Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Utrecht

For one person, living is cheaper in Utrecht: $2,876 a month against $3,032 in Rotterdam, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 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
141

Cost of Living Index in Utrecht
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Utrecht Living Index

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Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,032

/mo nomad

Utrecht

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,876

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rotterdam and in Utrecht

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

A single person spends $3,032 per month in Rotterdam vs $2,876 in Utrecht, rent included.

Rotterdam $3,032
Utrecht $2,876

A couple spends around $4,227 per month in Rotterdam vs $4,129 in Utrecht, rent included.

Rotterdam $4,227
Utrecht $4,129

A family of three spends $5,422 per month in Rotterdam vs $5,382 in Utrecht, rent included.

Rotterdam $5,422
Utrecht $5,382

Rotterdam costs about 5% more than Utrecht, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Rotterdam and Utrecht sit above the global median – Rotterdam by 125%, Utrecht by 113%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.82 €18.52

$22.38 €19.90

-6.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.4 €75.1

$85.1 €75.7

-0.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.49 €12.00

$13.54 €12.04

-0.37%

Cappuccino

$4.42 €3.93

$4.58 €4.08

-3.49%

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

$3.81 €3.39

$3.87 €3.44

-1.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 €3.07

$3.28 €2.92

5.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.08 €6.29

$6.76 €6.01

4.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.01 €5.35

$7.23 €6.43

-16.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 €1.31

$1.54 €1.37

-3.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 €2.11

$2.89 €2.57

-17.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 €2.54

$2.51 €2.23

13.94%

Eggs

$5.38 €4.78

$4.73 €4.21

13.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.78 €10.48

$13.21 €11.75

-10.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.62 €12.11

$13.86 €12.33

-1.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.76 €16.69

$19.03 €16.93

-1.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 €2.96

$2.69 €2.39

23.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 €2.31

$2.37 €2.10

9.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 €2.24

$2.16 €1.92

16.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 €3.00

$3.82 €3.40

-11.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 €1.51

$1.67 €1.48

1.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 €1.35

$1.89 €1.68

-19.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.58 €1.41

-6.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 €1.12

$1.36 €1.21

-7.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.24 €12.67

$14.60 €12.99

-2.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.55 €5.82

$6.71 €5.97

-2.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.33 €1.18

11.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 €2.31

$2.71 €2.41

-4.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.39 €3.90

$3.67 €3.27

19.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 €97.1

$134 €119

-18.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 €4.01

$3.77 €3.35

19.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.37 €3.00

$2.70 €2.40

24.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.8 €58.6

$44.46 €39.54

48.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.64 €2.34

$2.56 €2.27

3.13%

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

$40.9K €36.3K

$41.0K €36.4K

-0.28%

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

$38.8K €34.5K

$39.4K €35.1K

-1.56%

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

$300 €267

$240 €214

24.84%

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

$21.55 €19.17

$21.52 €19.14

0.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 €47.74

$48.22 €42.90

11.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.47 €43.11

$44.50 €39.58

8.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.57 €25.41

$31.38 €27.91

-8.95%

Cinema Ticket

$15.60 €13.88

$15.87 €14.12

-1.70%

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

$2,658 €2,364

$3,059 €2,721

-13.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K €11.4K

$8,154 €7,253

56.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.2 €82.0

$93.4 €83.1

-1.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.50 €34.25

$51.3 €45.64

-24.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €97.0

$103 €92.0

5.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €125

$122 €108

15.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,748

$1,841 €1,638

6.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 €1,402

$1,455 €1,294

8.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,071 €2,732

$3,208 €2,853

-4.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,238 €1,991

$2,194 €1,951

2.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,891 €5,240

$6,832 €6,077

-13.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,967 €3,528

$4,670 €4,154

-15.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,107 €3,653

$4,240 €3,771

-3.13%

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 10, 2026

Last update for Utrecht: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rotterdam

$1.6K 52%

Utrecht

$1.5K 50.6% 7.7% $122

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rotterdam

$375 12.4%

Utrecht

$310 10.8% 17.4% $65

Groceries & Markets

Rotterdam

$345 11.4%

Utrecht

$352 12.2% 1.9% $6.5

Eating Out

Rotterdam

$336 11.1%

Utrecht

$352 12.2% 4.5% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Rotterdam

$171 5.7%

Utrecht

$166 5.8% 2.8% $4.8

Getting Around

Rotterdam

$148 4.9%

Utrecht

$166 5.8% 11.9% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Rotterdam

$80 2.6%

Utrecht

$76 2.7% 4.3% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,966 in Rotterdam versus $1,841 in Utrecht. 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 3% higher in Utrecht, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $84.0 in Rotterdam versus $85.0 in Utrecht. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $345 vs $352 – making Rotterdam the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Utrecht

🕒 Local time

19:55 7:55 PM

Same time as Rotterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

572,392

367,947

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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From you

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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 Utrecht: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rotterdam is pricier by about 5%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,548 per month in Rotterdam and $4,314 in Utrecht. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Rotterdam – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $84.0 in Rotterdam and $85.0 in Utrecht. 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 $2,876 in Utrecht. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Utrecht – 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 Utrecht. 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.