Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Wageningen

For one person, living is cheaper in Wageningen: $2,632 a month against $3,047 in Rotterdam, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 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 Wageningen
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Wageningen Living Index

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Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,047

/mo nomad

Wageningen

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,632

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rotterdam and in Wageningen

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

A single person spends $3,047 per month in Rotterdam vs $2,632 in Wageningen, rent included.

Rotterdam $3,047
Wageningen $2,632

A couple spends around $4,256 per month in Rotterdam vs $4,036 in Wageningen, rent included.

Rotterdam $4,256
Wageningen $4,036

A family of three spends $5,466 per month in Rotterdam vs $5,441 in Wageningen, rent included.

Rotterdam $5,466
Wageningen $5,441

Rotterdam costs about 16% more than Wageningen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Rotterdam and Wageningen sit above the global median – Rotterdam by 125%, Wageningen by 94%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.91 €18.60

$21.83 €19.42

-4.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.4 €74.2

$89.2 €79.3

-6.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 €11.74

$13.41 €11.92

-1.57%

Cappuccino

$4.37 €3.89

$4.22 €3.75

3.55%

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

$3.89 €3.46

$3.87 €3.44

0.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 €3.12

$2.65 €2.35

32.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.25 €6.45

$5.68 €5.05

27.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.98 €5.32

$5.10 €4.53

17.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.30 €1.16

13.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 €2.05

$1.97 €1.75

16.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.96 €2.64

$2.77 €2.47

6.86%

Eggs

$5.24 €4.66

$4.89 €4.35

7.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.22 €10.87

$12.83 €11.41

-4.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.37 €11.90

$14.59 €12.98

-8.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.62 €16.56

$17.01 €15.13

9.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 €3.01

$2.66 €2.36

27.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 €2.25

$2.48 €2.20

2.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 €2.28

$1.88 €1.67

36.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.51 €3.13

$4.52 €4.02

-22.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 €1.51

$1.80 €1.60

-5.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 €1.31

$2.19 €1.95

-32.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.25 €1.11

17.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.14

$0.98 €0.87

31.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.61 €12.99

$14.18 €12.61

3.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.67 €5.93

$7.02 €6.24

-4.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 €1.30

$1.32 €1.18

11.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 €2.24

$2.62 €2.33

-3.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.40 €3.92

$3.39 €3.01

29.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 €98.6

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.73 €4.21

$3.93 €3.50

20.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.48 €3.10

$2.02 €1.79

72.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$68.4 €60.9

$22.31 €19.84

206.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.59 €2.31

$2.40 €2.13

7.92%

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

$42.3K €37.6K

$42.0K €37.4K

0.54%

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

$39.4K €35.0K

$39.2K €34.9K

0.47%

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

$297 €264

$308 €274

-3.58%

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

$21.43 €19.06

$24.59 €21.87

-12.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.6 €49.49

$46.83 €41.65

18.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.98 €42.68

$38.22 €33.99

25.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.31 €26.07

$22.18 €19.73

32.15%

Cinema Ticket

$15.40 €13.69

$15.54 €13.82

-0.90%

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

$2,677 €2,381

$1,997 €1,776

34.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K €11.4K

$7,866 €6,997

62.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.3 €84.7

$96.0 €85.4

-0.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.44 €35.08

$43.25 €38.47

-8.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €98.2

$106 €94.2

4.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 €124

$104 €92.3

34.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,968 €1,750

$1,181 €1,050

66.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,588 €1,412

$1,332 €1,185

19.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,116 €2,771

$2,698 €2,400

15.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,281 €2,029

$2,553 €2,271

-10.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,925 €5,271

$4,357 €3,876

35.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,979 €3,539

$4,637 €4,124

-14.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,135 €3,678

$3,350 €2,980

23.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.49

-12.75%

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

Last update for Rotterdam: October 19, 2026

Last update for Wageningen: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rotterdam

$1.6K 52.1%

Wageningen

$1.3K 50.6% 16.1% $256

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rotterdam

$374 12.3%

Wageningen

$380 14.4% 1.4% $5.4

Groceries & Markets

Rotterdam

$345 11.3%

Wageningen

$336 12.8% 2.5% $8.4

Eating Out

Rotterdam

$337 11.1%

Wageningen

$330 12.5% 2.1% $7

Clothing & Footwear

Rotterdam

$173 5.7%

Wageningen

$157 6% 9.2% $16

Getting Around

Rotterdam

$151 4.9%

Wageningen

$28 * 1.1% 81.7% $123

Sport & Entertainment

Rotterdam

$79 2.6%

Wageningen

$69 2.6% 12% $9.5

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,968 in Rotterdam versus $1,181 in Wageningen. 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 23% 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 $89.0 in Wageningen. Groceries tell a different story – $345 in Rotterdam vs $336 in Wageningen – so Wageningen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Wageningen

🕒 Local time

16:54 4:54 PM

Same time as Rotterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

572,392

39,664

💱 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 Wageningen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rotterdam is pricier by about 16%, 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 $3,948 in Wageningen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $83.0 in Rotterdam and $89.0 in Wageningen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Wageningen, where all-in costs run around $2,632, than in Rotterdam at $3,047. In Wageningen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rotterdam it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Wageningen – 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 Wageningen. 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.