Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Zeist

For one person, living is cheaper in Zeist: $2,759 a month against $3,153 in Rotterdam, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 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
133

Cost of Living Index in Zeist
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Zeist Living Index

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Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,153

/mo nomad

Zeist

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,759

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rotterdam and in Zeist

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

A single person spends $3,153 per month in Rotterdam vs $2,759 in Zeist, rent included.

Rotterdam $3,153
Zeist $2,759

A couple spends around $4,381 per month in Rotterdam vs $3,797 in Zeist, rent included.

Rotterdam $4,381
Zeist $3,797

A family of three spends $5,609 per month in Rotterdam vs $4,835 in Zeist, rent included.

Rotterdam $5,609
Zeist $4,835

Rotterdam costs about 14% more than Zeist, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Rotterdam and Zeist sit above the global median – Rotterdam by 132%, Zeist by 103%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.81 €18.57

$22.66 €20.21

-8.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.2 €76.0

$79.8 €71.2

6.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €12.19

$13.42 €11.98

1.79%

Cappuccino

$4.31 €3.84

$4.32 €3.86

-0.23%

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

$3.79 €3.38

$3.71 €3.31

2.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.07

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.93 €6.18

$5.47 €4.88

26.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.05 €5.39

$5.09 €4.54

18.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 €1.27

$1.49 €1.33

-4.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 €2.17

$2.34 €2.08

4.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.84 €2.54

$2.75 €2.45

3.27%

Eggs

$5.27 €4.70

$4.89 €4.36

7.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.09 €10.79

$13.58 €12.11

-10.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.32 €11.88

$14.04 €12.53

-5.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.92 €16.88

$18.67 €16.66

1.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.43 €3.06

$2.65 €2.36

29.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 €2.23

$2.36 €2.11

5.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 €2.27

$2.18 €1.94

16.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.39 €3.02

$4.43 €3.95

-23.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 €1.50

$1.76 €1.57

-4.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 €1.35

$1.85 €1.65

-17.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.35

$1.33 €1.19

13.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.15

$1.09 €0.98

18.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.39 €12.84

$14.00 €12.49

2.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.82 €6.09

$6.67 €5.95

2.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 €1.36

$1.25 €1.12

21.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 €2.31

$2.78 €2.48

-7.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.27 €5.60

$3.54 €3.16

77.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 €98.8

$81.5 €72.7

35.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.09

$3.64 €3.25

25.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.45 €3.08

$1.90 €1.70

81.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$67.3 €60.1

$22.64 €20.20

197.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.56 €2.28

$2.38 €2.13

7.56%

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

$41.3K €36.9K

$41.6K €37.1K

-0.70%

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

$39.9K €35.6K

$39.3K €35.1K

1.44%

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

$305 €272

$245 €218

24.51%

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

$21.41 €19.11

$26.20 €23.37

-18.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 €49.74

$47.73 €42.59

16.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.35 €40.46

$41.52 €37.04

9.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.35 €26.19

$26.56 €23.69

10.50%

Cinema Ticket

$15.68 €13.99

$15.71 €14.02

-0.19%

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

$2,793 €2,492

$2,660 €2,373

4.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K €11.2K

$7,981 €7,120

56.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.9 €82.9

$95.4 €85.1

-2.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.70 €35.42

$39.52 €35.26

0.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €96.4

$88.0 €78.5

22.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €126

$103 €91.8

37.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,068 €1,845

$1,431 €1,277

44.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,684 €1,502

$1,426 €1,272

18.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,183 €2,840

$2,346 €2,093

35.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,398 €2,140

$1,859 €1,659

29.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,140 €5,478

$6,488 €5,789

-5.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,198 €3,746

$5,606 €5,001

-25.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,933 €3,509

$4,256 €3,797

-7.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.49

3.65

-4.38%

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

Last update for Rotterdam: October 24, 2026

Last update for Zeist: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rotterdam

$1.7K 53.4%

Zeist

$1.4K 51.7% 15.3% $258

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rotterdam

$382 12.1%

Zeist

$319 11.6% 16.6% $63

Groceries & Markets

Rotterdam

$346 11%

Zeist

$347 12.6% 0.2% $0.7

Eating Out

Rotterdam

$335 10.6%

Zeist

$340 12.3% 1.4% $4.7

Clothing & Footwear

Rotterdam

$172 5.5%

Zeist

$147 5.3% 14.7% $25

Getting Around

Rotterdam

$158 5%

Zeist

$109 3.9% 31% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Rotterdam

$77 2.4%

Zeist

$73 2.6% 4.9% $3.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,068 in Rotterdam versus $1,431 in Zeist. 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 8% higher in Zeist, 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 $85 in Rotterdam versus $80 in Zeist. Groceries tell a different story – $346 in Rotterdam vs $347 in Zeist – so Rotterdam wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Zeist

🕒 Local time

15:07 3:07 PM

Same time as Rotterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

572,392

65,987

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Rotterdam Zeist 55 km

From you

Rotterdam
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Zeist: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rotterdam is pricier by about 14%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,729 per month in Rotterdam and $4,139 in Zeist. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zeist, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,431 there versus $2,068 in Rotterdam.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Rotterdam and $80 in Zeist. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

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

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,153 in Rotterdam and $2,759 in Zeist. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Zeist – 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.