Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Leeuwarden

For one person, living is cheaper in Leeuwarden: $2,588 a month against $3,047 in Rotterdam, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Rotterdam outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

149

Cost of Living Index in Rotterdam
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Rotterdam Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Leeuwarden
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Leeuwarden Living Index

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Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,047

/mo nomad

Leeuwarden

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,588

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rotterdam and in Leeuwarden

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

A single person spends $3,047 per month in Rotterdam vs $2,588 in Leeuwarden, rent included.

Rotterdam $3,047
Leeuwarden $2,588

A couple spends around $4,256 per month in Rotterdam vs $3,825 in Leeuwarden, rent included.

Rotterdam $4,256
Leeuwarden $3,825

A family of three spends $5,466 per month in Rotterdam vs $5,063 in Leeuwarden, rent included.

Rotterdam $5,466
Leeuwarden $5,063

Rotterdam costs about 18% more than Leeuwarden, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Rotterdam and Leeuwarden sit above the global median – Rotterdam by 125%, Leeuwarden by 91%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.91 €18.60

$22.50 €20.01

-7.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.4 €74.2

$112 €99.2

-25.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 €11.74

$15.61 €13.88

-15.44%

Cappuccino

$4.37 €3.89

$3.86 €3.44

13.21%

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

$3.89 €3.46

$3.73 €3.32

4.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 €3.12

$2.86 €2.54

22.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.25 €6.45

$6.88 €6.12

5.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.98 €5.32

$5.35 €4.75

11.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.16 €1.03

26.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 €2.05

$1.92 €1.71

19.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.96 €2.64

$2.44 €2.17

21.31%

Eggs

$5.24 €4.66

$4.37 €3.89

19.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.22 €10.87

$12.73 €11.32

-4.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.37 €11.90

$14.38 €12.79

-7.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.62 €16.56

$16.29 €14.49

14.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 €3.01

$2.32 €2.07

45.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 €2.25

$2.40 €2.13

5.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 €2.28

$1.85 €1.65

38.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.51 €3.13

$5.25 €4.67

-33.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 €1.51

$1.72 €1.53

-1.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.93 €1.72

-23.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.21 €1.08

21.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.14

$0.91 €0.81

41.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.61 €12.99

$14.20 €12.63

2.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.67 €5.93

$7.02 €6.24

-4.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 €1.30

$1.88 €1.67

-21.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 €2.24

$1.69 €1.50

49.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.40 €3.92

$3.29 €2.92

33.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 €98.6

$127 €113

-12.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.73 €4.21

$8.78 €7.81

-46.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.48 €3.10

$3.98 €3.54

-12.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$68.4 €60.9

$51.0 €45.38

34.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.59 €2.31

$2.41 €2.15

7.47%

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

$42.3K €37.6K

$41.7K €37.1K

1.44%

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

$39.4K €35.0K

$39.0K €34.7K

1.01%

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

$297 €264

$369 €328

-19.48%

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

$21.43 €19.06

$43.01 €38.26

-50.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.6 €49.49

$45.83 €40.77

21.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.98 €42.68

$37.73 €33.56

27.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.31 €26.07

$19.00 €16.90

54.26%

Cinema Ticket

$15.40 €13.69

$16.54 €14.71

-6.89%

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

$2,677 €2,381

$1,353 €1,204

97.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K €11.4K

$22.5K €20.0K

-43.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.3 €84.7

$114 €102

-16.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.44 €35.08

$39.18 €34.85

0.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €98.2

$130 €116

-15.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 €124

$136 €121

2.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,968 €1,750

$1,351 €1,202

45.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,588 €1,412

$1,028 €915

54.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,116 €2,771

$3,851 €3,425

-19.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,281 €2,029

$1,612 €1,434

41.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,925 €5,271

$3,638 €3,236

62.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,979 €3,539

$3,248 €2,889

22.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,135 €3,678

$2,989 €2,658

38.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.49

4.38

-20.32%

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

Last update for Rotterdam: October 19, 2026

Last update for Leeuwarden: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rotterdam

$1.6K 52.1%

Leeuwarden

$1K 39.7% 35.2% $560

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rotterdam

$374 12.3%

Leeuwarden

$458 17.7% 22.4% $84

Groceries & Markets

Rotterdam

$345 11.3%

Leeuwarden

$328 12.7% 4.8% $17

Eating Out

Rotterdam

$337 11.1%

Leeuwarden

$345 13.3% 2.2% $7.4

Clothing & Footwear

Rotterdam

$173 5.7%

Leeuwarden

$189 7.3% 9.2% $16

Getting Around

Rotterdam

$151 4.9%

Leeuwarden

$169 6.5% 12.2% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Rotterdam

$79 2.6%

Leeuwarden

$71 2.7% 10.1% $8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,968 in Rotterdam versus $1,351 in Leeuwarden. 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 38% 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 $112 in Leeuwarden. Groceries tell a different story – $345 in Rotterdam vs $328 in Leeuwarden – so Leeuwarden wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Leeuwarden

🕒 Local time

12:19 12:19 PM

Same time as Rotterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

572,392

91,992

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Leeuwarden: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rotterdam costs about 18% more than Leeuwarden, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,570 per month in Rotterdam and $3,882 in Leeuwarden. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $2,677 per month in Rotterdam and $1,353 in Leeuwarden. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Rotterdam, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,047 in Rotterdam and $2,588 in Leeuwarden. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Leeuwarden costs $2,588 versus $3,047 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 Leeuwarden. 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.