Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Fort Lee, NJ Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Fort Lee, NJ

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,929 in Rotterdam versus $3,166 in Fort Lee, NJ.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,222 in Rotterdam versus $5,152 in Fort Lee, NJ.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,515 in Rotterdam versus $7,139 in Fort Lee, NJ.

Living in Rotterdam costs roughly 7% less than in Fort Lee, NJ, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rotterdam 119% above, Fort Lee, NJ 136% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.58 €20.11

$19.70 $19.70

19.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.3 €79.6

$101 $101

-7.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €11.98

$12.74 $12.74

10.28%

Cappuccino

$4.45 €3.80

$5.31 $5.31

-16.20%

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

$3.56 €3.04

$2.40 $2.40

48.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 €2.44

$1.28 $1.28

123.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.84 €5.84

$7.07 $7.07

-3.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.86 €5.00

$9.18 $9.18

-36.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.15

$1.34 $1.34

0.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 €1.97

$3.28 $3.28

-29.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.28 €2.80

$4.29 $4.29

-23.54%

Eggs

$5.33 €4.54

$4.25 $4.25

25.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.08 €12.01

$21.43 $21.43

-34.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.20 €12.11

$11.73 $11.73

21.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.01 €14.51

$17.28 $17.28

-1.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.23

$4.89 $4.89

-46.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.49 €2.12

$1.57 $1.57

58.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.71

$4.02 $4.02

-50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 €3.33

$4.08 $4.08

-4.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 €1.76

$2.87 $2.87

-27.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 €1.66

$3.81 $3.81

-48.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.13

$2.48 $2.48

-46.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 €0.96

$2.70 $2.70

-58.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.70 €11.69

$12.02 $12.02

13.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.47 €6.37

$12.11 $12.11

-38.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 €1.31

$1.75 $1.75

-12.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 €2.22

$6.10 $6.10

-57.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.67 €3.98

$3.77 $3.77

23.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.5 €77.2

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 €4.54

$3.08 $3.08

72.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.03 €1.73

$2.07 $2.07

-1.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.89 €17.82

$23.94 $23.94

-12.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.33 €1.99

$0.93 $0.93

150.54%

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

$41.3K €35.2K

$29.8K $29.8K

38.31%

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

$36.4K €31.0K

$25.2K $25.2K

44.41%

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

$283 €242

$127 $127

123.44%

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

$23.85 €20.34

$45.18 $45.18

-47.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.5 €49.08

$63.8 $63.8

-9.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.85 €39.11

$125 $125

-63.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.69 €24.47

Cinema Ticket

$17.40 €14.84

$15.15 $15.15

14.85%

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

$2,244 €1,914

$2,018 $2,018

11.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K €12.0K

$24.1K $24.1K

-41.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.5 €79.8

$73.6 $73.6

27.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.50 €42.23

$61.1 $61.1

-19.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 €107

$70.3 $70.3

78.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$184 €157

$101 $101

81.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,728 €1,474

$2,252 $2,252

-23.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,478 €1,261

$1,855 $1,855

-20.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,826 €2,410

$4,689 $4,689

-39.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,286 €1,950

$3,838 $3,838

-40.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,154 €5,249

$4,388 $4,388

40.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,284 €3,655

$3,733 $3,733

14.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,180 €3,565

$6,761 $6,761

-38.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

6.35

-35.75%

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

Last update for Rotterdam: April 21, 2026

Last update for Fort Lee, NJ: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,728 in Rotterdam and $2,252 in Fort Lee, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort Lee, NJ pays 62% 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: $93 in Rotterdam vs $101 in Fort Lee, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $348 vs $429 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 Fort Lee, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rotterdam wins on cost – living expenses run 8% 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, Fort Lee, NJ earns 62% less. 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: $1,728 in Rotterdam versus $2,252 in Fort Lee, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,244 in Rotterdam versus $2,018 in Fort Lee, NJ. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Rotterdam – a meal for two runs $93.0 versus $101 in Fort Lee, NJ. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 work as nomad bases, but Rotterdam delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,929 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Rotterdam hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Rotterdam and Fort Lee, NJ 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 Rotterdam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Fort Lee, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.