Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Purmerend

For one person, living is cheaper in Purmerend: $2,481 a month against $3,138 in Rotterdam, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 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
120

Cost of Living Index in Purmerend
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Purmerend Living Index

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Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,138

/mo nomad

Purmerend

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,481

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rotterdam and in Purmerend

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

A single person spends $3,138 per month in Rotterdam vs $2,481 in Purmerend, rent included.

Rotterdam $3,138
Purmerend $2,481

A couple spends around $4,366 per month in Rotterdam vs $3,542 in Purmerend, rent included.

Rotterdam $4,366
Purmerend $3,542

A family of three spends $5,593 per month in Rotterdam vs $4,603 in Purmerend, rent included.

Rotterdam $5,593
Purmerend $4,603

Rotterdam costs about 26% more than Purmerend, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Rotterdam and Purmerend sit above the global median – Rotterdam by 132%, Purmerend by 84%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.90 €21.29

$16.48 €14.68

45.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.0 €68.6

$49.53 €44.12

55.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.60 €12.11

$12.88 €11.47

5.59%

Cappuccino

$4.37 €3.89

$4.11 €3.66

6.33%

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

$3.93 €3.50

$3.58 €3.19

9.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 €2.96

$2.58 €2.30

28.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.23 €6.44

$5.99 €5.34

20.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.19 €5.51

$5.72 €5.09

8.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 €1.33

$1.37 €1.22

8.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 €2.14

$2.18 €1.94

10.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.84 €2.53

$2.51 €2.24

13.15%

Eggs

$5.24 €4.67

$4.85 €4.32

8.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.16 €10.83

$13.68 €12.19

-11.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.67 €12.17

$13.71 €12.21

-0.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.63 €16.59

$17.15 €15.27

8.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 €3.00

$2.59 €2.31

30.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 €2.29

$2.40 €2.14

7.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 €2.26

$1.95 €1.74

29.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.43 €3.06

$4.27 €3.80

-19.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 €1.51

$1.79 €1.60

-5.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 €1.32

$1.90 €1.69

-21.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 €1.27

$1.24 €1.10

15.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.16

$0.91 €0.81

42.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.84 €13.22

$14.05 €12.52

5.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.55 €5.83

$7.00 €6.23

-6.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.45 €1.29

1.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 €2.24

$2.64 €2.35

-4.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.26 €5.58

$3.59 €3.20

74.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 €99.8

$91.1 €81.2

22.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.77 €4.25

$4.18 €3.72

14.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 €3.25

$2.70 €2.40

35.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$67.5 €60.1

$28.99 €25.82

132.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.53 €2.25

$2.39 €2.13

5.86%

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

$41.7K €37.1K

$40.5K €36.1K

2.81%

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

$38.8K €34.5K

$38.6K €34.4K

0.35%

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

$296 €264

$261 €233

13.30%

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

$22.01 €19.61

$22.37 €19.93

-1.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 €49.70

$50.8 €45.22

9.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.40 €39.55

$41.26 €36.76

7.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.95 €25.79

$23.41 €20.85

23.67%

Cinema Ticket

$15.78 €14.06

$15.29 €13.62

3.20%

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

$2,768 €2,466

$2,578 €2,296

7.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K €17.4K

$8,039 €7,161

143.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.1 €83.9

$91.8 €81.8

2.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.79 €34.56

$43.92 €39.12

-11.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €99.3

$103 €91.6

8.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €117

$136 €122

-3.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,088 €1,860

$1,441 €1,283

44.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 €1,471

$1,163 €1,036

41.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,207 €2,857

$2,340 €2,085

37.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,371 €2,112

$1,842 €1,641

28.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,064 €5,402

$5,646 €5,029

7.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,218 €3,757

$4,415 €3,933

-4.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,162 €3,708

$3,977 €3,543

4.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.49

4.03

-13.40%

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

Last update for Rotterdam: November 2, 2026

Last update for Purmerend: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rotterdam

$1.7K 52.6%

Purmerend

$1.2K 46.9% 29.5% $488

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rotterdam

$374 11.9%

Purmerend

$334 13.5% 10.5% $39

Eating Out

Rotterdam

$362 11.5%

Purmerend

$286 11.5% 21% $76

Groceries & Markets

Rotterdam

$346 11%

Purmerend

$334 13.5% 3.5% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Rotterdam

$169 5.4%

Purmerend

$169 6.8% 0.3% $0.6

Getting Around

Rotterdam

$160 5.1%

Purmerend

$123 5% 23.1% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Rotterdam

$76 2.4%

Purmerend

$72 2.9% 5.4% $4.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,088 in Rotterdam versus $1,441 in Purmerend. 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 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 $77 in Rotterdam versus $50 in Purmerend. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $334 – making Purmerend the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Purmerend

🕒 Local time

22:20 10:20 PM

Same time as Rotterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

572,392

79,915

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Rotterdam Purmerend 72 km

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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 Purmerend: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,138 in Rotterdam, $2,481 in Purmerend – Purmerend comes out roughly 21% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,707 per month in Rotterdam and $3,722 in Purmerend. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Purmerend, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,441 there versus $2,088 in Rotterdam.

Public transport costs about 19% less in Purmerend. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,768 per month in Rotterdam and $2,578 in Purmerend. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Purmerend, where all-in costs run around $2,481, than in Rotterdam at $3,138. In Purmerend it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rotterdam it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Purmerend – 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.

If budget matters most, go with Purmerend. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Rotterdam makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.