Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Venlo

For one person, living is cheaper in Venlo: $2,433 a month against $3,153 in Rotterdam, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 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
117

Cost of Living Index in Venlo
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Venlo Living Index

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Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,153

/mo nomad

Venlo

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,433

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rotterdam and in Venlo

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

A single person spends $3,153 per month in Rotterdam vs $2,433 in Venlo, rent included.

Rotterdam $3,153
Venlo $2,433

A couple spends around $4,381 per month in Rotterdam vs $3,469 in Venlo, rent included.

Rotterdam $4,381
Venlo $3,469

A family of three spends $5,609 per month in Rotterdam vs $4,506 in Venlo, rent included.

Rotterdam $5,609
Venlo $4,506

Rotterdam costs about 30% more than Venlo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Rotterdam and Venlo sit above the global median – Rotterdam by 132%, Venlo by 79%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.81 €18.70

$22.60 €20.30

-7.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.2 €76.5

$88.3 €79.3

-3.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €12.27

$13.04 €11.71

4.75%

Cappuccino

$4.31 €3.87

$3.46 €3.11

24.57%

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

$3.79 €3.40

$3.33 €2.99

13.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.09

$2.72 €2.44

26.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.93 €6.22

$6.80 €6.11

1.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.05 €5.43

$5.72 €5.14

5.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 €1.28

$1.33 €1.19

6.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 €2.19

$1.73 €1.56

41.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.84 €2.55

$2.53 €2.27

12.25%

Eggs

$5.27 €4.73

$5.12 €4.60

2.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.09 €10.86

$13.50 €12.13

-10.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.32 €11.96

$15.17 €13.63

-12.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.92 €16.99

$15.43 €13.86

22.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.43 €3.08

$2.08 €1.87

64.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 €2.24

$2.18 €1.96

14.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 €2.28

$1.87 €1.68

35.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.39 €3.04

$4.48 €4.03

-24.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 €1.51

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 €1.36

$1.84 €1.65

-17.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.36

$1.27 €1.14

18.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.16

$0.75 €0.67

72.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.39 €12.93

$13.83 €12.43

4.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.82 €6.13

$6.89 €6.19

-1.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 €1.37

$1.44 €1.29

5.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 €2.32

$2.61 €2.35

-1.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.27 €5.64

$1.54 €1.38

307.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 €99.5

$136 €122

-18.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.11

$4.08 €3.67

12.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.45 €3.10

$2.36 €2.12

46.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$67.3 €60.5

$32.73 €29.40

105.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.56 €2.30

$2.34 €2.11

9.40%

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

$41.3K €37.1K

$40.8K €36.7K

1.29%

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

$39.9K €35.8K

$39.4K €35.4K

1.28%

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

$305 €274

$181 €163

68.42%

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

$21.41 €19.24

$14.86 €13.35

44.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 €50.1

$55.6 €49.97

0.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.35 €40.74

$21.84 €19.62

107.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.35 €26.37

$31.45 €28.25

-6.68%

Cinema Ticket

$15.68 €14.09

$11.10 €9.97

41.26%

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

$2,793 €2,509

$2,254 €2,025

23.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K €11.2K

$12.1K €10.9K

3.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.9 €83.4

$88.1 €79.1

5.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.70 €35.66

$28.50 €25.60

39.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €97.0

$113 €101

-4.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €127

$157 €141

-10.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,068 €1,858

$1,118 €1,004

85.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,684 €1,513

$1,148 €1,031

46.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,183 €2,860

$1,324 €1,189

140.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,398 €2,154

$1,530 €1,374

56.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,140 €5,516

$3,163 €2,841

94.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,198 €3,771

$2,837 €2,549

47.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,933 €3,533

$3,661 €3,289

7.44%

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 Venlo: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rotterdam

$1.7K 53.4%

Venlo

$1.1K 47.2% 31.8% $536

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rotterdam

$382 12.1%

Venlo

$251 10.3% 34.2% $130

Groceries & Markets

Rotterdam

$346 11%

Venlo

$326 13.4% 5.7% $20

Eating Out

Rotterdam

$335 10.6%

Venlo

$331 13.6% 1.1% $3.8

Clothing & Footwear

Rotterdam

$172 5.5%

Venlo

$174 7.2% 1.2% $2.1

Getting Around

Rotterdam

$158 5%

Venlo

$158 6.5% 0.3% $0.5

Sport & Entertainment

Rotterdam

$77 2.4%

Venlo

$44 1.8% 42.6% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,068 in Rotterdam versus $1,118 in Venlo. 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 7% 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 $88 in Venlo. Groceries tell a different story – $346 in Rotterdam vs $326 in Venlo – so Venlo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Venlo

🕒 Local time

21:32 9:32 PM

Same time as Rotterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

572,392

103,328

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 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 Venlo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rotterdam is pricier by about 30%, 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 $3,649 in Venlo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Venlo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,118 there versus $2,068 in Rotterdam.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Rotterdam, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Rotterdam and $88 in Venlo. 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 Venlo, where all-in costs run around $2,433, than in Rotterdam at $3,153. In Venlo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rotterdam it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Venlo – 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 Venlo. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Rotterdam makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.