Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Hilversum Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Hilversum

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,891 in Rotterdam versus $3,031 in Hilversum.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,234 in Rotterdam versus $4,470 in Hilversum.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,576 in Rotterdam versus $5,908 in Hilversum.

Living in Rotterdam costs roughly 5% less than in Hilversum, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rotterdam 115% above, Hilversum 126% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.24 €20.02

$28.98 €24.97

-19.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.4 €79.6

$92.0 €79.3

0.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.11 €12.16

$16.29 €14.04

-13.38%

Cappuccino

$4.44 €3.83

$4.56 €3.93

-2.63%

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

$3.64 €3.13

$3.84 €3.31

-5.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 €2.54

$3.14 €2.71

-6.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.79 €5.85

$5.72 €4.93

18.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 €5.07

$5.20 €4.48

13.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.12

$1.37 €1.18

-5.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.27 €1.96

1.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.14 €2.70

$3.65 €3.14

-13.97%

Eggs

$5.26 €4.53

$4.95 €4.27

6.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.81 €11.90

$12.56 €10.82

9.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.85 €11.93

$17.16 €14.78

-19.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.28 €14.89

$17.12 €14.75

0.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 €2.30

$1.89 €1.63

40.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$2.59 €2.23

-4.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.86 €1.60

8.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.07 €3.51

$3.85 €3.32

5.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$2.15 €1.85

-6.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$2.22 €1.92

-9.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 €1.17

$1.22 €1.05

11.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 €0.97

$0.91 €0.78

24.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.68 €11.79

$12.42 €10.70

10.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.07 €6.10

$6.75 €5.82

4.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.36

$1.50 €1.29

5.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.31

$2.69 €2.32

-0.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.67 €4.02

$4.52 €3.90

3.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$92.3 €79.5

$98.2 €84.6

-6.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.29 €4.56

$5.92 €5.10

-10.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.12 €1.83

-0.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.14 €18.21

$28.74 €24.76

-26.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.21 €1.90

0.45%

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

$40.8K €35.2K

$41.6K €35.8K

-1.82%

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

$35.6K €30.7K

$40.5K €34.9K

-12.04%

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

$291 €251

$260 €224

11.63%

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

$24.60 €21.19

$29.56 €25.47

-16.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.2 €48.43

$57.3 €49.36

-1.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.78 €39.44

$69.2 €59.6

-33.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.43 €24.49

$42.02 €36.21

-32.34%

Cinema Ticket

$17.31 €14.92

$17.51 €15.08

-1.14%

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

$2,255 €1,943

$668 €575

237.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K €11.8K

$7,513 €6,474

81.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.3 €79.6

$125 €108

-26.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.36 €42.53

$61.9 €53.3

-20.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 €110

$132 €113

-2.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$181 €156

$186 €160

-2.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,739 €1,498

$1,765 €1,521

-1.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,465 €1,262

$1,481 €1,276

-1.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,814 €2,425

$2,954 €2,546

-4.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,300 €1,982

$2,411 €2,078

-4.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,147 €5,296

$7,096 €6,114

-13.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,949 €3,402

$5,320 €4,584

-25.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,177 €3,598

$3,757 €3,237

11.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

4.5

-9.33%

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

Last update for Rotterdam: June 9, 2026

Last update for Hilversum: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,739 in Rotterdam and $1,765 in Hilversum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rotterdam pays 11% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $92.0 in Rotterdam vs $92.0 in Hilversum for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $350 per month, with Rotterdam cheaper across the board.

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

Rotterdam and Hilversum differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($2,891 vs $3,031 including rent). Rotterdam is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Rotterdam pays 11% 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: $1,739 in Rotterdam versus $1,765 in Hilversum. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Rotterdam runs roughly 6% less than in Hilversum. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,255 in Rotterdam versus $668 in Hilversum. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Rotterdam is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 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 Rotterdam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Hilversum. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.