Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Maastricht

For one person, living is cheaper in Maastricht: $2,528 a month against $2,933 in Rotterdam, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 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
124

Cost of Living Index in Maastricht
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Maastricht Living Index

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Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,933

/mo nomad

Maastricht

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,528

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rotterdam and in Maastricht

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

A single person spends $2,933 per month in Rotterdam vs $2,528 in Maastricht, rent included.

Rotterdam $2,933
Maastricht $2,528

A couple spends around $4,252 per month in Rotterdam vs $3,646 in Maastricht, rent included.

Rotterdam $4,252
Maastricht $3,646

A family of three spends $5,572 per month in Rotterdam vs $4,764 in Maastricht, rent included.

Rotterdam $5,572
Maastricht $4,764

Rotterdam costs about 16% more than Maastricht, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Rotterdam and Maastricht sit above the global median – Rotterdam by 119%, Maastricht by 89%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.05 €18.79

$20.54 €18.33

2.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.3 €76.1

$89.9 €80.3

-5.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.37 €11.93

$12.20 €10.89

9.59%

Cappuccino

$4.45 €3.97

$4.44 €3.96

0.23%

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

$3.79 €3.38

$3.88 €3.47

-2.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.07

$3.14 €2.80

9.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.16 €6.39

$8.64 €7.71

-17.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.79 €5.17

$5.75 €5.13

0.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 €1.33

$1.25 €1.11

19.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 €2.18

$2.51 €2.24

-2.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.00 €2.67

$2.73 €2.44

9.89%

Eggs

$5.41 €4.82

$4.67 €4.17

15.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.94 €10.66

$14.86 €13.26

-19.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.72 €12.24

$13.86 €12.37

-1.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.80 €16.78

$15.76 €14.06

19.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 €2.96

$2.68 €2.39

23.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.58 €2.31

$2.43 €2.17

6.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 €2.35

$1.89 €1.69

39.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.38 €3.02

$4.33 €3.86

-21.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 €1.51

$1.94 €1.74

-12.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 €1.32

$2.40 €2.14

-38.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.35

$1.33 €1.19

14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.13

$0.84 €0.75

51.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.33 €12.79

$13.91 €12.41

3.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.87 €6.13

$6.82 €6.09

0.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 €1.35

$1.47 €1.31

3.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 €2.27

$2.65 €2.37

-4.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.46 €3.98

$3.10 €2.77

43.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 €97.4

$89.3 €79.7

22.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.68 €4.18

$11.17 €9.96

-58.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.48 €3.11

$3.21 €2.87

8.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$67.0 €59.8

$28.07 €25.05

138.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.61 €2.33

$2.42 €2.16

7.85%

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

$42.1K €37.6K

$41.1K €36.7K

2.46%

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

$39.4K €35.1K

$40.0K €35.7K

-1.48%

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

$303 €270

$295 €263

2.66%

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

$21.48 €19.17

$17.39 €15.52

23.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.5 €49.51

$48.97 €43.70

13.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €43.71

$46.12 €41.16

6.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.43 €26.26

$28.45 €25.39

3.44%

Cinema Ticket

$15.81 €14.11

$15.59 €13.91

1.41%

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

$2,685 €2,396

$1,245 €1,111

115.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K €11.3K

$11.2K €10.0K

12.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.5 €83.4

$81.5 €72.7

14.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.63 €34.47

$38.19 €34.08

1.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €97.7

$113 €101

-3.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €127

$129 €115

10.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 €1,738

$1,284 €1,145

51.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 €1,344

$1,138 €1,016

32.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,178 €2,836

$2,112 €1,885

50.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,245 €2,004

$1,677 €1,496

33.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,780 €5,158

$5,385 €4,805

7.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,917 €3,495

$3,551 €3,169

10.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,152 €3,705

$3,251 €2,901

27.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.49

4.42

-21.04%

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

Last update for Rotterdam: October 5, 2026

Last update for Maastricht: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rotterdam

$1.5K 50.6%

Maastricht

$1.1K 44.8% 24.4% $368

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rotterdam

$380 12.8%

Maastricht

$361 14.2% 4.9% $18

Groceries & Markets

Rotterdam

$349 11.7%

Maastricht

$338 13.3% 3.2% $11

Eating Out

Rotterdam

$338 11.4%

Maastricht

$337 13.3% 0.4% $1.3

Clothing & Footwear

Rotterdam

$173 5.8%

Maastricht

$163 6.4% 5.8% $10

Getting Around

Rotterdam

$149 5%

Maastricht

$129 5.1% 13.5% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Rotterdam

$81 2.7%

Maastricht

$77 3% 4.1% $3.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,947 in Rotterdam versus $1,284 in Maastricht. 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 28% 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 $85.0 in Rotterdam versus $90.0 in Maastricht. Groceries tell a different story – $349 in Rotterdam vs $338 in Maastricht – so Maastricht wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Maastricht

🕒 Local time

15:05 3:05 PM

Same time as Rotterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

572,392

120,105

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Maastricht: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rotterdam costs about 16% more than Maastricht, 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 $4,400 per month in Rotterdam and $3,791 in Maastricht. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,933 in Rotterdam and $2,528 in Maastricht. That's a gap of about 16%.

Public transport costs about 22% less in Maastricht. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Maastricht, where all-in costs run around $2,528, than in Rotterdam at $2,933. In Maastricht it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rotterdam it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Maastricht costs $2,528 versus $2,933 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 Maastricht. 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.