Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Thousand Oaks, CA and Rotterdam

For one person, living is cheaper in Rotterdam: $3,032 a month against $3,797 in Thousand Oaks, CA, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

187

Cost of Living Index in Thousand Oaks, CA
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Thousand Oaks, CA Living Index
149

Cost of Living Index in Rotterdam
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Rotterdam Living Index

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Thousand Oaks, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,797

/mo nomad

Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,032

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,797 per month in Thousand Oaks, CA vs $3,032 in Rotterdam, rent included.

Thousand Oaks, CA $3,797
Rotterdam $3,032

A couple spends around $5,248 per month in Thousand Oaks, CA vs $4,227 in Rotterdam, rent included.

Thousand Oaks, CA $5,248
Rotterdam $4,227

A family of three spends $6,699 per month in Thousand Oaks, CA vs $5,422 in Rotterdam, rent included.

Thousand Oaks, CA $6,699
Rotterdam $5,422

Thousand Oaks, CA costs about 25% more than Rotterdam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Thousand Oaks, CA and Rotterdam sit above the global median – Thousand Oaks, CA by 181%, Rotterdam by 125%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.09 $25.09

$20.82 €18.52

20.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100.0 $100.0

$84.4 €75.1

18.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.60 $8.60

$13.49 €12.00

-36.25%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$4.42 €3.93

25.57%

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

$2.82 $2.82

$3.81 €3.39

-25.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$3.46 €3.07

-43.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.21 $8.21

$7.08 €6.29

15.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.72 $9.72

$6.01 €5.35

61.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.48 €1.31

-22.97%

White Bread (500g)

$3.94 $3.94

$2.37 €2.11

66.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.86 €2.54

22.73%

Eggs

$5.05 $5.05

$5.38 €4.78

-6.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.55 $12.55

$11.78 €10.48

6.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.24 $20.24

$13.62 €12.11

48.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.88 $21.88

$18.76 €16.69

16.63%

Apples (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$3.32 €2.96

62.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.60 €2.31

-30.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$2.52 €2.24

87.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.92 $5.92

$3.37 €3.00

75.67%

Potato (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$1.70 €1.51

118.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$1.52 €1.35

87.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.48 €1.32

9.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.26 €1.12

76.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.16 $10.16

$14.24 €12.67

-28.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.81 $14.81

$6.55 €5.82

126.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.48 €1.32

13.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.60 €2.31

-40.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.39 €3.90

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 €97.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 $4.38

$4.51 €4.01

-2.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

$3.37 €3.00

-46.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.85 $35.85

$65.8 €58.6

-45.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 $1.48

$2.64 €2.34

-43.94%

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

$37.1K $37.1K

$40.9K €36.3K

-9.21%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$38.8K €34.5K

-32.70%

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

$163 $163

$300 €267

-45.76%

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

$48.06 $48.06

$21.55 €19.17

123.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.4 $69.4

$53.7 €47.74

29.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.9 $66.9

$48.47 €43.11

38.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.43 $22.43

$28.57 €25.41

-21.49%

Cinema Ticket

$11.94 $11.94

$15.60 €13.88

-23.46%

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

$1,781 $1,781

$2,658 €2,364

-32.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.1K $42.1K

$12.8K €11.4K

229.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.4 $50.4

$92.2 €82.0

-45.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.09 $30.09

$38.50 €34.25

-21.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.2 $79.2

$109 €97.0

-27.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$141 €125

-16.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,607 $2,607

$1,966 €1,748

32.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,448 $2,448

$1,577 €1,402

55.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,705 $3,705

$3,071 €2,732

20.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,513 $3,513

$2,238 €1,991

56.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,959 $5,959

$5,891 €5,240

1.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,896 $5,896

$3,967 €3,528

48.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,918 $5,918

$4,107 €3,653

44.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

3.49

90.26%

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

Last update for Thousand Oaks, CA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Rotterdam: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Thousand Oaks, CA

$2.4K 64.5%

Rotterdam

$1.6K 52% 35.6% $872

Groceries & Markets

Thousand Oaks, CA

$467 12.3%

Rotterdam

$345 11.4% 26.1% $122

Eating Out

Thousand Oaks, CA

$373 9.8%

Rotterdam

$336 11.1% 9.7% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Thousand Oaks, CA

$280 7.4%

Rotterdam

$375 12.4% 33.9% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Thousand Oaks, CA

$125 3.3%

Rotterdam

$171 5.7% 37.3% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Thousand Oaks, CA

$91 2.4%

Rotterdam

$80 2.6% 12.2% $11

Getting Around

Thousand Oaks, CA

$13 * 0.4%

Rotterdam

$148 4.9% 1004% $135

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,607 in Thousand Oaks, CA 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 44% higher in Thousand Oaks, CA, 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 $100 in Thousand Oaks, CA versus $84.0 in Rotterdam. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $467 vs $345 – making Rotterdam the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Thousand Oaks, CA

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🕒 Local time

16:24 4:24 PM

01:24 1:24 AM

9 h ahead of Thousand Oaks, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

124,207

572,392

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Thousand Oaks, CA Rotterdam 8,970 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Thousand Oaks, CA
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

Thousand Oaks, CA vs Rotterdam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Thousand Oaks, CA is pricier by about 25%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,695 per month in Thousand Oaks, CA 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 Rotterdam, 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 $100 in Thousand Oaks, CA and $84.0 in Rotterdam. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 35% more in Thousand Oaks, CA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,797 in Thousand Oaks, CA and $3,032 in Rotterdam. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Rotterdam – 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 Rotterdam. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Thousand Oaks, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.