Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Drachten Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Drachten

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,110 in Rotterdam versus $2,104 in Drachten.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,402 in Rotterdam versus $3,052 in Drachten.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,694 in Rotterdam versus $4,000 in Drachten.

Living in Rotterdam is roughly 48% more expensive than in Drachten, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rotterdam 126% above, Drachten 53% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.52 €22.82

$26.06 €22.42

1.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.3 €81.2

$88.4 €76.1

6.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.00 €12.05

$13.88 €11.94

0.86%

Cappuccino

$4.50 €3.87

$4.10 €3.53

9.76%

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

$3.94 €3.39

$3.74 €3.22

5.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 €3.11

$3.38 €2.91

6.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.22 €6.22

$5.83 €5.02

23.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.01 €5.17

$5.69 €4.90

5.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 €1.36

$1.23 €1.06

29.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 €2.06

$1.43 €1.23

67.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.96 €2.54

$1.59 €1.37

86.16%

Eggs

$5.67 €4.88

$5.24 €4.50

8.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.70 €10.93

$13.26 €11.41

-4.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.81 €11.88

$13.72 €11.80

0.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.92 €17.14

$12.70 €10.93

56.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 €2.92

$1.99 €1.71

70.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 €2.34

$2.58 €2.22

5.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.94 €1.67

36.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.49 €3.00

$3.33 €2.86

4.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.68

$1.70 €1.46

15.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 €1.33

$1.65 €1.42

-6.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 €1.33

$1.29 €1.11

19.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

$0.68 €0.58

110.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.05 €12.95

$9.79 €8.43

53.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.84 €5.89

$7.09 €6.10

-3.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.33

$1.50 €1.29

2.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.27

$2.71 €2.33

-2.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.78 €4.12

$4.17 €3.59

14.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$116 €99.9

$45.36 €39.03

155.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.92 €4.23

$10.35 €8.91

-52.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 €3.01

$3.30 €2.84

6.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$68.9 €59.3

$53.1 €45.73

29.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.62 €2.25

$2.43 €2.09

7.82%

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

$42.7K €36.7K

$43.1K €37.1K

-1.00%

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

$41.0K €35.3K

$39.7K €34.1K

3.29%

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

$306 €263

$291 €251

4.89%

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

$22.36 €19.24

$24.76 €21.30

-9.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.9 €48.93

$51.5 €44.28

10.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.50 €42.59

$57.6 €49.59

-14.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.92 €25.75

Cinema Ticket

$16.20 €13.94

$17.08 €14.70

-5.15%

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

$2,820 €2,426

$2,451 €2,109

15.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K €11.4K

$28.0K €24.1K

-52.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.0 €83.4

$60.1 €51.7

61.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.59 €34.92

$46.57 €40.07

-12.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 €98.5

$91.1 €78.4

25.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 €126

$141 €121

4.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,904 €1,638

$915 €788

107.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 €1,342

$766 €659

103.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,304 €2,843

$1,392 €1,198

137.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,402 €2,067

$1,061 €913

126.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,232 €5,363

$4,609 €3,966

35.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,161 €3,580

$3,441 €2,961

20.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,257 €3,663

$2,648 €2,278

60.78%

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: September 1, 2026

Last update for Drachten: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,904 in Rotterdam and $915 in Drachten. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rotterdam pays 61% 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 $88.0 in Drachten for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $361 vs $299 per month, with Drachten 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 Drachten: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Drachten is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 48% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 61% 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 $915 in Drachten. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,820 in Rotterdam versus $2,451 in Drachten. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Rotterdam. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,104 in Drachten versus $3,110 in Rotterdam, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Drachten but tight or insufficient in Rotterdam. The gap between the two cities makes Drachten the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Drachten 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 Drachten 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 Drachten gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Rotterdam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.