Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotterdam and Zutphen

For one person, living is cheaper in Zutphen: $2,468 a month against $3,047 in Rotterdam, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 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
120

Cost of Living Index in Zutphen
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Zutphen Living Index

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Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,047

/mo nomad

Zutphen

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,468

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rotterdam and in Zutphen

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

A single person spends $3,047 per month in Rotterdam vs $2,468 in Zutphen, rent included.

Rotterdam $3,047
Zutphen $2,468

A couple spends around $4,256 per month in Rotterdam vs $3,496 in Zutphen, rent included.

Rotterdam $4,256
Zutphen $3,496

A family of three spends $5,466 per month in Rotterdam vs $4,525 in Zutphen, rent included.

Rotterdam $5,466
Zutphen $4,525

Rotterdam costs about 23% more than Zutphen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Rotterdam and Zutphen sit above the global median – Rotterdam by 125%, Zutphen by 82%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.91 €18.60

$19.74 €17.55

5.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.4 €74.2

$45.16 €40.17

84.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 €11.74

$12.47 €11.09

5.85%

Cappuccino

$4.37 €3.89

$3.27 €2.91

33.64%

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

$3.89 €3.46

$1.72 €1.53

126.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 €3.12

$3.13 €2.78

12.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.25 €6.45

$8.26 €7.35

-12.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.98 €5.32

$5.56 €4.94

7.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.30 €1.16

13.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 €2.05

$2.27 €2.02

1.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.96 €2.64

$2.48 €2.21

19.35%

Eggs

$5.24 €4.66

$3.95 €3.51

32.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.22 €10.87

$12.58 €11.19

-2.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.37 €11.90

$5.44 €4.84

145.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.62 €16.56

$13.19 €11.74

41.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 €3.01

$2.56 €2.28

32.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 €2.25

$2.55 €2.27

-0.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 €2.28

$1.91 €1.69

34.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.51 €3.13

$4.34 €3.86

-19.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 €1.51

$1.90 €1.69

-10.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 €1.31

$2.28 €2.03

-35.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.28 €1.14

14.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.14

$0.79 €0.71

63.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.61 €12.99

$13.94 €12.40

4.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.67 €5.93

$6.55 €5.83

1.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 €1.30

$1.48 €1.32

-0.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 €2.24

$2.64 €2.35

-4.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.40 €3.92

$3.66 €3.25

20.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 €98.6

$86.2 €76.7

28.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.73 €4.21

$4.08 €3.63

15.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.48 €3.10

$3.36 €2.99

3.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$68.4 €60.9

$28.18 €25.06

142.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.59 €2.31

$2.42 €2.15

7.02%

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

$42.3K €37.6K

$42.1K €37.5K

0.28%

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

$39.4K €35.0K

$40.0K €35.6K

-1.60%

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

$297 €264

$296 €263

0.48%

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

$21.43 €19.06

$17.39 €15.47

23.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.6 €49.49

$49.06 €43.64

13.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.98 €42.68

$40.64 €36.15

18.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.31 €26.07

$22.66 €20.15

29.35%

Cinema Ticket

$15.40 €13.69

$15.34 €13.65

0.39%

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

$2,677 €2,381

$1,260 €1,121

112.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K €11.4K

$11.0K €9,818

15.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.3 €84.7

$82.3 €73.2

15.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.44 €35.08

$38.44 €34.20

2.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €98.2

$113 €101

-2.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 €124

$126 €112

10.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,968 €1,750

$1,428 €1,270

37.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,588 €1,412

$1,170 €1,041

35.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,116 €2,771

$2,449 €2,179

27.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,281 €2,029

$1,883 €1,675

21.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,925 €5,271

$4,701 €4,182

26.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,979 €3,539

$4,613 €4,104

-13.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,135 €3,678

$6,071 €5,400

-31.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.49

4.42

-21.04%

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

Last update for Rotterdam: October 19, 2026

Last update for Zutphen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rotterdam

$1.6K 52.1%

Zutphen

$1.2K 47.4% 26.3% $417

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rotterdam

$374 12.3%

Zutphen

$362 14.7% 3.2% $12

Groceries & Markets

Rotterdam

$345 11.3%

Zutphen

$274 11.1% 20.5% $71

Eating Out

Rotterdam

$337 11.1%

Zutphen

$306 12.4% 9.1% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Rotterdam

$173 5.7%

Zutphen

$162 6.6% 6.2% $11

Getting Around

Rotterdam

$151 4.9%

Zutphen

$122 4.9% 19.2% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Rotterdam

$79 2.6%

Zutphen

$71 2.9% 9.5% $7.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,968 in Rotterdam versus $1,428 in Zutphen. 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 47% higher in Zutphen, 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 $83.0 in Rotterdam versus $45.00 in Zutphen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $345 vs $274 – making Zutphen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Zutphen

🕒 Local time

11:32 11:32 AM

Same time as Rotterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

572,392

38,642

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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 Zutphen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rotterdam is pricier by about 23%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,570 per month in Rotterdam and $3,702 in Zutphen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 26% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $83.0 in Rotterdam and $45.00 in Zutphen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Zutphen, where all-in costs run around $2,468, than in Rotterdam at $3,047. In Zutphen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rotterdam it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zutphen – 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 Zutphen. 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.