Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and London

For one person, living is cheaper in Rotterdam: $2,933 a month against $4,086 in London, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

145

Cost of Living Index in Rotterdam
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Rotterdam Living Index
196

Cost of Living Index in London
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London Living Index

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Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,933

/mo nomad

London

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$4,086

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rotterdam and in London

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

A single person spends $2,933 per month in Rotterdam vs $4,086 in London, rent included.

Rotterdam $2,933
London $4,086

A couple spends around $4,252 per month in Rotterdam vs $5,816 in London, rent included.

Rotterdam $4,252
London $5,816

A family of three spends $5,572 per month in Rotterdam vs $7,546 in London, rent included.

Rotterdam $5,572
London $7,546

Rotterdam is about 28% cheaper than London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Rotterdam and London sit above the global median – Rotterdam by 119%, London by 205%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.05 €18.79

$26.62 £20.11

-20.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.3 €76.1

$108 £81.3

-20.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.37 €11.93

$10.39 £7.85

28.68%

Cappuccino

$4.45 €3.97

$5.79 £4.38

-23.14%

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

$3.79 €3.38

$3.01 £2.27

25.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.07

$2.15 £1.63

60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.16 €6.39

$9.35 £7.06

-23.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.79 €5.17

$7.84 £5.93

-26.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 €1.33

$1.79 £1.35

-16.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 €2.18

$2.06 £1.56

18.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.00 €2.67

$2.31 £1.74

29.87%

Eggs

$5.41 €4.82

$5.05 £3.82

7.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.94 €10.66

$12.57 £9.50

-5.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.72 €12.24

$10.66 £8.05

28.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.80 €16.78

$17.13 £12.94

9.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 €2.96

$3.03 £2.29

9.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.58 €2.31

$1.41 £1.07

82.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 €2.35

$3.05 £2.31

-13.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.38 €3.02

$3.38 £2.56

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 €1.51

$1.67 £1.26

1.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.73 £1.31

-14.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.35

$1.41 £1.07

7.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.79 £1.35

-29.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.33 €12.79

$23.22 £17.55

-38.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.87 €6.13

$12.99 £9.82

-47.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 €1.35

$3.18 £2.40

-52.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 €2.27

$4.41 £3.33

-42.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.46 €3.98

$3.87 £2.93

15.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 €97.4

$250 £189

-56.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.68 €4.18

$5.71 £4.31

-18.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.48 €3.11

$3.33 £2.51

4.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$67.0 €59.8

$57.9 £43.76

15.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.61 €2.33

$2.04 £1.54

27.94%

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

$42.1K €37.6K

$37.5K £28.4K

12.12%

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

$39.4K €35.1K

$40.9K £30.9K

-3.76%

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

$303 €270

$376 £284

-19.44%

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

$21.48 €19.17

$17.88 £13.51

20.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.5 €49.51

$40.01 £30.24

38.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €43.71

$61.2 £46.22

-19.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.43 €26.26

$21.07 £15.93

39.68%

Cinema Ticket

$15.81 €14.11

$17.95 £13.57

-11.92%

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

$2,685 €2,396

$2,865 £2,165

-6.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K €11.3K

$35.3K £26.7K

-64.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.5 €83.4

$116 £87.7

-19.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.63 €34.47

$54.1 £40.87

-28.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €97.7

$127 £95.7

-13.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €127

$159 £120

-10.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 €1,738

$2,853 £2,156

-31.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 €1,344

$2,301 £1,739

-34.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,178 €2,836

$5,201 £3,931

-38.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,245 €2,004

$3,723 £2,813

-39.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,780 €5,158

$19.0K £14.4K

-69.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,917 €3,495

$7,881 £5,955

-50.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,152 €3,705

$4,818 £3,641

-13.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.49

4.65

-24.95%

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

Last update for Rotterdam: October 5, 2026

Last update for London: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rotterdam

$1.5K 50.6%

London

$2.3K 56.5% 52.8% $795

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rotterdam

$380 12.8%

London

$434 10.7% 14.2% $54

Groceries & Markets

Rotterdam

$349 11.7%

London

$349 8.6% 0.1% $0.5

Eating Out

Rotterdam

$338 11.4%

London

$397 9.7% 17.3% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Rotterdam

$173 5.8%

London

$205 5% 18.7% $32

Getting Around

Rotterdam

$149 5%

London

$288 7.1% 93.1% $139

Sport & Entertainment

Rotterdam

$81 2.7%

London

$97 2.4% 20.4% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,947 in Rotterdam versus $2,853 in London. 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 16% higher in London, 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 $85.0 in Rotterdam versus $108 in London. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $349 vs $349 – making Rotterdam the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🇬🇧 London

🕒 Local time

13:26 1:26 PM

12:26 12:26 PM

1 h behind Rotterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

572,392

8,908,083 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 GBP = 1.32 USD

1 GBP = 1.18 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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 London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,933 in Rotterdam, $4,086 in London – roughly 39% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,400 per month in Rotterdam and $6,129 in London. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 0% more in London, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85.0 in Rotterdam and $108 in London. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,933 in Rotterdam and $4,086 in London. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Rotterdam has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,933 in Rotterdam to $4,086 in London. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Rotterdam. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, London makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.