Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Haarlem

For one person, living is cheaper in Rotterdam: $3,153 a month against $3,258 in Haarlem, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

150

Cost of Living Index in Rotterdam
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Rotterdam Living Index
156

Cost of Living Index in Haarlem
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Haarlem Living Index

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Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,153

/mo nomad

Haarlem

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,258

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rotterdam and in Haarlem

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

A single person spends $3,153 per month in Rotterdam vs $3,258 in Haarlem, rent included.

Rotterdam $3,153
Haarlem $3,258

A couple spends around $4,381 per month in Rotterdam vs $4,615 in Haarlem, rent included.

Rotterdam $4,381
Haarlem $4,615

A family of three spends $5,609 per month in Rotterdam vs $5,971 in Haarlem, rent included.

Rotterdam $5,609
Haarlem $5,971

Rotterdam is about 3% cheaper than Haarlem, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Rotterdam and Haarlem sit above the global median – Rotterdam by 132%, Haarlem by 139%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.81 €18.70

$29.24 €26.27

-28.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.2 €76.5

$100 €89.9

-14.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €12.27

$13.67 €12.28

-0.07%

Cappuccino

$4.31 €3.87

$4.14 €3.72

4.11%

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

$3.79 €3.40

$4.08 €3.67

-7.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.09

$3.37 €3.03

2.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.93 €6.22

$8.03 €7.21

-13.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.05 €5.43

$5.63 €5.06

7.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 €1.28

$1.46 €1.31

-2.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 €2.19

$2.79 €2.51

-12.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.84 €2.55

$2.64 €2.37

7.58%

Eggs

$5.27 €4.73

$4.75 €4.27

10.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.09 €10.86

$13.92 €12.50

-13.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.32 €11.96

$13.30 €11.95

0.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.92 €16.99

$21.49 €19.31

-11.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.43 €3.08

$2.98 €2.68

15.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 €2.24

$2.53 €2.27

-1.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 €2.28

$1.80 €1.62

41.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.39 €3.04

$4.98 €4.48

-31.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 €1.51

$1.89 €1.70

-11.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 €1.36

$2.27 €2.04

-33.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.36

$1.29 €1.16

17.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.16

$1.00 €0.90

29.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.39 €12.93

$13.88 €12.47

3.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.82 €6.13

$7.73 €6.95

-11.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 €1.37

$1.50 €1.34

1.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 €2.32

$2.36 €2.12

9.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.27 €5.64

$2.84 €2.55

120.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 €99.5

$83.0 €74.6

33.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.11

$6.19 €5.56

-26.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.45 €3.10

$2.50 €2.24

38.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$67.3 €60.5

$26.38 €23.70

155.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.56 €2.30

$2.53 €2.27

1.19%

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

$41.3K €37.1K

$41.4K €37.2K

-0.29%

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

$39.9K €35.8K

$39.6K €35.5K

0.77%

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

$305 €274

$249 €224

22.45%

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

$21.41 €19.24

$23.98 €21.54

-10.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 €50.1

$60.9 €54.7

-8.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.35 €40.74

$53.3 €47.91

-14.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.35 €26.37

$28.02 €25.17

4.75%

Cinema Ticket

$15.68 €14.09

$16.09 €14.45

-2.55%

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

$2,793 €2,509

$2,598 €2,334

7.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K €11.2K

$6,587 €5,917

90.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.9 €83.4

$85.1 €76.4

9.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.70 €35.66

$63.2 €56.8

-37.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €97.0

$97.7 €87.8

10.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €127

$147 €132

-3.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,068 €1,858

$2,031 €1,825

1.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,684 €1,513

$1,781 €1,600

-5.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,183 €2,860

$3,215 €2,888

-0.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,398 €2,154

$2,603 €2,338

-7.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,140 €5,516

$7,820 €7,025

-21.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,198 €3,771

$5,830 €5,237

-27.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,933 €3,533

$4,219 €3,790

-6.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.49

3.8

-8.16%

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

Last update for Rotterdam: October 24, 2026

Last update for Haarlem: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rotterdam

$1.7K 53.4%

Haarlem

$1.8K 54.7% 5.8% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rotterdam

$382 12.1%

Haarlem

$334 10.3% 12.6% $48

Groceries & Markets

Rotterdam

$346 11%

Haarlem

$362 11.1% 4.7% $16

Eating Out

Rotterdam

$335 10.6%

Haarlem

$406 12.5% 21.2% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Rotterdam

$172 5.5%

Haarlem

$177 5.4% 2.8% $4.8

Getting Around

Rotterdam

$158 5%

Haarlem

$113 3.5% 28.3% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Rotterdam

$77 2.4%

Haarlem

$86 2.6% 11.4% $8.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,068 in Rotterdam versus $2,031 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 7% higher in Haarlem. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Rotterdam versus $100 in Haarlem. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $362 – making Rotterdam the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Haarlem

🕒 Local time

23:04 11:04 PM

Same time as Rotterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

572,392

165,396

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Rotterdam Haarlem 53 km

From you

Rotterdam
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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 Haarlem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Haarlem costs about 3% more than Rotterdam, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from 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 $4,729 per month in Rotterdam and $4,887 in Haarlem. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $2,068 in Rotterdam and $2,031 in Haarlem. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Rotterdam and $100 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 $3,153 in Rotterdam and $3,258 in Haarlem. That makes Rotterdam about 3% cheaper.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,153 in Rotterdam and $3,258 in Haarlem. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Rotterdam costs $3,153 versus $3,258 in Haarlem. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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

If budget matters most, go with Rotterdam. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Haarlem makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.