Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Lelystad

For one person, living is cheaper in Lelystad: $1,710 a month against $3,153 in Rotterdam, rent and utilities included – about $17,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

150

Cost of Living Index in Rotterdam
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Rotterdam Living Index
82

Cost of Living Index in Lelystad
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Lelystad Living Index

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Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,153

/mo nomad

Lelystad

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$1,710

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rotterdam and in Lelystad

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

A single person spends $3,153 per month in Rotterdam vs $1,710 in Lelystad, rent included.

Rotterdam $3,153
Lelystad $1,710

A couple spends around $4,381 per month in Rotterdam vs $2,651 in Lelystad, rent included.

Rotterdam $4,381
Lelystad $2,651

A family of three spends $5,609 per month in Rotterdam vs $3,592 in Lelystad, rent included.

Rotterdam $5,609
Lelystad $3,592

Rotterdam costs about 84% more than Lelystad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Rotterdam and Lelystad sit above the global median – Rotterdam by 132%, Lelystad by 26%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.81 €18.65

$22.27 €19.95

-6.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.2 €76.3

$82.4 €73.8

3.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €12.24

$13.37 €11.99

2.17%

Cappuccino

$4.31 €3.86

$4.10 €3.68

5.12%

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

$3.79 €3.39

$2.60 €2.33

45.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.09

$2.33 €2.09

47.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.93 €6.21

$5.20 €4.66

33.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.05 €5.42

$4.51 €4.04

34.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 €1.28

$1.26 €1.13

12.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 €2.18

$1.63 €1.46

49.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.84 €2.55

$2.40 €2.15

18.33%

Eggs

$5.27 €4.72

$4.60 €4.12

14.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.09 €10.83

$6.80 €6.09

77.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.32 €11.93

$14.20 €12.72

-6.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.92 €16.95

$16.57 €14.85

14.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.43 €3.07

$2.11 €1.89

62.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 €2.24

$2.46 €2.21

1.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 €2.28

$1.83 €1.64

38.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.39 €3.03

$3.53 €3.17

-3.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 €1.50

$1.74 €1.56

-3.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 €1.36

$1.74 €1.56

-12.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.35

$1.28 €1.14

17.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.16

$0.81 €0.72

59.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.39 €12.90

$9.44 €8.46

52.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.82 €6.11

$6.85 €6.14

-0.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 €1.37

$1.28 €1.15

18.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 €2.32

$2.42 €2.17

6.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.27 €5.62

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 €99.3

$111 €99.2

0.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.10

$3.72 €3.33

23.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.45 €3.09

$2.63 €2.35

31.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$67.3 €60.3

$26.07 €23.36

158.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.56 €2.29

$2.18 €1.95

17.43%

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

$41.3K €37.0K

$33.6K €30.1K

23.16%

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

$39.9K €35.7K

$39.4K €35.3K

1.27%

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

$305 €273

$242 €217

26.12%

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

$21.41 €19.19

$14.72 €13.19

45.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 €49.95

$32.30 €28.94

72.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.35 €40.64

$42.75 €38.31

6.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.35 €26.30

Cinema Ticket

$15.68 €14.05

$13.62 €12.21

15.12%

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

$2,793 €2,503

$2,725 €2,442

2.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K €11.2K

$8,152 €7,305

53.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.9 €83.2

$92.9 €83.3

-0.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.70 €35.58

$48.39 €43.37

-17.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €96.8

$93.7 €84.0

15.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €127

$115 €103

22.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,068 €1,853

$668 €599

209.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,684 €1,509

$447 €401

276.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,183 €2,853

$1,330 €1,192

139.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,398 €2,149

$770 €690

211.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,140 €5,502

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,198 €3,762

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,933 €3,525

$2,420 €2,168

62.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.49

3.23

8.05%

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

Last update for Rotterdam: October 24, 2026

Last update for Lelystad: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rotterdam

$1.7K 53.4%

Lelystad

$447 26.2% 73.4% $1.2K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rotterdam

$382 12.1%

Lelystad

$289 16.9% 24.4% $93

Groceries & Markets

Rotterdam

$346 11%

Lelystad

$297 17.4% 14.2% $49

Eating Out

Rotterdam

$335 10.6%

Lelystad

$322 18.8% 3.8% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Rotterdam

$172 5.5%

Lelystad

$158 9.2% 8.3% $14

Getting Around

Rotterdam

$158 5%

Lelystad

$128 * 7.5% 19.1% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Rotterdam

$77 2.4%

Lelystad

$70 4.1% 8.8% $6.7

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,068 in Rotterdam versus $668 in Lelystad. 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 63% 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 $85 in Rotterdam versus $82 in Lelystad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $297 – making Lelystad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Lelystad

🕒 Local time

07:08 7:08 AM

Same time as Rotterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

572,392

78,598

💱 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 Lelystad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rotterdam costs about 84% more than Lelystad, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,729 per month in Rotterdam and $2,565 in Lelystad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lelystad, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $668 there versus $2,068 in Rotterdam.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Rotterdam and $82 in Lelystad. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Rotterdam, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lelystad, where all-in costs run around $1,710, than in Rotterdam at $3,153. In Lelystad 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 $1,710 in Lelystad to $3,153 in Rotterdam. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Lelystad. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Rotterdam makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.