.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.70 €4.12

$4.55 €3.99

3.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.0 €79.8

$92.8 €81.4

-1.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.26 €4.61

$3.93 €3.44

33.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.80

$2.13 €1.87

-3.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.21 €18.60

$27.67 €24.26

-23.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 €1.96

$2.23 €1.95

0.45%

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

$40.4K €35.5K

$35.8K €31.4K

12.97%

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

$35.5K €31.1K

$33.0K €28.9K

7.52%

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

$285 €250

$239 €210

19.25%

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

$23.95 €21.00

$29.77 €26.10

-19.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 €48.92

$52.6 €46.12

6.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.62 €40.00

$40.84 €35.81

11.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.20 €24.73

$24.69 €21.65

14.22%

Cinema Ticket

$17.01 €14.92

$16.46 €14.43

3.34%

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

$2,268 €1,989

$2,195 €1,925

3.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K €12.2K

$7,006 €6,143

99.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.8 €82.3

$87.1 €76.4

7.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 €44.54

$34.65 €30.38

46.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 €111

$95.2 €83.5

32.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$177 €156

$153 €134

15.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,758 €1,541

$1,649 €1,446

6.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,452 €1,273

$1,191 €1,044

21.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,834 €2,485

$2,294 €2,012

23.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,303 €2,020

$1,684 €1,476

36.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,997 €5,258

$4,402 €3,859

36.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,900 €3,420

$3,827 €3,355

1.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,092 €3,588

$5,359 €4,699

-23.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

4.3

-5.12%

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

Last update for Rotterdam: July 13, 2026

Last update for Dordrecht: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,758 in Rotterdam and $1,649 in Dordrecht. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dordrecht pays 31% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $91.0 in Rotterdam vs $94.0 in Dordrecht for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $347 vs $347 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 Dordrecht: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dordrecht is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 31% lower in Dordrecht. 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: $1,758 in Rotterdam versus $1,649 in Dordrecht. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Rotterdam pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Dordrecht – a meal for two runs $94.0 versus $91.0 in Rotterdam. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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

For families, Dordrecht 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 Dordrecht 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 Dordrecht gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Rotterdam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.