Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Middelburg, Netherlands

For one person, living is cheaper in Middelburg: $2,318 a month against $3,153 in Rotterdam, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 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
111

Cost of Living Index in Middelburg
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Middelburg Living Index

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Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,153

/mo nomad

Middelburg

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,318

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rotterdam and in Middelburg

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

A single person spends $3,153 per month in Rotterdam vs $2,318 in Middelburg, rent included.

Rotterdam $3,153
Middelburg $2,318

A couple spends around $4,381 per month in Rotterdam vs $3,367 in Middelburg, rent included.

Rotterdam $4,381
Middelburg $3,367

A family of three spends $5,609 per month in Rotterdam vs $4,417 in Middelburg, rent included.

Rotterdam $5,609
Middelburg $4,417

Rotterdam costs about 36% more than Middelburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Rotterdam and Middelburg sit above the global median – Rotterdam by 132%, Middelburg by 70%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.81 €18.65

$13.41 €12.02

55.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.2 €76.3

$89.0 €79.8

-4.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €12.24

$12.13 €10.87

12.61%

Cappuccino

$4.31 €3.86

$4.06 €3.64

6.16%

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

$3.79 €3.39

$3.41 €3.05

11.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.09

$3.31 €2.97

3.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.93 €6.21

$6.99 €6.26

-0.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.05 €5.42

$6.78 €6.08

-10.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 €1.28

$1.34 €1.20

5.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 €2.18

$2.27 €2.04

7.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.84 €2.55

$1.98 €1.77

43.43%

Eggs

$5.27 €4.72

$4.62 €4.14

14.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.09 €10.83

$12.23 €10.96

-1.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.32 €11.93

$13.02 €11.67

2.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.92 €16.95

$19.20 €17.21

-1.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.43 €3.07

$2.57 €2.30

33.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 €2.24

$2.19 €1.96

14.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 €2.28

$2.03 €1.82

25.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.39 €3.03

$3.68 €3.30

-7.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 €1.50

$1.32 €1.18

27.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 €1.36

$1.14 €1.02

33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.35

$1.15 €1.03

31.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.16

$0.95 €0.85

35.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.39 €12.90

$11.86 €10.63

21.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.82 €6.11

$6.03 €5.40

13.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 €1.37

$1.34 €1.20

13.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 €2.32

$1.88 €1.69

37.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.27 €5.62

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 €99.3

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.10

$4.72 €4.23

-2.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.45 €3.09

$3.33 €2.99

3.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$67.3 €60.3

$33.38 €29.91

101.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.56 €2.29

$2.33 €2.09

9.87%

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

$41.3K €37.0K

$41.5K €37.2K

-0.42%

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

$39.9K €35.7K

$38.8K €34.7K

2.87%

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

$305 €273

$148 €133

105.90%

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

$21.41 €19.19

$28.05 €25.13

-23.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 €49.95

$54.3 €48.69

2.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.35 €40.64

$44.51 €39.88

1.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.35 €26.30

$14.17 €12.70

107.13%

Cinema Ticket

$15.68 €14.05

$9.92 €8.89

58.06%

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

$2,793 €2,503

$2,582 €2,314

8.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K €11.2K

$11.9K €10.6K

5.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.9 €83.2

$95.7 €85.8

-2.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.70 €35.58

$43.25 €38.76

-8.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €96.8

$105 €94.3

2.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €127

$135 €121

4.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,068 €1,853

$1,418 €1,271

45.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,684 €1,509

$1,244 €1,115

35.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,183 €2,853

$2,001 €1,793

59.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,398 €2,149

$1,864 €1,670

28.64%

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

$4,144 €3,714

-5.09%

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 24, 2026

Last update for Middelburg: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rotterdam

$1.7K 53.4%

Middelburg

$1.2K 53.7% 26.1% $440

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rotterdam

$382 12.1%

Middelburg

$230 9.9% 39.7% $152

Groceries & Markets

Rotterdam

$346 11%

Middelburg

$319 13.8% 7.7% $27

Eating Out

Rotterdam

$335 10.6%

Middelburg

$268 11.6% 20% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Rotterdam

$172 5.5%

Middelburg

$171 7.4% 0.6% $1.1

Getting Around

Rotterdam

$158 5%

Middelburg

$21 * 0.9% 86.4% $136

Sport & Entertainment

Rotterdam

$77 2.4%

Middelburg

$64 2.8% 16.1% $12

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 $1,418 in Middelburg. 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 5% higher in Middelburg, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Rotterdam versus $89 in Middelburg. Groceries tell a different story – $346 in Rotterdam vs $319 in Middelburg – so Middelburg wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Middelburg

🕒 Local time

03:05 3:05 AM

Same time as Rotterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

572,392

40,345

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Rotterdam Middelburg 76 km

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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 Middelburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rotterdam is pricier by about 36%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,729 per month in Rotterdam and $3,477 in Middelburg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Middelburg, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,418 there versus $2,068 in Rotterdam.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,153 in Rotterdam and $2,318 in Middelburg. That makes Middelburg about 26% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $2,793 per month in Rotterdam and $2,582 in Middelburg. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Middelburg – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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