Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Hengelo

For one person, living is cheaper in Hengelo: $2,186 a month against $3,047 in Rotterdam, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

149

Cost of Living Index in Rotterdam
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Rotterdam Living Index
105

Cost of Living Index in Hengelo
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Hengelo Living Index

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Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,047

/mo nomad

Hengelo

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,186

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rotterdam and in Hengelo

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

A single person spends $3,047 per month in Rotterdam vs $2,186 in Hengelo, rent included.

Rotterdam $3,047
Hengelo $2,186

A couple spends around $4,256 per month in Rotterdam vs $3,524 in Hengelo, rent included.

Rotterdam $4,256
Hengelo $3,524

A family of three spends $5,466 per month in Rotterdam vs $4,862 in Hengelo, rent included.

Rotterdam $5,466
Hengelo $4,862

Rotterdam costs about 39% more than Hengelo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Rotterdam and Hengelo sit above the global median – Rotterdam by 125%, Hengelo by 61%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.91 €18.60

$22.67 €20.16

-7.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.4 €74.2

$83.3 €74.1

0.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 €11.74

$13.26 €11.79

-0.45%

Cappuccino

$4.37 €3.89

$4.01 €3.57

8.98%

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

$3.89 €3.46

$3.81 €3.39

2.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 €3.12

$2.86 €2.55

22.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.25 €6.45

$6.27 €5.58

15.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.98 €5.32

$6.49 €5.78

-7.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.34 €1.20

9.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 €2.05

$2.46 €2.18

-6.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.96 €2.64

$2.64 €2.35

12.12%

Eggs

$5.24 €4.66

$4.34 €3.86

20.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.22 €10.87

$14.05 €12.50

-13.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.37 €11.90

$13.81 €12.29

-3.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.62 €16.56

$14.57 €12.96

27.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 €3.01

$2.82 €2.51

19.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 €2.25

$2.23 €1.98

13.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 €2.28

$2.13 €1.89

20.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.51 €3.13

$3.66 €3.26

-4.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 €1.51

$1.87 €1.66

-9.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.88 €1.67

-21.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.21 €1.07

21.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.14

$0.70 €0.63

84.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.61 €12.99

$13.87 €12.34

5.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.67 €5.93

$6.58 €5.86

1.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 €1.30

$1.36 €1.21

8.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 €2.24

$2.68 €2.39

-5.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.40 €3.92

$5.12 €4.55

-14.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 €98.6

$90.1 €80.2

23.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.73 €4.21

$3.62 €3.22

30.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.48 €3.10

$2.58 €2.29

34.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$68.4 €60.9

$44.23 €39.34

54.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.59 €2.31

$2.53 €2.25

2.37%

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

$42.3K €37.6K

$41.1K €36.6K

2.71%

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

$39.4K €35.0K

$38.6K €34.4K

1.89%

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

$297 €264

$268 €238

10.97%

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

$21.43 €19.06

$21.74 €19.34

-1.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.6 €49.49

$48.06 €42.75

15.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.98 €42.68

$29.68 €26.40

61.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.31 €26.07

$23.66 €21.04

23.88%

Cinema Ticket

$15.40 €13.69

$15.93 €14.17

-3.33%

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

$2,677 €2,381

$1,222 €1,087

119.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K €11.4K

$7,960 €7,081

60.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.3 €84.7

$94.1 €83.7

1.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.44 €35.08

$44.61 €39.68

-11.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €98.2

$93.0 €82.7

18.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 €124

$125 €111

11.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,968 €1,750

$1,300 €1,156

51.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,588 €1,412

$836 €743

89.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,116 €2,771

$2,399 €2,134

29.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,281 €2,029

$1,867 €1,660

22.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,925 €5,271

$5,317 €4,729

11.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,979 €3,539

$4,422 €3,934

-10.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,135 €3,678

$2,639 €2,348

56.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.49

4.2

-16.90%

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

Last update for Rotterdam: October 19, 2026

Last update for Hengelo: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rotterdam

$1.6K 52.1%

Hengelo

$836 38.3% 47.4% $752

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rotterdam

$374 12.3%

Hengelo

$338 15.5% 9.8% $37

Groceries & Markets

Rotterdam

$345 11.3%

Hengelo

$323 14.8% 6.3% $22

Eating Out

Rotterdam

$337 11.1%

Hengelo

$340 15.6% 0.9% $3.1

Clothing & Footwear

Rotterdam

$173 5.7%

Hengelo

$160 7.3% 7.1% $12

Getting Around

Rotterdam

$151 4.9%

Hengelo

$127 5.8% 15.6% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Rotterdam

$79 2.6%

Hengelo

$62 2.8% 21.9% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,968 in Rotterdam versus $1,300 in Hengelo. 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 57% 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 $83.0 in Rotterdam versus $83.0 in Hengelo. Groceries tell a different story – $345 in Rotterdam vs $323 in Hengelo – so Hengelo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Hengelo

🕒 Local time

01:46 1:46 AM

Same time as Rotterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

572,392

81,140

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Rotterdam Hengelo 160 km

From you

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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 Hengelo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,047 in Rotterdam, $2,186 in Hengelo – roughly 39% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,570 per month in Rotterdam and $3,279 in Hengelo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hengelo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Rotterdam, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $83.0 in Rotterdam and $83.0 in Hengelo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Hengelo, where all-in costs run around $2,186, than in Rotterdam at $3,047. In Hengelo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rotterdam it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Rotterdam has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,186 in Hengelo to $3,047 in Rotterdam. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Hengelo. 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.