Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Schiedam

For one person, living is cheaper in Schiedam: $2,499 a month against $3,047 in Rotterdam, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

149

Cost of Living Index in Rotterdam
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Rotterdam Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Schiedam
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Schiedam Living Index

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Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,047

/mo nomad

Schiedam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,499

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rotterdam and in Schiedam

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

A single person spends $3,047 per month in Rotterdam vs $2,499 in Schiedam, rent included.

Rotterdam $3,047
Schiedam $2,499

A couple spends around $4,256 per month in Rotterdam vs $3,684 in Schiedam, rent included.

Rotterdam $4,256
Schiedam $3,684

A family of three spends $5,466 per month in Rotterdam vs $4,869 in Schiedam, rent included.

Rotterdam $5,466
Schiedam $4,869

Rotterdam costs about 22% more than Schiedam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Rotterdam and Schiedam sit above the global median – Rotterdam by 125%, Schiedam by 84%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.91 €18.60

$19.36 €17.22

8.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.4 €74.2

$89.1 €79.2

-6.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 €11.74

$15.23 €13.55

-13.33%

Cappuccino

$4.37 €3.89

$4.13 €3.68

5.81%

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

$3.89 €3.46

$3.56 €3.17

9.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 €3.12

$2.86 €2.55

22.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.25 €6.45

$7.19 €6.39

0.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.98 €5.32

$6.80 €6.05

-12.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.35 €1.20

8.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 €2.05

$2.15 €1.91

6.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.96 €2.64

$2.41 €2.14

22.82%

Eggs

$5.24 €4.66

$4.51 €4.01

16.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.22 €10.87

$14.61 €12.99

-16.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.37 €11.90

$12.87 €11.45

3.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.62 €16.56

$15.85 €14.10

17.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 €3.01

$2.64 €2.35

28.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 €2.25

$2.21 €1.96

14.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 €2.28

$1.95 €1.74

31.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.51 €3.13

$4.71 €4.19

-25.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 €1.51

$1.35 €1.20

25.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.33 €1.18

10.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.11 €0.99

32.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.14

$0.74 €0.66

74.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.61 €12.99

$13.34 €11.86

9.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.67 €5.93

$5.79 €5.15

15.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 €1.30

$1.33 €1.19

10.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 €2.24

$1.96 €1.74

28.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.40 €3.92

$2.27 €2.02

93.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 €98.6

$90.9 €80.8

21.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.73 €4.21

$3.33 €2.96

42.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.48 €3.10

$3.36 €2.99

3.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$68.4 €60.9

$22.43 €19.95

205.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.59 €2.31

$2.36 €2.10

9.75%

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

$42.3K €37.6K

$41.4K €36.9K

1.99%

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

$39.4K €35.0K

$39.2K €34.9K

0.41%

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

$297 €264

$272 €242

9.31%

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

$21.43 €19.06

$16.73 €14.88

28.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.6 €49.49

$54.7 €48.61

1.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.98 €42.68

$27.72 €24.66

73.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.31 €26.07

$23.56 €20.95

24.41%

Cinema Ticket

$15.40 €13.69

$15.46 €13.75

-0.39%

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

$2,677 €2,381

$1,767 €1,572

51.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K €11.4K

$11.6K €10.3K

10.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.3 €84.7

$116 €103

-17.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.44 €35.08

$35.86 €31.90

9.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €98.2

$110 €97.9

0.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 €124

$138 €122

1.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,968 €1,750

$1,594 €1,418

23.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,588 €1,412

$1,153 €1,026

37.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,116 €2,771

$2,365 €2,103

31.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,281 €2,029

$1,874 €1,667

21.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,925 €5,271

$5,657 €5,031

4.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,979 €3,539

$4,081 €3,630

-2.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,135 €3,678

$2,469 €2,196

67.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.49

2.8

24.64%

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

Last update for Rotterdam: October 19, 2026

Last update for Schiedam: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rotterdam

$1.6K 52.1%

Schiedam

$1.2K 46.2% 27.4% $435

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rotterdam

$374 12.3%

Schiedam

$343 13.7% 8.3% $31

Groceries & Markets

Rotterdam

$345 11.3%

Schiedam

$319 12.7% 7.7% $26

Eating Out

Rotterdam

$337 11.1%

Schiedam

$325 13% 3.5% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Rotterdam

$173 5.7%

Schiedam

$180 7.2% 4% $6.9

Getting Around

Rotterdam

$151 4.9%

Schiedam

$120 4.8% 20.2% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Rotterdam

$79 2.6%

Schiedam

$59 2.4% 25.6% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,968 in Rotterdam versus $1,594 in Schiedam. 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 67% 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 $83.0 in Rotterdam versus $89.0 in Schiedam. Groceries tell a different story – $345 in Rotterdam vs $319 in Schiedam – so Schiedam wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Schiedam

🕒 Local time

19:14 7:14 PM

Same time as Rotterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

572,392

78,730

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Rotterdam Schiedam 5 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 Schiedam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rotterdam is pricier by about 22%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,570 per month in Rotterdam and $3,749 in Schiedam. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Schiedam, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Rotterdam, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $83.0 in Rotterdam and $89.0 in Schiedam. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,047 in Rotterdam and $2,499 in Schiedam. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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