Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Fort Lee, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Rotterdam: $3,138 a month against $3,905 in Fort Lee, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

150

Cost of Living Index in Rotterdam
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Rotterdam Living Index
187

Cost of Living Index in Fort Lee, NJ
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Fort Lee, NJ Living Index

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Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,138

/mo nomad

Fort Lee, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,905

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rotterdam and in Fort Lee, NJ

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 Fort Lee, NJ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,138 in Rotterdam versus $3,905 in Fort Lee, NJ.

Rotterdam $3,138
Fort Lee, NJ $3,905

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,366 in Rotterdam versus $6,215 in Fort Lee, NJ.

Rotterdam $4,366
Fort Lee, NJ $6,215

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,593 in Rotterdam versus $8,525 in Fort Lee, NJ.

Rotterdam $5,593
Fort Lee, NJ $8,525

Living in Rotterdam costs roughly 20% less than in Fort Lee, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rotterdam 132% above, Fort Lee, NJ 189% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.90 €21.23

$24.72 $24.72

-3.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.0 €68.4

$82.9 $82.9

-7.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.60 €12.08

$11.17 $11.17

21.75%

Cappuccino

$4.37 €3.88

$5.54 $5.54

-21.12%

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

$3.93 €3.49

$2.21 $2.21

77.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 €2.95

$1.60 $1.60

107.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.23 €6.42

$7.88 $7.88

-8.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.19 €5.50

$7.99 $7.99

-22.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 €1.33

$1.32 $1.32

12.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 €2.13

$3.80 $3.80

-36.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.84 €2.52

$6.71 $6.71

-57.68%

Eggs

$5.24 €4.65

$4.69 $4.69

11.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.16 €10.80

$12.49 $12.49

-2.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.67 €12.14

$16.30 $16.30

-16.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.63 €16.55

$17.09 $17.09

9.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 €3.00

$5.44 $5.44

-38.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 €2.28

$1.72 $1.72

49.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 €2.25

$6.39 $6.39

-60.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.43 €3.05

$5.57 $5.57

-38.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 €1.50

$3.97 $3.97

-57.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 €1.32

$3.75 $3.75

-60.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 €1.27

$2.79 $2.79

-48.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.16

$2.68 $2.68

-51.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.84 €13.18

$11.72 $11.72

26.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.55 €5.82

$11.89 $11.89

-44.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 €1.30

$1.71 $1.71

-14.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 €2.23

$2.04 $2.04

23.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.26 €5.56

$2.80 $2.80

123.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 €99.6

$134 $134

-16.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.77 €4.24

$2.98 $2.98

60.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 €3.24

$2.00 $2.00

82.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$67.5 €59.9

$23.88 $23.88

182.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.53 €2.25

$0.87 $0.87

190.80%

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

$41.7K €37.0K

$28.3K $28.3K

47.26%

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

$38.8K €34.4K

$26.2K $26.2K

48.14%

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

$296 €263

$211 $211

40.14%

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

$22.01 €19.55

$75.4 $75.4

-70.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 €49.56

$66.0 $66.0

-15.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.40 €39.44

$127 $127

-64.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.95 €25.71

Cinema Ticket

$15.78 €14.02

$14.58 $14.58

8.23%

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

$2,768 €2,459

$2,008 $2,008

37.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K €17.4K

$25.5K $25.5K

-23.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.1 €83.6

$41.02 $41.02

129.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.79 €34.46

$57.4 $57.4

-32.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €99.0

$75.7 $75.7

47.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €117

$86.0 $86.0

53.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,088 €1,854

$2,887 $2,887

-27.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 €1,466

$2,295 $2,295

-28.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,207 €2,849

$6,408 $6,408

-49.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,371 €2,107

$4,981 $4,981

-52.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,064 €5,387

$4,254 $4,254

42.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,218 €3,747

$3,836 $3,836

9.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,162 €3,698

$6,563 $6,563

-36.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.49

6.76

-48.37%

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

Last update for Rotterdam: November 2, 2026

Last update for Fort Lee, NJ: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rotterdam

$1.7K 52.6%

Fort Lee, NJ

$2.3K 58.8% 39% $644

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rotterdam

$374 11.9%

Fort Lee, NJ

$353 9% 5.7% $21

Eating Out

Rotterdam

$362 11.5%

Fort Lee, NJ

$368 9.4% 1.8% $6.4

Groceries & Markets

Rotterdam

$346 11%

Fort Lee, NJ

$457 11.7% 32% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Rotterdam

$169 5.4%

Fort Lee, NJ

$117 3% 30.9% $52

Getting Around

Rotterdam

$160 5.1%

Fort Lee, NJ

$159 4.1% 0.9% $1.5

Sport & Entertainment

Rotterdam

$76 2.4%

Fort Lee, NJ

$156 4% 105% $80

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,088 in Rotterdam and $2,887 in Fort Lee, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort Lee, NJ pays 58% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $77 in Rotterdam vs $83 in Fort Lee, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 vs $457 per month, with Rotterdam cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🇺🇸 Fort Lee, NJ

🕒 Local time

11:55 11:55 AM

05:55 5:55 AM

6 h behind Rotterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

572,392

37,008

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.13 USD

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Rotterdam Fort Lee, NJ 5,840 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Rotterdam
Fort Lee, NJ

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 Fort Lee, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rotterdam wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Fort Lee, NJ. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Rotterdam the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 37% lower in Rotterdam. 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: $2,088 in Rotterdam versus $2,887 in Fort Lee, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,138 per month in Rotterdam versus $3,905 in Fort Lee, NJ – Rotterdam is about 20% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Rotterdam runs roughly 17% less than in Fort Lee, NJ. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

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

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

Expats usually find Rotterdam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Fort Lee, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.