Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tilburg and Rotterdam

For one person, living is cheaper in Tilburg: $2,536 a month against $3,153 in Rotterdam, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Tilburg
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Tilburg Living Index
150

Cost of Living Index in Rotterdam
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Rotterdam Living Index

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Tilburg

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,536

/mo nomad

Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,153

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,536 per month in Tilburg vs $3,153 in Rotterdam, rent included.

Tilburg $2,536
Rotterdam $3,153

A couple spends around $3,661 per month in Tilburg vs $4,381 in Rotterdam, rent included.

Tilburg $3,661
Rotterdam $4,381

A family of three spends $4,786 per month in Tilburg vs $5,609 in Rotterdam, rent included.

Tilburg $4,786
Rotterdam $5,609

Tilburg is about 20% cheaper than Rotterdam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Tilburg and Rotterdam sit above the global median – Tilburg by 86%, Rotterdam by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.54 €20.20

$20.81 €18.65

8.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.3 €78.2

$85.2 €76.3

2.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 €11.54

$13.66 €12.24

-5.71%

Cappuccino

$3.52 €3.15

$4.31 €3.86

-18.33%

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

$3.33 €2.99

$3.79 €3.39

-12.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 €2.84

$3.44 €3.09

-7.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.23 €6.48

$6.93 €6.21

4.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 €5.09

$6.05 €5.42

-6.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 €1.08

$1.42 €1.28

-14.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 €2.03

$2.44 €2.18

-7.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 €2.27

$2.84 €2.55

-10.92%

Eggs

$4.87 €4.36

$5.27 €4.72

-7.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.46 €12.06

$12.09 €10.83

11.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.62 €14.00

$13.32 €11.93

17.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.15 €13.58

$18.92 €16.95

-19.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 €2.47

$3.43 €3.07

-19.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.46 €2.20

$2.50 €2.24

-1.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 €1.67

$2.54 €2.28

-26.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.06 €4.53

$3.39 €3.03

49.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.65 €1.48

$1.68 €1.50

-1.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.68

$1.52 €1.36

23.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 €1.14

$1.51 €1.35

-15.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 €0.66

$1.29 €1.16

-43.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.85 €12.41

$14.39 €12.90

-3.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.67 €5.98

$6.82 €6.11

-2.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 €1.32

$1.52 €1.37

-3.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 €2.33

$2.58 €2.32

0.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.30 €3.86

$6.27 €5.62

-31.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$150 €135

$111 €99.3

35.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.92 €3.51

$4.58 €4.10

-14.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.30 €2.06

$3.45 €3.09

-33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.56 €29.17

$67.3 €60.3

-51.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.53 €2.27

$2.56 €2.29

-1.17%

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

$40.8K €36.5K

$41.3K €37.0K

-1.35%

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

$39.1K €35.1K

$39.9K €35.7K

-1.85%

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

$186 €167

$305 €273

-38.89%

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

$14.90 €13.35

$21.41 €19.19

-30.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.4 €49.66

$55.8 €49.95

-0.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.87 €29.45

$45.35 €40.64

-27.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.48 €14.77

$29.35 €26.30

-43.85%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 €12.80

$15.68 €14.05

-8.93%

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

$2,204 €1,975

$2,793 €2,503

-21.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K €10.5K

$12.5K €11.2K

-6.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.2 €79.0

$92.9 €83.2

-5.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.82 €25.82

$39.70 €35.58

-27.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 €100.0

$108 €96.8

3.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 €138

$141 €127

9.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,505 €1,348

$2,068 €1,853

-27.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,066

$1,684 €1,509

-29.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,209 €1,979

$3,183 €2,853

-30.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,705 €1,528

$2,398 €2,149

-28.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,777 €5,177

$6,140 €5,502

-5.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,726 €3,339

$4,198 €3,762

-11.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,227 €2,892

$3,933 €3,525

-17.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.83

3.49

9.74%

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

Last update for Tilburg: October 26, 2026

Last update for Rotterdam: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tilburg

$1.2K 46.9%

Rotterdam

$1.7K 53.4% 41.5% $494

Groceries & Markets

Tilburg

$338 13.3%

Rotterdam

$346 11% 2.3% $7.9

Eating Out

Tilburg

$335 13.2%

Rotterdam

$335 10.6% 0.1% $0.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tilburg

$257 10.1%

Rotterdam

$382 12.1% 48.9% $125

Getting Around

Tilburg

$183 7.2%

Rotterdam

$158 5% 13.8% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Tilburg

$172 6.8%

Rotterdam

$172 5.5% 0.2% $0.3

Sport & Entertainment

Tilburg

$61 2.4%

Rotterdam

$77 2.4% 24.9% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,505 in Tilburg versus $2,068 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 22% 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 in Tilburg versus $85 in Rotterdam. Groceries tell a different story – $338 in Tilburg vs $346 in Rotterdam – so Tilburg wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Tilburg

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🕒 Local time

09:57 9:57 AM

Same time as Tilburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

227,707

572,392

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Tilburg Rotterdam 55 km

From you

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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

Tilburg vs Rotterdam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rotterdam is pricier by about 24%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,804 per month in Tilburg and $4,729 in Rotterdam. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tilburg, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,505 there versus $2,068 in Rotterdam.

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

Kindergarten costs $2,204 per month in Tilburg and $2,793 in Rotterdam. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Tilburg, where all-in costs run around $2,536, than in Rotterdam at $3,153. In Tilburg it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rotterdam it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tilburg – 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.

If budget matters most, go with Tilburg. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Rotterdam makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.