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: $2,914 in Rotterdam versus $2,633 in Rijswijk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,233 in Rotterdam versus $3,788 in Rijswijk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,553 in Rotterdam versus $4,943 in Rijswijk.

Living in Rotterdam is roughly 11% more expensive than in Rijswijk, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rotterdam 118% above, Rijswijk 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.60 €20.67

$23.29 €20.40

1.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 €79.9

$104 €91.1

-12.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.92 €12.19

$9.35 €8.19

48.88%

Cappuccino

$4.36 €3.82

$4.61 €4.04

-5.42%

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

$3.49 €3.06

$3.53 €3.09

-1.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 €2.57

$2.82 €2.47

3.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.09 €6.21

$7.03 €6.16

0.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 €5.08

$7.03 €6.16

-17.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.40 €1.23

-5.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 €2.10

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.23 €2.83

$1.69 €1.48

91.12%

Eggs

$5.23 €4.58

$5.24 €4.59

-0.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.74 €12.03

$13.73 €12.03

0.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.23 €12.46

$14.30 €12.53

-0.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.89 €14.79

$16.40 €14.36

2.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.29

$2.85 €2.50

-8.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.44 €2.14

$2.52 €2.20

-3.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.24 €1.96

-7.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 €3.54

$4.71 €4.12

-14.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 €1.83

$2.04 €1.78

2.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 €1.74

$1.73 €1.51

15.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 €1.16

$1.35 €1.19

-1.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.03

$1.17 €1.02

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.65 €11.95

$14.52 €12.72

-5.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.01 €6.14

$5.55 €4.86

26.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 €1.34

$1.74 €1.52

-12.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 €2.38

$2.96 €2.60

-8.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.70 €4.12

$3.57 €3.13

31.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.0 €79.7

$94.3 €82.6

-3.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.26 €4.61

$4.63 €4.05

13.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.79

$3.07 €2.69

-33.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.21 €18.57

$64.5 €56.5

-67.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 €1.96

$2.12 €1.86

5.66%

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

$40.4K €35.4K

$43.8K €38.3K

-7.57%

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

$35.5K €31.1K

$38.6K €33.8K

-7.95%

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

$285 €250

$295 €258

-3.40%

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

$23.95 €20.97

$21.81 €19.10

9.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 €48.87

$52.9 €46.33

5.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.62 €39.96

$40.69 €35.63

12.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.20 €24.70

$23.28 €20.39

21.13%

Cinema Ticket

$17.01 €14.90

$17.33 €15.18

-1.85%

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

$2,268 €1,986

$2,843 €2,490

-20.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K €12.2K

$7,852 €6,876

77.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.8 €82.2

$103 €89.9

-8.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 €44.48

$49.84 €43.65

1.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 €111

$123 €108

2.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$177 €155

$136 €119

30.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,758 €1,540

$1,418 €1,242

23.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,452 €1,272

$1,176 €1,030

23.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,834 €2,482

$2,245 €1,966

26.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,303 €2,017

$1,756 €1,538

31.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,997 €5,252

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,900 €3,416

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,092 €3,584

$3,870 €3,390

5.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

4.02

1.49%

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

Last update for Rotterdam: July 13, 2026

Last update for Rijswijk: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,758 in Rotterdam and $1,418 in Rijswijk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rotterdam pays 6% 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: $91.0 in Rotterdam vs $104 in Rijswijk. Groceries flip the comparison at $347 vs $344, with Rijswijk cheaper for home cooking.

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 11% in total monthly costs ($2,914 vs $2,633 including rent). Rijswijk is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 6% 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: $1,758 in Rotterdam versus $1,418 in Rijswijk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% 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 $104 versus $91.0 in Rotterdam. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,633 in Rijswijk versus $2,914 in Rotterdam, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Rijswijk but tight or insufficient in Rotterdam. The gap between the two cities makes Rijswijk the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 11% less than in Rotterdam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.