Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and The Hague

For one person, living is cheaper in The Hague: $2,733 a month against $3,032 in Rotterdam, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Rotterdam outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

149

Cost of Living Index in Rotterdam
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Rotterdam Living Index
132

Cost of Living Index in The Hague
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The Hague Living Index

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Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,032

/mo nomad

The Hague

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,733

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rotterdam and in The Hague

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

A single person spends $3,032 per month in Rotterdam vs $2,733 in The Hague, rent included.

Rotterdam $3,032
The Hague $2,733

A couple spends around $4,227 per month in Rotterdam vs $4,089 in The Hague, rent included.

Rotterdam $4,227
The Hague $4,089

A family of three spends $5,422 per month in Rotterdam vs $5,446 in The Hague, rent included.

Rotterdam $5,422
The Hague $5,446

Rotterdam costs about 11% more than The Hague, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Rotterdam and The Hague sit above the global median – Rotterdam by 125%, The Hague by 102%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.82 €18.52

$22.35 €19.88

-6.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.4 €75.1

$87.5 €77.8

-3.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.49 €12.00

$14.89 €13.24

-9.40%

Cappuccino

$4.42 €3.93

$4.39 €3.91

0.68%

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

$3.81 €3.39

$4.28 €3.81

-10.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 €3.07

$4.08 €3.63

-15.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.08 €6.29

$7.16 €6.37

-1.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.01 €5.35

$7.64 €6.79

-21.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 €1.31

$1.49 €1.33

-0.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 €2.11

$2.29 €2.04

3.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 €2.54

$2.51 €2.23

13.94%

Eggs

$5.38 €4.78

$4.73 €4.20

13.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.78 €10.48

$14.45 €12.85

-18.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.62 €12.11

$13.18 €11.73

3.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.76 €16.69

$19.25 €17.12

-2.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 €2.96

$2.53 €2.25

31.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 €2.31

$2.23 €1.99

16.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 €2.24

$1.98 €1.76

27.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 €3.00

$3.60 €3.20

-6.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 €1.51

$1.30 €1.16

30.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 €1.35

$1.28 €1.14

18.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.12 €0.99

32.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 €1.12

$0.93 €0.83

35.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.24 €12.67

$14.47 €12.87

-1.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.55 €5.82

$5.89 €5.24

11.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.33 €1.19

11.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 €2.31

$1.95 €1.74

33.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.39 €3.90

$4.59 €4.08

-4.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 €97.1

$91.1 €81.0

19.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 €4.01

$4.54 €4.03

-0.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.37 €3.00

$3.32 €2.95

1.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.8 €58.6

$33.71 €29.99

95.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.64 €2.34

$2.52 €2.24

4.76%

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

$40.9K €36.3K

$41.4K €36.9K

-1.40%

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

$38.8K €34.5K

$39.5K €35.1K

-1.74%

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

$300 €267

$281 €250

6.51%

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

$21.55 €19.17

$28.39 €25.25

-24.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 €47.74

$54.3 €48.31

-1.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.47 €43.11

$50.4 €44.82

-3.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.57 €25.41

$23.94 €21.30

19.34%

Cinema Ticket

$15.60 €13.88

$16.49 €14.67

-5.40%

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

$2,658 €2,364

$2,400 €2,135

10.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K €11.4K

$11.6K €10.3K

10.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.2 €82.0

$95.8 €85.2

-3.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.50 €34.25

$43.61 €38.79

-11.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €97.0

$108 €96.2

0.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €125

$136 €121

3.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,748

$1,640 €1,459

19.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 €1,402

$1,291 €1,148

22.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,071 €2,732

$2,798 €2,489

9.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,238 €1,991

$2,264 €2,014

-1.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,891 €5,240

$6,067 €5,396

-2.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,967 €3,528

$4,538 €4,037

-12.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,107 €3,653

$4,069 €3,619

0.95%

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: October 10, 2026

Last update for The Hague: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rotterdam

$1.6K 52%

The Hague

$1.3K 47.2% 18.1% $286

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rotterdam

$375 12.4%

The Hague

$364 13.3% 2.9% $11

Groceries & Markets

Rotterdam

$345 11.4%

The Hague

$330 12.1% 4.3% $15

Eating Out

Rotterdam

$336 11.1%

The Hague

$361 13.2% 7.2% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Rotterdam

$171 5.7%

The Hague

$173 6.3% 0.9% $1.5

Getting Around

Rotterdam

$148 4.9%

The Hague

$131 4.8% 11.8% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Rotterdam

$80 2.6%

The Hague

$83 3.1% 4.6% $3.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,966 in Rotterdam versus $1,640 in The Hague. 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 1% 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 $84.0 in Rotterdam versus $87.0 in The Hague. Groceries tell a different story – $345 in Rotterdam vs $330 in The Hague – so The Hague wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🇳🇱 The Hague

🕒 Local time

19:55 7:55 PM

Same time as Rotterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

572,392

562,839

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 The Hague: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rotterdam is pricier by about 11%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,548 per month in Rotterdam and $4,099 in The Hague. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 5% 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 $84.0 in Rotterdam and $87.0 in The Hague. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,032 in Rotterdam and $2,733 in The Hague. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward The Hague – 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 The Hague. 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.