Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Gouda Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Gouda

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,110 per month in Rotterdam vs $2,588 in Gouda, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,402 per month in Rotterdam vs $4,058 in Gouda, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,694 per month in Rotterdam vs $5,528 in Gouda, rent included.

Rotterdam costs about 20% more than Gouda, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Rotterdam and Gouda sit above the global median – Rotterdam by 126%, Gouda by 88%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.52 €22.80

$20.55 €17.66

29.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.3 €81.1

$93.9 €80.7

0.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.00 €12.04

$16.02 €13.77

-12.61%

Cappuccino

$4.50 €3.87

$4.46 €3.84

0.90%

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

$3.94 €3.38

$3.63 €3.12

8.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 €3.10

$3.14 €2.70

14.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.22 €6.21

$8.29 €7.13

-12.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.01 €5.17

$6.15 €5.28

-2.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 €1.36

$1.27 €1.09

25.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 €2.05

$2.35 €2.02

1.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.96 €2.54

$2.88 €2.47

2.78%

Eggs

$5.67 €4.88

$4.71 €4.05

20.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.70 €10.92

$15.37 €13.21

-17.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.81 €11.87

$13.80 €11.87

0.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.92 €17.13

$17.13 €14.72

16.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 €2.92

$2.75 €2.36

23.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 €2.34

$2.37 €2.03

14.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.98 €1.70

33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.49 €3.00

$3.80 €3.26

-8.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.68

$1.79 €1.54

9.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 €1.33

$2.07 €1.78

-25.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 €1.33

$1.16 €1.00

32.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

$0.98 €0.84

45.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.05 €12.93

$13.80 €11.87

9.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.84 €5.88

$6.79 €5.84

0.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.33

$1.48 €1.27

4.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.26

$2.54 €2.18

3.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.78 €4.11

$3.45 €2.96

38.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$116 €99.8

$81.9 €70.4

41.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.92 €4.23

$3.40 €2.92

44.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 €3.01

$3.43 €2.95

2.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$68.9 €59.2

$22.97 €19.75

199.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.62 €2.25

$2.50 €2.15

4.80%

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

$42.7K €36.7K

$43.1K €37.0K

-0.91%

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

$41.0K €35.2K

$41.3K €35.5K

-0.80%

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

$306 €263

$294 €253

3.87%

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

$22.36 €19.23

$16.11 €13.85

38.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.9 €48.89

$52.0 €44.70

9.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.50 €42.55

$61.5 €52.9

-19.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.92 €25.72

$24.63 €21.17

21.48%

Cinema Ticket

$16.20 €13.93

$15.76 €13.55

2.79%

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

$2,820 €2,424

$1,793 €1,542

57.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K €11.4K

$13.9K €11.9K

-4.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.0 €83.4

-0.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.59 €34.89

$44.93 €38.62

-9.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 €98.4

$111 €95.1

3.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 €126

$145 €125

1.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,904 €1,637

$1,894 €1,628

0.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 €1,341

$1,167 €1,003

33.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,304 €2,840

$2,888 €2,482

14.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,402 €2,065

$2,360 €2,029

1.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,232 €5,358

$5,585 €4,801

11.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,161 €3,577

$4,684 €4,027

-11.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,257 €3,660

$2,626 €2,258

62.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.49

3.4

2.65%

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

Last update for Rotterdam: September 1, 2026

Last update for Gouda: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,904 in Rotterdam versus $1,894 in Gouda. 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 62% 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 $94.0 in Rotterdam versus $94.0 in Gouda. Groceries tell a different story – $361 in Rotterdam vs $340 in Gouda – so Gouda wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Gouda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rotterdam costs about 20% more than Gouda, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,664 per month in Rotterdam and $3,883 in Gouda. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gouda, 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 $94.0 in Rotterdam and $94.0 in Gouda. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,110 in Rotterdam and $2,588 in Gouda. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,110 in Rotterdam and $2,588 in Gouda. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Gouda costs $2,588 versus $3,110 in Rotterdam. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Gouda. 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.