Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Spakenburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Spakenburg: $2,642 a month against $3,047 in Rotterdam, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 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
128

Cost of Living Index in Spakenburg
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Spakenburg Living Index

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Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,047

/mo nomad

Spakenburg

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,642

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rotterdam and in Spakenburg

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

A single person spends $3,047 per month in Rotterdam vs $2,642 in Spakenburg, rent included.

Rotterdam $3,047
Spakenburg $2,642

A couple spends around $4,256 per month in Rotterdam vs $3,749 in Spakenburg, rent included.

Rotterdam $4,256
Spakenburg $3,749

A family of three spends $5,466 per month in Rotterdam vs $4,856 in Spakenburg, rent included.

Rotterdam $5,466
Spakenburg $4,856

Rotterdam costs about 15% more than Spakenburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Rotterdam and Spakenburg sit above the global median – Rotterdam by 125%, Spakenburg by 95%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.91 €18.60

$22.62 €20.12

-7.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.4 €74.2

$82.8 €73.7

0.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 €11.74

$13.21 €11.75

-0.08%

Cappuccino

$4.37 €3.89

$4.10 €3.64

6.59%

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

$3.89 €3.46

$3.80 €3.38

2.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 €3.12

$3.07 €2.73

14.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.25 €6.45

$6.49 €5.78

11.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.98 €5.32

$6.26 €5.57

-4.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.25 €1.11

17.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 €2.05

$1.53 €1.36

50.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.96 €2.64

$2.47 €2.20

19.84%

Eggs

$5.24 €4.66

$4.76 €4.23

10.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.22 €10.87

$12.90 €11.48

-5.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.37 €11.90

$14.39 €12.80

-7.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.62 €16.56

$18.60 €16.55

0.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 €3.01

$1.97 €1.75

71.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 €2.25

$2.40 €2.13

5.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 €2.28

$1.79 €1.59

43.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.51 €3.13

$4.32 €3.84

-18.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 €1.51

$1.74 €1.55

-2.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.83 €1.63

-19.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.27 €1.13

15.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.14

$0.84 €0.75

53.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.61 €12.99

$13.74 €12.22

6.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.67 €5.93

$6.83 €6.07

-2.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 €1.30

$1.34 €1.20

9.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 €2.24

$2.63 €2.34

-4.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.40 €3.92

$3.36 €2.99

30.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 €98.6

$89.5 €79.6

23.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.73 €4.21

$3.82 €3.40

23.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.48 €3.10

$2.70 €2.41

28.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$68.4 €60.9

$29.56 €26.29

131.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.59 €2.31

$2.41 €2.15

7.47%

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

$42.3K €37.6K

$40.8K €36.3K

3.64%

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

$39.4K €35.0K

$38.6K €34.4K

1.94%

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

$297 €264

$244 €217

21.94%

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

$21.43 €19.06

$22.29 €19.83

-3.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.6 €49.49

$47.30 €42.07

17.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.98 €42.68

$41.31 €36.74

16.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.31 €26.07

$24.22 €21.55

21.02%

Cinema Ticket

$15.40 €13.69

$15.39 €13.69

0.06%

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

$2,677 €2,381

$2,339 €2,080

14.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K €11.4K

$8,114 €7,218

57.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.3 €84.7

$93.9 €83.6

1.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.44 €35.08

$43.75 €38.91

-9.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €98.2

$87.3 €77.6

26.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 €124

$126 €112

10.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,968 €1,750

$1,240 €1,103

58.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,588 €1,412

$1,310 €1,166

21.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,116 €2,771

$1,673 €1,488

86.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,281 €2,029

$1,873 €1,666

21.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,925 €5,271

$4,410 €3,923

34.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,979 €3,539

$3,660 €3,255

8.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,135 €3,678

$2,916 €2,594

41.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.49

3.23

8.05%

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

Last update for Rotterdam: October 19, 2026

Last update for Spakenburg: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rotterdam

$1.6K 52.1%

Spakenburg

$1.3K 49.6% 17.5% $278

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rotterdam

$374 12.3%

Spakenburg

$313 11.9% 16.3% $61

Groceries & Markets

Rotterdam

$345 11.3%

Spakenburg

$326 12.3% 5.5% $19

Eating Out

Rotterdam

$337 11.1%

Spakenburg

$342 13% 1.5% $5.1

Clothing & Footwear

Rotterdam

$173 5.7%

Spakenburg

$158 6% 8.5% $15

Getting Around

Rotterdam

$151 4.9%

Spakenburg

$120 4.6% 20.2% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Rotterdam

$79 2.6%

Spakenburg

$72 2.7% 8.5% $6.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,968 in Rotterdam versus $1,240 in Spakenburg. 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 42% 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 $83.0 in Spakenburg. Groceries tell a different story – $345 in Rotterdam vs $326 in Spakenburg – so Spakenburg wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Spakenburg

🕒 Local time

11:33 11:33 AM

Same time as Rotterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

572,392

4,375

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Rotterdam Spakenburg 71 km

From you

Rotterdam
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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 Spakenburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rotterdam is pricier by about 15%, 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 $3,963 in Spakenburg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 6% 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 $83.0 in Spakenburg. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Spakenburg, where all-in costs run around $2,642, than in Rotterdam at $3,047. In Spakenburg it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rotterdam it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Spakenburg – 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 Spakenburg. 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.