Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Groningen Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Groningen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,957 in Rotterdam versus $2,146 in Groningen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,244 in Rotterdam versus $3,116 in Groningen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,531 in Rotterdam versus $4,086 in Groningen.

Living in Rotterdam is roughly 38% more expensive than Groningen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rotterdam 121% above, Groningen 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.59 €20.31

$17.28 €14.88

36.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.1 €78.5

$94.1 €81.0

-3.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.07 €12.12

$14.13 €12.17

-0.42%

Cappuccino

$4.42 €3.80

$3.97 €3.42

11.34%

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

$3.66 €3.15

$2.96 €2.55

23.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 €2.47

$2.72 €2.34

5.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.89 €5.93

$5.69 €4.90

21.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 €5.08

$4.16 €3.58

41.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 €1.15

$1.32 €1.14

1.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.34 €2.01

$2.07 €1.78

13.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 €2.81

$3.23 €2.78

0.93%

Eggs

$5.17 €4.45

$4.67 €4.02

10.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.78

$13.91 €11.98

-1.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.30 €12.31

$15.15 €13.04

-5.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.86 €14.52

$17.48 €15.05

-3.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.58 €2.22

$2.22 €1.91

16.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$2.56 €2.21

-3.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$2.02 €1.74

-1.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 €3.37

$3.60 €3.10

8.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.17 €1.87

-7.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.95 €1.68

2.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.30 €1.12

5.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.01

$0.74 €0.64

58.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.68 €11.78

$13.63 €11.73

0.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.39 €6.36

$7.06 €6.08

4.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 €1.37

$1.50 €1.29

6.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.31

$2.46 €2.12

8.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.76 €4.10

$4.00 €3.45

19.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.0 €78.3

$67.9 €58.5

34.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.08 €4.38

$3.67 €3.16

38.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 €1.77

$2.53 €2.18

-18.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.01 €18.09

$30.12 €25.94

-30.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.27 €1.96

2.20%

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

$40.1K €34.5K

$29.0K €25.0K

38.26%

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

$36.2K €31.2K

$32.8K €28.3K

10.35%

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

$288 €248

$211 €182

36.24%

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

$24.70 €21.27

$21.91 €18.86

12.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.6 €49.60

$46.36 €39.92

24.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.03 €39.63

$38.44 €33.10

19.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.08 €24.18

$14.13 €12.17

98.73%

Cinema Ticket

$17.42 €15.00

$14.40 €12.40

20.97%

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

$2,223 €1,914

$1,782 €1,535

24.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K €12.1K

$8,651 €7,450

62.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.5 €81.4

$67.9 €58.4

39.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 €43.45

$25.95 €22.35

94.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 €110

$86.2 €74.2

47.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$182 €157

$89.4 €77.0

103.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,774 €1,528

$1,189 €1,024

49.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,486 €1,280

$899 €774

65.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,869 €2,470

$1,732 €1,491

65.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,285 €1,967

$1,355 €1,167

68.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,223 €5,359

$5,570 €4,796

11.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,977 €3,424

$4,272 €3,678

-6.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,139 €3,564

$2,903 €2,500

42.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

3.64

12.09%

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

Last update for Rotterdam: June 1, 2026

Last update for Groningen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,774 in Rotterdam and $1,189 in Groningen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rotterdam pays 43% 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: $91.0 in Rotterdam vs $94.0 in Groningen. Groceries flip the comparison at $347 vs $339, with Groningen cheaper for home cooking.

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 Groningen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Groningen wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Rotterdam. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Groningen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Rotterdam pays 43% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,774 in Rotterdam versus $1,189 in Groningen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Rotterdam. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Groningen – a meal for two runs $94.0 versus $91.0 in Rotterdam. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,146 in Groningen versus $2,957 in Rotterdam, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Groningen but tight or insufficient in Rotterdam. The gap between the two cities makes Groningen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Groningen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,146 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Groningen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Rotterdam and Groningen 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 Groningen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Rotterdam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.