Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between The Hague and Rotterdam

For one person, living is cheaper in The Hague: $2,733 a month against $3,032 in Rotterdam, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Rotterdam outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

132

Cost of Living Index in The Hague
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The Hague Living Index
149

Cost of Living Index in Rotterdam
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Rotterdam Living Index

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The Hague

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,733

/mo nomad

Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,032

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in The Hague 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 The Hague and in Rotterdam actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,733 per month in The Hague vs $3,032 in Rotterdam, rent included.

The Hague $2,733
Rotterdam $3,032

A couple spends around $4,089 per month in The Hague vs $4,227 in Rotterdam, rent included.

The Hague $4,089
Rotterdam $4,227

A family of three spends $5,446 per month in The Hague vs $5,422 in Rotterdam, rent included.

The Hague $5,446
Rotterdam $5,422

The Hague is about 10% cheaper than Rotterdam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both The Hague and Rotterdam sit above the global median – The Hague by 102%, Rotterdam by 125%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.35 €19.88

$20.82 €18.52

7.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.5 €77.8

$84.4 €75.1

3.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.89 €13.24

$13.49 €12.00

10.38%

Cappuccino

$4.39 €3.91

$4.42 €3.93

-0.68%

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

$4.28 €3.81

$3.81 €3.39

12.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 €3.63

$3.46 €3.07

17.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.16 €6.37

$7.08 €6.29

1.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.64 €6.79

$6.01 €5.35

27.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 €1.33

$1.48 €1.31

0.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 €2.04

$2.37 €2.11

-3.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 €2.23

$2.86 €2.54

-12.24%

Eggs

$4.73 €4.20

$5.38 €4.78

-12.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.45 €12.85

$11.78 €10.48

22.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.18 €11.73

$13.62 €12.11

-3.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.25 €17.12

$18.76 €16.69

2.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.53 €2.25

$3.32 €2.96

-23.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.99

$2.60 €2.31

-14.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.76

$2.52 €2.24

-21.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.60 €3.20

$3.37 €3.00

6.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 €1.16

$1.70 €1.51

-23.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.52 €1.35

-15.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 €0.99

$1.48 €1.32

-24.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 €0.83

$1.26 €1.12

-26.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.47 €12.87

$14.24 €12.67

1.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.89 €5.24

$6.55 €5.82

-10.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.19

$1.48 €1.32

-10.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.74

$2.60 €2.31

-25.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.59 €4.08

$4.39 €3.90

4.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.1 €81.0

$109 €97.1

-16.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 €4.03

$4.51 €4.01

0.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.32 €2.95

$3.37 €3.00

-1.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.71 €29.99

$65.8 €58.6

-48.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.52 €2.24

$2.64 €2.34

-4.55%

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

$41.4K €36.9K

$40.9K €36.3K

1.41%

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

$39.5K €35.1K

$38.8K €34.5K

1.77%

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

$281 €250

$300 €267

-6.11%

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

$28.39 €25.25

$21.55 €19.17

31.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.3 €48.31

$53.7 €47.74

1.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.4 €44.82

$48.47 €43.11

3.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.94 €21.30

$28.57 €25.41

-16.21%

Cinema Ticket

$16.49 €14.67

$15.60 €13.88

5.71%

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

$2,400 €2,135

$2,658 €2,364

-9.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K €10.3K

$12.8K €11.4K

-9.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.8 €85.2

$92.2 €82.0

3.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.61 €38.79

$38.50 €34.25

13.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €96.2

$109 €97.0

-0.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 €121

$141 €125

-3.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,640 €1,459

$1,966 €1,748

-16.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,291 €1,148

$1,577 €1,402

-18.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,798 €2,489

$3,071 €2,732

-8.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,264 €2,014

$2,238 €1,991

1.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,067 €5,396

$5,891 €5,240

2.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,538 €4,037

$3,967 €3,528

14.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,069 €3,619

$4,107 €3,653

-0.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.4

3.49

-2.58%

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

Last update for The Hague: October 10, 2026

Last update for Rotterdam: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

The Hague

$1.3K 47.2%

Rotterdam

$1.6K 52% 22.1% $286

Monthly Utilities & Internet

The Hague

$364 13.3%

Rotterdam

$375 12.4% 3% $11

Eating Out

The Hague

$361 13.2%

Rotterdam

$336 11.1% 6.7% $24

Groceries & Markets

The Hague

$330 12.1%

Rotterdam

$345 11.4% 4.5% $15

Clothing & Footwear

The Hague

$173 6.3%

Rotterdam

$171 5.7% 0.8% $1.5

Getting Around

The Hague

$131 4.8%

Rotterdam

$148 4.9% 13.4% $17

Sport & Entertainment

The Hague

$83 3.1%

Rotterdam

$80 2.6% 4.4% $3.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,640 in The Hague versus $1,966 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 1% 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 $87.0 in The Hague versus $84.0 in Rotterdam. Groceries tell a different story – $330 in The Hague vs $345 in Rotterdam – so The Hague wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇱 The Hague

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🕒 Local time

19:17 7:17 PM

Same time as The Hague

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

562,839

572,392

💱 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

The Hague vs Rotterdam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rotterdam is pricier by about 11%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,099 per month in The Hague and $4,548 in Rotterdam. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 5% 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 $87.0 in The Hague and $84.0 in Rotterdam. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,733 in The Hague and $3,032 in Rotterdam. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward The Hague – 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 The Hague. 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.