Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Haarlem Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Haarlem

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,957 per month in Rotterdam vs $2,853 in Haarlem, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,244 per month in Rotterdam vs $4,192 in Haarlem, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,531 per month in Rotterdam vs $5,531 in Haarlem, rent included.

Rotterdam costs about 4% more than Haarlem, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Rotterdam and Haarlem sit above the global median – Rotterdam by 121%, Haarlem by 113%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.59 €20.29

$29.12 €25.05

-18.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.1 €78.4

$104 €89.0

-11.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.07 €12.10

$13.69 €11.78

2.78%

Cappuccino

$4.42 €3.80

$4.33 €3.72

2.08%

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

$3.66 €3.15

$4.00 €3.44

-8.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 €2.46

$3.33 €2.86

-14.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.89 €5.92

$6.88 €5.92

0.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 €5.08

$5.94 €5.11

-0.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 €1.15

$1.40 €1.21

-4.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.34 €2.01

$2.66 €2.29

-12.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 €2.81

$2.99 €2.57

9.03%

Eggs

$5.17 €4.45

$4.73 €4.06

9.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.76

$14.34 €12.34

-4.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.30 €12.30

$15.42 €13.27

-7.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.86 €14.50

$18.60 €16.00

-9.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.58 €2.22

$2.53 €2.18

1.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.12

$2.56 €2.20

-3.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.95 €1.68

2.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 €3.36

$3.98 €3.43

-1.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.03 €1.74

-0.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.87 €1.61

6.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.20 €1.03

14.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.01

$0.94 €0.81

24.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.68 €11.77

$14.49 €12.47

-5.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.39 €6.35

$8.36 €7.19

-11.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 €1.36

$1.54 €1.33

3.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.31

$2.40 €2.07

11.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.76 €4.09

$3.09 €2.66

54.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.0 €78.2

$114 €98.1

-20.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.08 €4.37

$5.76 €4.95

-11.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 €1.77

$2.62 €2.25

-21.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.01 €18.07

$27.33 €23.51

-23.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.27 €1.95

2.20%

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

$40.1K €34.5K

$39.9K €34.4K

0.43%

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

$36.2K €31.2K

$39.2K €33.7K

-7.57%

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

$288 €248

$243 €209

18.56%

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

$24.70 €21.24

$28.02 €24.10

-11.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.6 €49.54

$57.9 €49.81

-0.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.03 €39.59

$41.29 €35.52

11.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.08 €24.15

$24.02 €20.66

16.90%

Cinema Ticket

$17.42 €14.98

$16.70 €14.37

4.31%

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

$2,223 €1,912

$2,716 €2,336

-18.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K €12.1K

$6,256 €5,382

124.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.5 €81.3

$101 €87.1

-6.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 €43.40

$53.5 €45.98

-5.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 €110

$116 €100

9.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$182 €157

$160 €137

13.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,774 €1,526

$1,734 €1,492

2.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,486 €1,279

$1,378 €1,185

7.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,869 €2,468

$2,534 €2,179

13.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,285 €1,965

$2,129 €1,832

7.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,223 €5,353

$8,318 €7,155

-25.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,977 €3,421

$6,393 €5,499

-37.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,139 €3,561

$3,929 €3,380

5.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

4.28

-4.67%

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

Last update for Rotterdam: June 1, 2026

Last update for Haarlem: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,774 in Rotterdam versus $1,734 in Haarlem. 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 5% 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 $91.0 in Rotterdam versus $104 in Haarlem. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $347 vs $358 – making Rotterdam the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Haarlem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rotterdam costs about 4% more than Haarlem, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,435 per month in Rotterdam and $4,280 in Haarlem. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Haarlem, 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 $91.0 in Rotterdam and $104 in Haarlem. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,957 in Rotterdam and $2,853 in Haarlem. 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 $2,957 in Rotterdam and $2,853 in Haarlem. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Haarlem costs $2,853 versus $2,957 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 Haarlem. 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.