Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Geleen

For one person, living is cheaper in Geleen: $2,516 a month against $3,138 in Rotterdam, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 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
119

Cost of Living Index in Geleen
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Geleen Living Index

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Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,138

/mo nomad

Geleen

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,516

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rotterdam and in Geleen

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

A single person spends $3,138 per month in Rotterdam vs $2,516 in Geleen, rent included.

Rotterdam $3,138
Geleen $2,516

A couple spends around $4,366 per month in Rotterdam vs $3,676 in Geleen, rent included.

Rotterdam $4,366
Geleen $3,676

A family of three spends $5,593 per month in Rotterdam vs $4,835 in Geleen, rent included.

Rotterdam $5,593
Geleen $4,835

Rotterdam costs about 25% more than Geleen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Rotterdam and Geleen sit above the global median – Rotterdam by 132%, Geleen by 86%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.90 €21.23

$19.72 €17.51

21.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.0 €68.4

$95.1 €84.5

-19.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.60 €12.08

$12.24 €10.87

11.11%

Cappuccino

$4.37 €3.88

$4.12 €3.66

6.07%

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

$3.93 €3.49

$3.59 €3.19

9.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 €2.95

$3.03 €2.69

9.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.23 €6.42

$6.04 €5.37

19.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.19 €5.50

$5.45 €4.84

13.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 €1.33

$1.25 €1.11

19.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 €2.13

$1.83 €1.62

31.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.84 €2.52

$2.57 €2.29

10.51%

Eggs

$5.24 €4.65

$4.59 €4.08

14.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.16 €10.80

$14.75 €13.10

-17.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.67 €12.14

$13.83 €12.28

-1.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.63 €16.55

$16.18 €14.38

15.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 €3.00

$2.56 €2.27

31.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 €2.28

$2.40 €2.13

7.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 €2.25

$1.92 €1.71

31.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.43 €3.05

$4.54 €4.03

-24.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 €1.50

$1.88 €1.67

-10.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 €1.32

$2.29 €2.03

-34.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 €1.27

$1.22 €1.08

17.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.16

$0.78 €0.70

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.84 €13.18

$13.99 €12.43

6.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.55 €5.82

$6.88 €6.12

-4.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 €1.30

$1.51 €1.34

-2.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 €2.23

$2.70 €2.40

-6.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.26 €5.56

$3.57 €3.17

75.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 €99.6

$89.3 €79.4

25.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.77 €4.24

$3.29 €2.92

44.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 €3.24

$3.36 €2.98

8.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$67.5 €59.9

$27.75 €24.65

143.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.53 €2.25

$2.32 €2.06

9.05%

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

$41.7K €37.0K

$41.8K €37.2K

-0.41%

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

$38.8K €34.4K

$39.5K €35.1K

-1.96%

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

$296 €263

$267 €237

10.75%

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

$22.01 €19.55

$17.26 €15.33

27.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 €49.56

$42.11 €37.41

32.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.40 €39.44

$40.71 €36.16

9.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.95 €25.71

$24.27 €21.56

19.28%

Cinema Ticket

$15.78 €14.02

$14.45 €12.84

9.20%

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

$2,768 €2,459

$1,257 €1,117

120.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K €17.4K

$6,761 €6,006

189.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.1 €83.6

$78.0 €69.3

20.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.79 €34.46

$38.54 €34.24

0.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €99.0

$111 €98.9

0.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €117

$128 €113

3.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,088 €1,854

$1,447 €1,286

44.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 €1,466

$1,195 €1,061

38.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,207 €2,849

$2,296 €2,039

39.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,371 €2,107

$1,833 €1,628

29.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,064 €5,387

$5,633 €5,004

7.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,218 €3,747

$4,446 €3,949

-5.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,162 €3,698

$4,425 €3,931

-5.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.49

4.02

-13.18%

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

Last update for Rotterdam: November 2, 2026

Last update for Geleen: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rotterdam

$1.7K 52.6%

Geleen

$1.2K 47.5% 27.6% $456

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rotterdam

$374 11.9%

Geleen

$327 13% 12.6% $47

Eating Out

Rotterdam

$362 11.5%

Geleen

$312 12.4% 13.9% $50

Groceries & Markets

Rotterdam

$346 11%

Geleen

$330 13.1% 4.7% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Rotterdam

$169 5.4%

Geleen

$160 6.4% 5.5% $9.3

Getting Around

Rotterdam

$160 5.1%

Geleen

$124 4.9% 22.8% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Rotterdam

$76 2.4%

Geleen

$70 2.8% 8.4% $6.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,088 in Rotterdam versus $1,447 in Geleen. 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 Geleen, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77 in Rotterdam versus $95 in Geleen. Groceries tell a different story – $346 in Rotterdam vs $330 in Geleen – so Geleen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Geleen

🕒 Local time

21:44 9:44 PM

Same time as Rotterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

572,392

31,970

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.13 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Rotterdam Geleen 140 km

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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 Geleen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rotterdam is pricier by about 25%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,707 per month in Rotterdam and $3,774 in Geleen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Geleen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,447 there versus $2,088 in Rotterdam.

Public transport costs about 20% less in Geleen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,768 per month in Rotterdam and $1,257 in Geleen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,138 in Rotterdam and $2,516 in Geleen. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Geleen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.