Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Schiedam and Rotterdam

For one person, living is cheaper in Schiedam: $2,499 a month against $3,047 in Rotterdam, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Schiedam
Learn more

Schiedam Living Index
149

Cost of Living Index in Rotterdam
Learn more

Rotterdam Living Index

Jump to prices

Schiedam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,499

/mo nomad

Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,047

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Schiedam and in Rotterdam

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Schiedam and in Rotterdam actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,499 per month in Schiedam vs $3,047 in Rotterdam, rent included.

Schiedam $2,499
Rotterdam $3,047

A couple spends around $3,684 per month in Schiedam vs $4,256 in Rotterdam, rent included.

Schiedam $3,684
Rotterdam $4,256

A family of three spends $4,869 per month in Schiedam vs $5,466 in Rotterdam, rent included.

Schiedam $4,869
Rotterdam $5,466

Schiedam is about 18% cheaper than Rotterdam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Schiedam and Rotterdam sit above the global median – Schiedam by 84%, Rotterdam by 125%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.36 €17.22

$20.91 €18.60

-7.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.1 €79.2

$83.4 €74.2

6.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.23 €13.55

$13.20 €11.74

15.38%

Cappuccino

$4.13 €3.68

$4.37 €3.89

-5.49%

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

$3.56 €3.17

$3.89 €3.46

-8.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 €2.55

$3.51 €3.12

-18.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.19 €6.39

$7.25 €6.45

-0.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.80 €6.05

$5.98 €5.32

13.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.20

$1.47 €1.31

-8.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 €1.91

$2.30 €2.05

-6.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 €2.14

$2.96 €2.64

-18.58%

Eggs

$4.51 €4.01

$5.24 €4.66

-13.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.61 €12.99

$12.22 €10.87

19.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.87 €11.45

$13.37 €11.90

-3.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.85 €14.10

$18.62 €16.56

-14.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.35

$3.38 €3.01

-21.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.96

$2.53 €2.25

-12.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 €1.74

$2.56 €2.28

-23.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.71 €4.19

$3.51 €3.13

34.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.35 €1.20

$1.70 €1.51

-20.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 €1.18

$1.47 €1.31

-9.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 €0.99

$1.47 €1.31

-24.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 €0.66

$1.29 €1.14

-42.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.34 €11.86

$14.61 €12.99

-8.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.79 €5.15

$6.67 €5.93

-13.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.19

$1.47 €1.30

-9.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.74

$2.52 €2.24

-22.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €2.02

$4.40 €3.92

-48.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.9 €80.8

$111 €98.6

-18.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.33 €2.96

$4.73 €4.21

-29.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.36 €2.99

$3.48 €3.10

-3.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.43 €19.95

$68.4 €60.9

-67.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.36 €2.10

$2.59 €2.31

-8.88%

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

$41.4K €36.9K

$42.3K €37.6K

-1.95%

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

$39.2K €34.9K

$39.4K €35.0K

-0.41%

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

$272 €242

$297 €264

-8.52%

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

$16.73 €14.88

$21.43 €19.06

-21.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.7 €48.61

$55.6 €49.49

-1.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.72 €24.66

$47.98 €42.68

-42.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.56 €20.95

$29.31 €26.07

-19.62%

Cinema Ticket

$15.46 €13.75

$15.40 €13.69

0.39%

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

$1,767 €1,572

$2,677 €2,381

-33.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K €10.3K

$12.8K €11.4K

-9.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$116 €103

$95.3 €84.7

21.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.86 €31.90

$39.44 €35.08

-9.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €97.9

$110 €98.2

-0.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 €122

$139 €124

-1.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 €1,418

$1,968 €1,750

-19.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,153 €1,026

$1,588 €1,412

-27.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,365 €2,103

$3,116 €2,771

-24.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,874 €1,667

$2,281 €2,029

-17.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,657 €5,031

$5,925 €5,271

-4.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,081 €3,630

$3,979 €3,539

2.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,469 €2,196

$4,135 €3,678

-40.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.8

3.49

-19.77%

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

Last update for Schiedam: October 20, 2026

Last update for Rotterdam: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Schiedam

$1.2K 46.2%

Rotterdam

$1.6K 52.1% 37.7% $435

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Schiedam

$343 13.7%

Rotterdam

$374 12.3% 9% $31

Eating Out

Schiedam

$325 13%

Rotterdam

$337 11.1% 3.6% $12

Groceries & Markets

Schiedam

$319 12.7%

Rotterdam

$345 11.3% 8.3% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Schiedam

$180 7.2%

Rotterdam

$173 5.7% 3.8% $6.9

Getting Around

Schiedam

$120 4.8%

Rotterdam

$151 4.9% 25.4% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Schiedam

$59 2.4%

Rotterdam

$79 2.6% 34.3% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,594 in Schiedam versus $1,968 in Rotterdam. 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 67% 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 $89.0 in Schiedam versus $83.0 in Rotterdam. Groceries tell a different story – $319 in Schiedam vs $345 in Rotterdam – so Schiedam wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Schiedam

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🕒 Local time

18:23 6:23 PM

Same time as Schiedam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

78,730

572,392

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Schiedam Rotterdam 5 km

From you

Schiedam
Rotterdam

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

Schiedam vs Rotterdam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rotterdam is pricier by about 22%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,749 per month in Schiedam and $4,570 in Rotterdam. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 8% 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 $89.0 in Schiedam and $83.0 in Rotterdam. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,499 in Schiedam and $3,047 in Rotterdam. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Schiedam – 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 Schiedam. 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.