Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Rijswijk Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Rijswijk

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,110 in Rotterdam versus $2,717 in Rijswijk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,402 in Rotterdam versus $3,684 in Rijswijk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,694 in Rotterdam versus $4,650 in Rijswijk.

Living in Rotterdam is roughly 14% more expensive than in Rijswijk, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rotterdam 126% above, Rijswijk 98% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.52 €22.80

$23.58 €20.27

12.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.3 €81.1

$81.0 €69.6

16.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.00 €12.04

$8.79 €7.55

59.27%

Cappuccino

$4.50 €3.87

$3.74 €3.22

20.32%

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

$3.94 €3.38

$3.58 €3.08

10.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 €3.10

$3.15 €2.71

14.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.22 €6.21

$6.80 €5.85

6.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.01 €5.17

$6.02 €5.18

-0.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 €1.36

$1.40 €1.20

13.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 €2.05

$1.79 €1.53

33.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.96 €2.54

$2.08 €1.79

42.31%

Eggs

$5.67 €4.88

$4.13 €3.55

37.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.70 €10.92

$14.25 €12.25

-10.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.81 €11.87

$11.80 €10.15

17.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.92 €17.13

$17.67 €15.19

12.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 €2.92

$2.01 €1.73

68.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 €2.34

$2.08 €1.79

30.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.09 €1.80

26.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.49 €3.00

$2.35 €2.02

48.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.68

$1.27 €1.09

54.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 €1.33

$1.40 €1.20

10.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 €1.33

$1.21 €1.04

27.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

$0.99 €0.85

44.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.05 €12.93

$13.87 €11.93

8.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.84 €5.88

$5.90 €5.07

15.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.33

$1.36 €1.17

13.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.26

$1.83 €1.57

43.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.78 €4.11

$5.58 €4.80

-14.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$116 €99.8

$74.8 €64.3

55.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.92 €4.23

$4.85 €4.17

1.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 €3.01

$3.46 €2.98

1.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$68.9 €59.2

$35.37 €30.40

94.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.62 €2.25

$2.55 €2.19

2.75%

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

$42.7K €36.7K

$43.4K €37.3K

-1.77%

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

$41.0K €35.2K

$39.8K €34.3K

2.84%

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

$306 €263

$293 €251

4.46%

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

$22.36 €19.23

$20.43 €17.57

9.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.9 €48.89

$51.3 €44.10

10.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.50 €42.55

$43.09 €37.04

14.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.92 €25.72

Cinema Ticket

$16.20 €13.93

$14.08 €12.10

15.06%

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

$2,820 €2,424

$2,475 €2,128

13.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K €11.4K

$12.2K €10.5K

8.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.0 €83.4

$99.0 €85.1

-2.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.59 €34.89

$45.35 €38.99

-10.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 €98.4

$112 €96.1

2.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 €126

$145 €125

0.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,904 €1,637

$1,481 €1,273

28.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 €1,341

$1,350 €1,161

15.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,304 €2,840

$1,554 €1,336

112.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,402 €2,065

$1,609 €1,384

49.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,232 €5,358

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,161 €3,577

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,257 €3,660

$3,881 €3,337

9.68%

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: September 1, 2026

Last update for Rijswijk: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,904 in Rotterdam and $1,481 in Rijswijk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rotterdam pays 10% 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: $94.0 in Rotterdam vs $81.0 in Rijswijk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $361 vs $300 per month, with Rijswijk cheaper across the board.

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 Rijswijk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rotterdam and Rijswijk differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($3,110 vs $2,717 including rent). Rijswijk is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 10% 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: $1,904 in Rotterdam versus $1,481 in Rijswijk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Rotterdam. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Rijswijk – a meal for two runs $81.0 versus $94.0 in Rotterdam. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Rijswijk is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Rotterdam and Rijswijk 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 Rijswijk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Rotterdam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.