Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Tilburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Tilburg: $2,536 a month against $3,153 in Rotterdam, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

150

Cost of Living Index in Rotterdam
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Rotterdam Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Tilburg
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Tilburg Living Index

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Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,153

/mo nomad

Tilburg

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,536

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rotterdam and in Tilburg

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

A single person spends $3,153 per month in Rotterdam vs $2,536 in Tilburg, rent included.

Rotterdam $3,153
Tilburg $2,536

A couple spends around $4,381 per month in Rotterdam vs $3,661 in Tilburg, rent included.

Rotterdam $4,381
Tilburg $3,661

A family of three spends $5,609 per month in Rotterdam vs $4,786 in Tilburg, rent included.

Rotterdam $5,609
Tilburg $4,786

Rotterdam costs about 24% more than Tilburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Rotterdam and Tilburg sit above the global median – Rotterdam by 132%, Tilburg by 86%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.81 €18.65

$22.54 €20.20

-7.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.2 €76.3

$87.3 €78.2

-2.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €12.24

$12.88 €11.54

6.06%

Cappuccino

$4.31 €3.86

$3.52 €3.15

22.44%

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

$3.79 €3.39

$3.33 €2.99

13.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.09

$3.17 €2.84

8.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.93 €6.21

$7.23 €6.48

-4.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.05 €5.42

$5.68 €5.09

6.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 €1.28

$1.21 €1.08

17.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 €2.18

$2.26 €2.03

7.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.84 €2.55

$2.53 €2.27

12.25%

Eggs

$5.27 €4.72

$4.87 €4.36

8.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.09 €10.83

$13.46 €12.06

-10.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.32 €11.93

$15.62 €14.00

-14.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.92 €16.95

$15.15 €13.58

24.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.43 €3.07

$2.76 €2.47

24.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 €2.24

$2.46 €2.20

1.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 €2.28

$1.87 €1.67

35.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.39 €3.03

$5.06 €4.53

-33.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 €1.50

$1.65 €1.48

1.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 €1.36

$1.87 €1.68

-18.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.35

$1.27 €1.14

18.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.16

$0.73 €0.66

76.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.39 €12.90

$13.85 €12.41

3.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.82 €6.11

$6.67 €5.98

2.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 €1.37

$1.47 €1.32

3.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 €2.32

$2.60 €2.33

-0.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.27 €5.62

$4.30 €3.86

45.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 €99.3

$150 €135

-26.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.10

$3.92 €3.51

16.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.45 €3.09

$2.30 €2.06

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$67.3 €60.3

$32.56 €29.17

106.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.56 €2.29

$2.53 €2.27

1.19%

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

$41.3K €37.0K

$40.8K €36.5K

1.37%

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

$39.9K €35.7K

$39.1K €35.1K

1.88%

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

$305 €273

$186 €167

63.64%

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

$21.41 €19.19

$14.90 €13.35

43.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 €49.95

$55.4 €49.66

0.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.35 €40.64

$32.87 €29.45

37.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.35 €26.30

$16.48 €14.77

78.09%

Cinema Ticket

$15.68 €14.05

$14.28 €12.80

9.80%

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

$2,793 €2,503

$2,204 €1,975

26.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K €11.2K

$11.8K €10.5K

6.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.9 €83.2

$88.2 €79.0

5.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.70 €35.58

$28.82 €25.82

37.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €96.8

$112 €100.0

-3.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €127

$154 €138

-8.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,068 €1,853

$1,505 €1,348

37.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,684 €1,509

$1,190 €1,066

41.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,183 €2,853

$2,209 €1,979

44.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,398 €2,149

$1,705 €1,528

40.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,140 €5,502

$5,777 €5,177

6.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,198 €3,762

$3,726 €3,339

12.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,933 €3,525

$3,227 €2,892

21.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.49

3.83

-8.88%

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

Last update for Rotterdam: October 24, 2026

Last update for Tilburg: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rotterdam

$1.7K 53.4%

Tilburg

$1.2K 46.9% 29.3% $494

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rotterdam

$382 12.1%

Tilburg

$257 10.1% 32.8% $125

Groceries & Markets

Rotterdam

$346 11%

Tilburg

$338 13.3% 2.3% $7.9

Eating Out

Rotterdam

$335 10.6%

Tilburg

$335 13.2% 0.1% $0.2

Clothing & Footwear

Rotterdam

$172 5.5%

Tilburg

$172 6.8% 0.2% $0.3

Getting Around

Rotterdam

$158 5%

Tilburg

$183 7.2% 16.1% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Rotterdam

$77 2.4%

Tilburg

$61 2.4% 19.9% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,068 in Rotterdam versus $1,505 in Tilburg. 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 22% 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 $85 in Rotterdam versus $87 in Tilburg. Groceries tell a different story – $346 in Rotterdam vs $338 in Tilburg – so Tilburg wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Tilburg

🕒 Local time

12:09 12:09 PM

Same time as Rotterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

572,392

227,707

💱 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 Tilburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rotterdam is pricier by about 24%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,729 per month in Rotterdam and $3,804 in Tilburg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tilburg, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,505 there versus $2,068 in Rotterdam.

Public transport costs about 26% less in Rotterdam. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,793 per month in Rotterdam and $2,204 in Tilburg. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Tilburg, where all-in costs run around $2,536, than in Rotterdam at $3,153. In Tilburg it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rotterdam it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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