Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Nijmegen

For one person, living is cheaper in Nijmegen: $2,510 a month against $3,047 in Rotterdam, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Rotterdam outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

149

Cost of Living Index in Rotterdam
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Rotterdam Living Index
120

Cost of Living Index in Nijmegen
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Nijmegen Living Index

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Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,047

/mo nomad

Nijmegen

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,510

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rotterdam and in Nijmegen

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,047 in Rotterdam versus $2,510 in Nijmegen.

Rotterdam $3,047
Nijmegen $2,510

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,256 in Rotterdam versus $3,721 in Nijmegen.

Rotterdam $4,256
Nijmegen $3,721

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,466 in Rotterdam versus $4,933 in Nijmegen.

Rotterdam $5,466
Nijmegen $4,933

Living in Rotterdam is roughly 21% more expensive than in Nijmegen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rotterdam 125% above, Nijmegen 85% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.91 €18.60

$25.04 €22.27

-16.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.4 €74.2

$94.8 €84.3

-12.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 €11.74

$13.64 €12.13

-3.23%

Cappuccino

$4.37 €3.89

$4.26 €3.79

2.58%

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

$3.89 €3.46

$3.95 €3.51

-1.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 €3.12

$2.67 €2.38

31.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.25 €6.45

$5.63 €5.01

28.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.98 €5.32

$5.48 €4.87

9.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.41 €1.25

4.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 €2.05

$2.07 €1.84

11.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.96 €2.64

$2.38 €2.12

24.37%

Eggs

$5.24 €4.66

$5.17 €4.60

1.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.22 €10.87

$13.22 €11.76

-7.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.37 €11.90

$14.42 €12.83

-7.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.62 €16.56

$15.65 €13.92

18.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 €3.01

$2.71 €2.41

24.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 €2.25

$2.54 €2.26

-0.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 €2.28

$1.87 €1.67

36.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.51 €3.13

$5.50 €4.89

-36.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 €1.51

$2.02 €1.80

-15.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 €1.31

$2.43 €2.16

-39.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.23 €1.09

19.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.14

$0.71 €0.63

81.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.61 €12.99

$13.80 €12.27

5.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.67 €5.93

$7.22 €6.43

-7.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 €1.30

$1.51 €1.35

-2.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 €2.24

$2.53 €2.25

-0.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.40 €3.92

$3.41 €3.04

29.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 €98.6

$140 €124

-20.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.73 €4.21

$3.94 €3.50

20.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.48 €3.10

$3.24 €2.88

7.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$68.4 €60.9

$44.76 €39.81

52.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.59 €2.31

$2.34 €2.08

10.68%

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

$42.3K €37.6K

$42.1K €37.5K

0.36%

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

$39.4K €35.0K

$40.2K €35.8K

-2.12%

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

$297 €264

$286 €254

3.94%

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

$21.43 €19.06

$22.40 €19.92

-4.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.6 €49.49

$41.98 €37.34

32.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.98 €42.68

$30.23 €26.89

58.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.31 €26.07

$24.93 €22.18

17.57%

Cinema Ticket

$15.40 €13.69

$15.96 €14.19

-3.51%

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

$2,677 €2,381

$2,837 €2,524

-5.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K €11.4K

$17.1K €15.2K

-25.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.3 €84.7

$97.3 €86.5

-2.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.44 €35.08

$43.10 €38.34

-8.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €98.2

$105 €93.1

5.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 €124

$169 €150

-17.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,968 €1,750

$1,484 €1,320

32.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,588 €1,412

$1,041 €926

52.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,116 €2,771

$2,382 €2,119

30.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,281 €2,029

$1,634 €1,454

39.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,925 €5,271

$5,488 €4,881

7.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,979 €3,539

$4,140 €3,682

-3.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,135 €3,678

$3,469 €3,086

19.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.49

-12.75%

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

Last update for Rotterdam: October 19, 2026

Last update for Nijmegen: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rotterdam

$1.6K 52.1%

Nijmegen

$1K 41.5% 34.5% $547

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rotterdam

$374 12.3%

Nijmegen

$350 14% 6.4% $24

Groceries & Markets

Rotterdam

$345 11.3%

Nijmegen

$339 13.5% 1.7% $6

Eating Out

Rotterdam

$337 11.1%

Nijmegen

$358 14.3% 6.2% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Rotterdam

$173 5.7%

Nijmegen

$186 7.4% 7.8% $13

Getting Around

Rotterdam

$151 4.9%

Nijmegen

$174 6.9% 15.2% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Rotterdam

$79 2.6%

Nijmegen

$62 2.5% 21.1% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,968 in Rotterdam and $1,484 in Nijmegen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rotterdam pays 19% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $83.0 in Rotterdam vs $95.0 in Nijmegen. Groceries flip the comparison at $345 vs $339, with Nijmegen cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Nijmegen

🕒 Local time

17:15 5:15 PM

Same time as Rotterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

572,392

177,359

💱 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 Nijmegen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nijmegen is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and utilities. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 19% higher in Rotterdam, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,968 in Rotterdam versus $1,484 in Nijmegen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Nijmegen – a meal for two runs $95.0 versus $83.0 in Rotterdam. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,047 per month in Rotterdam versus $2,510 in Nijmegen – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Nijmegen is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Nijmegen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Rotterdam, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Rotterdam and Nijmegen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Nijmegen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Rotterdam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.