Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Drachten

For one person, living is cheaper in Drachten: $2,491 a month against $3,153 in Rotterdam, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

150

Cost of Living Index in Rotterdam
Learn more

Rotterdam Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Drachten
Learn more

Drachten Living Index

Jump to prices

Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,153

/mo nomad

Drachten

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,491

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rotterdam and in Drachten

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,153 in Rotterdam versus $2,491 in Drachten.

Rotterdam $3,153
Drachten $2,491

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,381 in Rotterdam versus $3,653 in Drachten.

Rotterdam $4,381
Drachten $3,653

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,609 in Rotterdam versus $4,816 in Drachten.

Rotterdam $5,609
Drachten $4,816

Living in Rotterdam is roughly 27% more expensive than in Drachten, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rotterdam 132% above, Drachten 83% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.81 €18.70

$24.29 €21.82

-14.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.2 €76.5

$84.4 €75.9

0.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €12.27

$13.49 €12.12

1.26%

Cappuccino

$4.31 €3.87

$4.02 €3.61

7.21%

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

$3.79 €3.40

$3.76 €3.38

0.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.09

$3.14 €2.82

9.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.93 €6.22

$5.56 €4.99

24.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.05 €5.43

$5.71 €5.13

5.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 €1.28

$1.17 €1.05

21.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 €2.19

$1.35 €1.21

80.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.84 €2.55

$1.54 €1.38

84.42%

Eggs

$5.27 €4.73

$5.04 €4.52

4.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.09 €10.86

$12.60 €11.32

-4.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.32 €11.96

$13.58 €12.20

-1.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.92 €16.99

$12.14 €10.90

55.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.43 €3.08

$1.89 €1.70

81.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 €2.24

$2.40 €2.15

4.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 €2.28

$1.87 €1.68

35.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.39 €3.04

$3.06 €2.75

10.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 €1.51

$1.65 €1.48

1.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 €1.36

$1.53 €1.37

-0.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.36

$1.24 €1.12

21.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.16

$0.69 €0.62

86.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.39 €12.93

$9.17 €8.24

56.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.82 €6.13

$6.66 €5.99

2.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 €1.37

$1.49 €1.34

2.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 €2.32

$2.64 €2.37

-2.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.27 €5.64

$3.66 €3.29

71.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 €99.5

$89.6 €80.5

23.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.11

$4.16 €3.74

10.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.45 €3.10

$3.21 €2.89

7.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$67.3 €60.5

$49.57 €44.53

35.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.56 €2.30

$2.25 €2.02

13.78%

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

$41.3K €37.1K

$41.0K €36.8K

0.76%

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

$39.9K €35.8K

$37.5K €33.7K

6.33%

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

$305 €274

$277 €249

10.15%

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

$21.41 €19.24

$23.94 €21.50

-10.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 €50.1

$49.81 €44.74

11.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.35 €40.74

$41.38 €37.17

9.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.35 €26.37

$26.42 €23.73

11.09%

Cinema Ticket

$15.68 €14.09

$16.14 €14.50

-2.85%

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

$2,793 €2,509

$2,362 €2,122

18.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K €11.2K

$8,090 €7,267

54.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.9 €83.4

$59.1 €53.1

57.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.70 €35.66

$44.01 €39.53

-9.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €97.0

$89.3 €80.2

20.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €127

$134 €120

5.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,068 €1,858

$1,436 €1,290

44.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,684 €1,513

$1,158 €1,040

45.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,183 €2,860

$2,345 €2,107

35.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,398 €2,154

$1,871 €1,680

28.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,140 €5,516

$5,630 €5,058

9.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,198 €3,771

$4,529 €4,068

-7.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,933 €3,533

$2,606 €2,341

50.95%

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: October 24, 2026

Last update for Drachten: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rotterdam

$1.7K 53.4%

Drachten

$1.2K 46.5% 31.2% $526

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rotterdam

$382 12.1%

Drachten

$350 14.1% 8.2% $32

Groceries & Markets

Rotterdam

$346 11%

Drachten

$288 11.5% 16.9% $58

Eating Out

Rotterdam

$335 10.6%

Drachten

$350 14% 4.5% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Rotterdam

$172 5.5%

Drachten

$147 5.9% 14.5% $25

Getting Around

Rotterdam

$158 5%

Drachten

$124 5% 21.1% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Rotterdam

$77 2.4%

Drachten

$74 3% 4% $3.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,068 in Rotterdam and $1,436 in Drachten. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rotterdam pays 51% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Rotterdam vs $84 in Drachten for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 vs $288 per month, with Drachten cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Drachten

🕒 Local time

01:13 1:13 AM

Same time as Rotterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

572,392

45,186

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rotterdam Drachten 170 km

From you

Rotterdam
Drachten

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 about 21% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 51% 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: $2,068 in Rotterdam versus $1,436 in Drachten. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,793 in Rotterdam versus $2,362 in Drachten. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Drachten runs roughly 19% less than in Rotterdam. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

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 Drachten are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Drachten wins on affordability, Rotterdam on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.