Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Hilversum

For one person, living is cheaper in Hilversum: $2,915 a month against $3,153 in Rotterdam, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Rotterdam outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

150

Cost of Living Index in Rotterdam
Learn more

Rotterdam Living Index
140

Cost of Living Index in Hilversum
Learn more

Hilversum Living Index

Jump to prices

Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,153

/mo nomad

Hilversum

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,915

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rotterdam and in Hilversum

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,153 in Rotterdam versus $2,915 in Hilversum.

Rotterdam $3,153
Hilversum $2,915

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,381 in Rotterdam versus $4,247 in Hilversum.

Rotterdam $4,381
Hilversum $4,247

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,609 in Rotterdam versus $5,579 in Hilversum.

Rotterdam $5,609
Hilversum $5,579

Living in Rotterdam is roughly 8% more expensive than in Hilversum, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rotterdam 132% above, Hilversum 114% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.81 €18.64

$28.34 €25.38

-26.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.2 €76.3

$77.5 €69.4

9.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €12.24

$17.08 €15.30

-20.02%

Cappuccino

$4.31 €3.86

$4.29 €3.84

0.47%

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

$3.79 €3.39

$4.02 €3.60

-5.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.09

$3.00 €2.69

14.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.93 €6.21

$5.48 €4.91

26.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.05 €5.41

$5.61 €5.02

7.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 €1.28

$1.68 €1.50

-15.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 €2.18

$2.19 €1.96

11.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.84 €2.54

$3.10 €2.77

-8.39%

Eggs

$5.27 €4.72

$5.06 €4.53

4.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.09 €10.83

$13.89 €12.44

-12.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.32 €11.93

$14.50 €12.98

-8.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.92 €16.94

$16.70 €14.96

13.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.43 €3.07

$2.45 €2.20

40.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 €2.24

$2.77 €2.48

-9.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 €2.28

$2.02 €1.81

25.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.39 €3.03

$4.44 €3.98

-23.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 €1.50

$1.78 €1.59

-5.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 €1.36

$2.01 €1.80

-24.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.35

$1.50 €1.35

0.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.15

$1.11 €0.99

16.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.39 €12.89

$12.17 €10.90

18.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.82 €6.11

$6.72 €6.02

1.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 €1.36

$1.43 €1.28

6.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 €2.31

$2.60 €2.32

-0.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.27 €5.62

$3.61 €3.23

73.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 €99.2

$67.8 €60.8

63.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.10

$5.57 €4.99

-17.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.45 €3.09

$3.42 €3.06

0.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$67.3 €60.3

$22.70 €20.33

196.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.56 €2.29

$2.46 €2.20

4.07%

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

$41.3K €37.0K

$41.9K €37.6K

-1.47%

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

$39.9K €35.7K

$42.2K €37.8K

-5.47%

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

$305 €273

$262 €234

16.48%

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

$21.41 €19.18

$29.44 €26.36

-27.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 €49.93

$63.6 €57.0

-12.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.35 €40.62

$67.5 €60.5

-32.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.35 €26.29

$34.64 €31.03

-15.27%

Cinema Ticket

$15.68 €14.05

$16.51 €14.79

-5.03%

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

$2,793 €2,501

$700 €627

299.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K €11.2K

$15.5K €13.9K

-19.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.9 €83.2

$112 €100

-17.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.70 €35.56

$47.96 €42.95

-17.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €96.8

$92.2 €82.5

17.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €127

$145 €130

-2.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,068 €1,852

$1,667 €1,493

24.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,684 €1,508

$1,430 €1,281

17.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,183 €2,851

$2,731 €2,446

16.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,398 €2,148

$2,323 €2,080

3.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,140 €5,499

$6,907 €6,186

-11.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,198 €3,760

$5,239 €4,692

-19.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,933 €3,523

$4,008 €3,590

-1.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.49

4.3

-18.84%

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

Last update for Rotterdam: October 24, 2026

Last update for Hilversum: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rotterdam

$1.7K 53.4%

Hilversum

$1.4K 49.1% 15.1% $254

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rotterdam

$382 12.1%

Hilversum

$355 12.2% 7.1% $27

Groceries & Markets

Rotterdam

$346 11%

Hilversum

$349 12% 1% $3.3

Eating Out

Rotterdam

$335 10.6%

Hilversum

$396 13.6% 18.3% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Rotterdam

$172 5.5%

Hilversum

$179 6.1% 4.1% $7.1

Getting Around

Rotterdam

$158 5%

Hilversum

$105 3.6% 33.4% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Rotterdam

$77 2.4%

Hilversum

$101 3.5% 31% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,068 in Rotterdam and $1,667 in Hilversum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85 in Rotterdam vs $77 in Hilversum. Groceries flip the comparison at $346 vs $349, with Rotterdam cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Hilversum

🕒 Local time

13:41 1:41 PM

Same time as Rotterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

572,392

93,345

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rotterdam Hilversum 58 km

From you

Rotterdam
Hilversum

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 Hilversum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,153 in Rotterdam and $2,915 in Hilversum, so Hilversum is about 8% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $4,729 in Rotterdam and $4,372 in Hilversum to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,068 in Rotterdam versus $1,667 in Hilversum. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Hilversum runs roughly 39% less than in Rotterdam. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $3,153 per month in Rotterdam versus $2,915 in Hilversum – Hilversum is about 8% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Rotterdam and Hilversum are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.