Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Leiden Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Leiden

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,957 in Rotterdam versus $2,734 in Leiden.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,244 in Rotterdam versus $3,894 in Leiden.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,531 in Rotterdam versus $5,053 in Leiden.

Living in Rotterdam is roughly 8% more expensive than Leiden, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rotterdam 121% above, Leiden 104% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.59 €20.31

$17.06 €14.69

38.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.1 €78.5

$88.3 €76.0

3.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.07 €12.12

$14.13 €12.17

-0.42%

Cappuccino

$4.42 €3.80

$3.95 €3.40

11.90%

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

$3.66 €3.15

$3.73 €3.21

-1.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 €2.47

$2.89 €2.49

-1.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.89 €5.93

$7.03 €6.06

-1.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 €5.08

$5.76 €4.96

2.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 €1.15

$1.26 €1.08

6.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.34 €2.01

$2.24 €1.93

4.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 €2.81

$3.31 €2.85

-1.51%

Eggs

$5.17 €4.45

$4.78 €4.12

8.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.78

$14.54 €12.52

-5.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.30 €12.31

$16.81 €14.48

-14.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.86 €14.52

$17.33 €14.92

-2.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.58 €2.22

$2.24 €1.93

15.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$2.58 €2.22

-4.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.96 €1.69

1.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 €3.37

$3.88 €3.34

0.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.07 €1.78

-2.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$2.00 €1.72

-0.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.20 €1.04

14.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.01

$0.74 €0.63

58.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.68 €11.78

$12.82 €11.04

6.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.39 €6.36

$7.48 €6.44

-1.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 €1.37

$1.55 €1.33

2.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.31

$2.64 €2.27

1.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.76 €4.10

$3.02 €2.60

57.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.0 €78.3

$87.7 €75.5

3.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.08 €4.38

$5.76 €4.96

-11.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 €1.77

$2.04 €1.76

0.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.01 €18.09

$34.44 €29.65

-39.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.29 €1.97

1.31%

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

$40.1K €34.5K

$29.4K €25.4K

36.23%

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

$36.2K €31.2K

$28.9K €24.9K

25.36%

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

$288 €248

$289 €248

-0.18%

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

$24.70 €21.27

$21.66 €18.65

14.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.6 €49.60

$50.8 €43.76

13.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.03 €39.63

$43.07 €37.09

6.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.08 €24.18

$20.40 €17.56

37.65%

Cinema Ticket

$17.42 €15.00

$14.11 €12.15

23.46%

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

$2,223 €1,914

$2,050 €1,765

8.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K €12.1K

$16.2K €14.0K

-13.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.5 €81.4

$114 €98.2

-17.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 €43.45

$45.59 €39.26

10.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 €110

$115 €99.1

10.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$182 €157

$153 €132

18.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,774 €1,528

$1,520 €1,309

16.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,486 €1,280

$1,306 €1,125

13.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,869 €2,470

$2,389 €2,057

20.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,285 €1,967

$2,013 €1,734

13.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,223 €5,359

$8,052 €6,934

-22.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,977 €3,424

$6,214 €5,351

-36.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,139 €3,564

$4,018 €3,460

3.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

3.99

2.26%

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

Last update for Rotterdam: June 1, 2026

Last update for Leiden: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,774 in Rotterdam and $1,520 in Leiden. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rotterdam pays 3% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $91.0 in Rotterdam vs $88.0 in Leiden. Groceries flip the comparison at $347 vs $353, with Rotterdam cheaper for home cooking.

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 Leiden: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Leiden wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Rotterdam. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Leiden the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Rotterdam pays 3% 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: $1,774 in Rotterdam versus $1,520 in Leiden. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Rotterdam pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Leiden – a meal for two runs $88.0 versus $91.0 in Rotterdam. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,734 in Leiden versus $2,957 in Rotterdam, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Leiden but tight or insufficient in Rotterdam. The gap between the two cities makes Leiden the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Leiden delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,734 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Leiden hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Rotterdam and Leiden 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 Leiden gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Rotterdam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.