Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Lisse

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisse: $2,645 a month against $3,047 in Rotterdam, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Rotterdam
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$3,047
/mo nomad
Lisse
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$2,645
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rotterdam and in Lisse

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

A single person spends $3,047 per month in Rotterdam vs $2,645 in Lisse, rent included.

  • Rotterdam $3,047
  • Lisse $2,645

A couple spends around $4,256 per month in Rotterdam vs $3,951 in Lisse, rent included.

  • Rotterdam $4,256
  • Lisse $3,951

A family of three spends $5,466 per month in Rotterdam vs $5,257 in Lisse, rent included.

  • Rotterdam $5,466
  • Lisse $5,257

Rotterdam costs about 15% more than Lisse, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Rotterdam and Lisse sit above the global median – Rotterdam by 125%, Lisse by 95%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Rotterdam
Lisse
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.91 €18.60
$22.24 €19.78
-5.98%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$83.4 €74.2
$90.9 €80.8
-8.23%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.20 €11.74
$10.23 €9.10
29.03%
Cappuccino
$4.37 €3.89
$3.66 €3.25
19.40%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.89 €3.46
$3.41 €3.03
14.08%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.51 €3.12
$2.74 €2.43
28.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.25 €6.45
$6.87 €6.11
5.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.98 €5.32
$4.16 €3.70
43.75%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Rotterdam
Lisse
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.47 €1.31
$1.46 €1.30
0.68%
White Bread (500g)
$2.30 €2.05
$2.24 €1.99
2.68%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.96 €2.64
$2.49 €2.22
18.88%
Eggs
$5.24 €4.66
$4.72 €4.20
11.02%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.22 €10.87
$14.89 €13.24
-17.93%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.37 €11.90
$12.97 €11.54
3.08%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.62 €16.56
$19.34 €17.20
-3.72%
Apples (1kg)
$3.38 €3.01
$2.60 €2.32
30.00%
Banana (1kg)
$2.53 €2.25
$2.28 €2.03
10.96%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.56 €2.28
$1.96 €1.75
30.61%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.51 €3.13
$3.54 €3.15
-0.85%
Potato (1kg)
$1.70 €1.51
$1.37 €1.22
24.09%
Onion (1kg)
$1.47 €1.31
$1.33 €1.18
10.53%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.31
$1.18 €1.05
24.58%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.29 €1.14
$0.88 €0.79
46.59%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.61 €12.99
$14.72 €13.10
-0.75%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.67 €5.93
$5.99 €5.33
11.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.47 €1.30
$1.31 €1.17
12.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.52 €2.24
$1.95 €1.73
29.23%
🚌 Getting Around
Rotterdam
Lisse
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.40 €3.92
$3.99 €3.55
10.28%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$111 €98.6
$91.3 €81.2
21.43%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.73 €4.21
$4.72 €4.20
0.21%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.48 €3.10
$3.49 €3.10
-0.29%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$68.4 €60.9
$33.11 €29.45
106.70%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.59 €2.31
$2.54 €2.25
1.97%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$42.3K €37.6K
$41.7K €37.1K
1.43%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.4K €35.0K
$39.1K €34.8K
0.78%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rotterdam
Lisse
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$297 €264
$284 €253
4.61%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.43 €19.06
$28.12 €25.01
-23.79%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$55.6 €49.49
$55.1 €49.00
0.98%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Rotterdam
Lisse
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$47.98 €42.68
$43.63 €38.81
9.97%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$29.31 €26.07
$21.33 €18.98
37.41%
Cinema Ticket
$15.40 €13.69
$17.14 €15.24
-10.15%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Rotterdam
Lisse
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,677 €2,381
$2,453 €2,182
9.14%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.8K €11.4K
$11.6K €10.3K
10.52%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Rotterdam
Lisse
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$95.3 €84.7
$96.4 €85.7
-1.15%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.44 €35.08
$43.07 €38.31
-8.43%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$110 €98.2
$107 €95.1
3.28%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$139 €124
$136 €121
2.02%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Rotterdam
Lisse
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,968 €1,750
$1,527 €1,358
28.89%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,588 €1,412
$1,248 €1,110
27.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,116 €2,771
$2,318 €2,062
34.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,281 €2,029
$2,146 €1,909
6.29%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,925 €5,271
$5,656 €5,031
4.77%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,979 €3,539
$4,515 €4,016
-11.87%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Rotterdam
Lisse
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,135 €3,678
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.49
3.4
2.65%

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

Last update for Rotterdam: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lisse: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Rotterdam
$1.6K
Lisse
$1.2K 21.4% $340
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rotterdam
$374
Lisse
$367 1.9% $6.9
Groceries & Markets
Rotterdam
$345
Lisse
$330 4.3% $15
Eating Out
Rotterdam
$337
Lisse
$320 5.2% $17
Clothing & Footwear
Rotterdam
$173
Lisse
$172 0.4% $0.7
Getting Around
Rotterdam
$151
Lisse
$129 14.1% $21
Sport & Entertainment
Rotterdam
$79
Lisse
$78 1.1% $0.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,968 in Rotterdam versus $1,527 in Lisse. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $83.0 in Rotterdam versus $91.0 in Lisse. Groceries tell a different story – $345 in Rotterdam vs $330 in Lisse – so Lisse wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇳🇱 Rotterdam
🇳🇱 Lisse
🕒 Local time
19:10 7:10 PM
19:10 7:10 PM
Same time as Rotterdam
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
572,392
22,995
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Rotterdam Lisse 38 km
From you
  • Rotterdam
  • Lisse

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 Lisse: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lisse cheaper than Rotterdam?
Yes – Rotterdam is pricier by about 15%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,570 per month in Rotterdam and $3,967 in Lisse. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Lisse, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $2,677 per month in Rotterdam and $2,453 in Lisse. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Rotterdam and in Lisse?
Groceries cost about 4% more in Rotterdam, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $2,500 enough to cover costs in Rotterdam or in Lisse?
$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,047 in Rotterdam and $2,645 in Lisse. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is Rotterdam or Lisse more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Lisse – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Rotterdam or Lisse?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Lisse. 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.

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