Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Eindhoven

For one person, living is cheaper in Eindhoven: $2,751 a month against $3,032 in Rotterdam, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

149

Cost of Living Index in Rotterdam
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Rotterdam Living Index
135

Cost of Living Index in Eindhoven
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Eindhoven Living Index

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Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,032

/mo nomad

Eindhoven

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,751

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rotterdam and in Eindhoven

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

A single person spends $3,032 per month in Rotterdam vs $2,751 in Eindhoven, rent included.

Rotterdam $3,032
Eindhoven $2,751

A couple spends around $4,227 per month in Rotterdam vs $3,871 in Eindhoven, rent included.

Rotterdam $4,227
Eindhoven $3,871

A family of three spends $5,422 per month in Rotterdam vs $4,991 in Eindhoven, rent included.

Rotterdam $5,422
Eindhoven $4,991

Rotterdam costs about 10% more than Eindhoven, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Rotterdam and Eindhoven sit above the global median – Rotterdam by 125%, Eindhoven by 104%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.82 €18.52

$20.80 €18.50

0.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.4 €75.1

$78.8 €70.1

7.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.49 €12.00

$14.02 €12.47

-3.78%

Cappuccino

$4.42 €3.93

$4.30 €3.83

2.79%

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

$3.81 €3.39

$3.65 €3.25

4.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 €3.07

$3.67 €3.27

-5.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.08 €6.29

$6.27 €5.58

12.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.01 €5.35

$5.41 €4.82

11.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 €1.31

$1.40 €1.24

5.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 €2.11

$2.44 €2.17

-2.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 €2.54

$2.51 €2.23

13.94%

Eggs

$5.38 €4.78

$4.38 €3.89

22.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.78 €10.48

$13.32 €11.85

-11.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.62 €12.11

$12.90 €11.47

5.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.76 €16.69

$16.62 €14.78

12.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 €2.96

$3.14 €2.79

5.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 €2.31

$2.41 €2.14

7.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 €2.24

$2.17 €1.93

16.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 €3.00

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 €1.51

$1.46 €1.30

16.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 €1.35

$1.39 €1.23

9.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.45 €1.29

2.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 €1.12

$1.03 €0.91

22.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.24 €12.67

$14.09 €12.54

1.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.55 €5.82

$6.63 €5.89

-1.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.69 €1.50

-12.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 €2.31

$2.62 €2.33

-0.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.39 €3.90

$3.88 €3.45

13.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 €97.1

$110 €98.1

-1.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 €4.01

$3.72 €3.31

21.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.37 €3.00

$2.98 €2.65

13.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.8 €58.6

$39.55 €35.18

66.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.64 €2.34

$2.59 €2.30

1.93%

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

$40.9K €36.3K

$40.7K €36.2K

0.44%

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

$38.8K €34.5K

$39.7K €35.3K

-2.35%

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

$300 €267

$202 €180

48.42%

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

$21.55 €19.17

$22.25 €19.79

-3.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 €47.74

$44.00 €39.14

21.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.47 €43.11

$39.98 €35.56

21.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.57 €25.41

$21.30 €18.95

34.13%

Cinema Ticket

$15.60 €13.88

$14.94 €13.29

4.42%

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

$2,658 €2,364

$2,771 €2,465

-4.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K €11.4K

$8,528 €7,586

49.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.2 €82.0

$99.9 €88.9

-7.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.50 €34.25

$46.59 €41.44

-17.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €97.0

$108 €95.6

1.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €125

$133 €119

5.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,748

$1,725 €1,535

13.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 €1,402

$1,434 €1,276

9.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,071 €2,732

$2,596 €2,309

18.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,238 €1,991

$2,024 €1,800

10.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,891 €5,240

$6,431 €5,720

-8.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,967 €3,528

$4,895 €4,354

-18.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,107 €3,653

$3,879 €3,451

5.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.49

3.55

-1.69%

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

Last update for Rotterdam: October 10, 2026

Last update for Eindhoven: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rotterdam

$1.6K 52%

Eindhoven

$1.4K 52.1% 9% $143

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rotterdam

$375 12.4%

Eindhoven

$268 9.8% 28.5% $107

Groceries & Markets

Rotterdam

$345 11.4%

Eindhoven

$328 11.9% 4.9% $17

Eating Out

Rotterdam

$336 11.1%

Eindhoven

$332 12.1% 1.5% $4.9

Clothing & Footwear

Rotterdam

$171 5.7%

Eindhoven

$174 6.3% 1.8% $3.1

Getting Around

Rotterdam

$148 4.9%

Eindhoven

$144 5.3% 2.4% $3.6

Sport & Entertainment

Rotterdam

$80 2.6%

Eindhoven

$70 2.5% 12.3% $9.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,966 in Rotterdam versus $1,725 in Eindhoven. 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 6% higher in Rotterdam, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $84.0 in Rotterdam versus $79.0 in Eindhoven. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $345 vs $328 – making Eindhoven the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Eindhoven

🕒 Local time

19:54 7:54 PM

Same time as Rotterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

572,392

243,730

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Rotterdam Eindhoven 88 km

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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 Eindhoven: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,032 in Rotterdam, $2,751 in Eindhoven – roughly 10% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,548 per month in Rotterdam and $4,126 in Eindhoven. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Eindhoven, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $84.0 in Rotterdam and $79.0 in Eindhoven. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,032 in Rotterdam and $2,751 in Eindhoven. That's a gap of about 10%.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,032 in Rotterdam and $2,751 in Eindhoven. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Rotterdam has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,751 in Eindhoven to $3,032 in Rotterdam. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Eindhoven. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Rotterdam makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.