Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Utrecht and Rotterdam

For one person, living is cheaper in Utrecht: $2,876 a month against $3,032 in Rotterdam, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Rotterdam outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

141

Cost of Living Index in Utrecht
Learn more

Utrecht Living Index
149

Cost of Living Index in Rotterdam
Learn more

Rotterdam Living Index

Jump to prices

Utrecht

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,876

/mo nomad

Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,032

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,876 per month in Utrecht vs $3,032 in Rotterdam, rent included.

Utrecht $2,876
Rotterdam $3,032

A couple spends around $4,129 per month in Utrecht vs $4,227 in Rotterdam, rent included.

Utrecht $4,129
Rotterdam $4,227

A family of three spends $5,382 per month in Utrecht vs $5,422 in Rotterdam, rent included.

Utrecht $5,382
Rotterdam $5,422

Utrecht is about 5% cheaper than Rotterdam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Utrecht and Rotterdam sit above the global median – Utrecht by 113%, Rotterdam by 125%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.38 €19.90

$20.82 €18.52

7.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.1 €75.7

$84.4 €75.1

0.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.54 €12.04

$13.49 €12.00

0.37%

Cappuccino

$4.58 €4.08

$4.42 €3.93

3.62%

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

$3.87 €3.44

$3.81 €3.39

1.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 €2.92

$3.46 €3.07

-5.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.76 €6.01

$7.08 €6.29

-4.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.23 €6.43

$6.01 €5.35

20.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 €1.37

$1.48 €1.31

4.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 €2.57

$2.37 €2.11

21.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 €2.23

$2.86 €2.54

-12.24%

Eggs

$4.73 €4.21

$5.38 €4.78

-12.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.21 €11.75

$11.78 €10.48

12.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 €12.33

$13.62 €12.11

1.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.03 €16.93

$18.76 €16.69

1.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 €2.39

$3.32 €2.96

-18.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.10

$2.60 €2.31

-8.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 €1.92

$2.52 €2.24

-14.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.82 €3.40

$3.37 €3.00

13.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 €1.48

$1.70 €1.51

-1.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

$1.52 €1.35

24.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 €1.41

$1.48 €1.32

6.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.26 €1.12

7.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.60 €12.99

$14.24 €12.67

2.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.71 €5.97

$6.55 €5.82

2.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.18

$1.48 €1.32

-10.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 €2.41

$2.60 €2.31

4.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.67 €3.27

$4.39 €3.90

-16.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$134 €119

$109 €97.1

22.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.77 €3.35

$4.51 €4.01

-16.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.70 €2.40

$3.37 €3.00

-19.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.46 €39.54

$65.8 €58.6

-32.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.56 €2.27

$2.64 €2.34

-3.03%

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

$41.0K €36.4K

$40.9K €36.3K

0.28%

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

$39.4K €35.1K

$38.8K €34.5K

1.59%

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

$240 €214

$300 €267

-19.90%

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

$21.52 €19.14

$21.55 €19.17

-0.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.22 €42.90

$53.7 €47.74

-10.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.50 €39.58

$48.47 €43.11

-8.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.38 €27.91

$28.57 €25.41

9.84%

Cinema Ticket

$15.87 €14.12

$15.60 €13.88

1.73%

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

$3,059 €2,721

$2,658 €2,364

15.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,154 €7,253

$12.8K €11.4K

-36.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.4 €83.1

$92.2 €82.0

1.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.3 €45.64

$38.50 €34.25

33.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €92.0

$109 €97.0

-5.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €108

$141 €125

-13.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,841 €1,638

$1,966 €1,748

-6.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,455 €1,294

$1,577 €1,402

-7.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,208 €2,853

$3,071 €2,732

4.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,194 €1,951

$2,238 €1,991

-1.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,832 €6,077

$5,891 €5,240

15.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,670 €4,154

$3,967 €3,528

17.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,240 €3,771

$4,107 €3,653

3.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.23

3.49

-7.45%

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

Last update for Utrecht: October 11, 2026

Last update for Rotterdam: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Utrecht

$1.5K 50.6%

Rotterdam

$1.6K 52% 8.4% $122

Groceries & Markets

Utrecht

$352 12.2%

Rotterdam

$345 11.4% 1.8% $6.5

Eating Out

Utrecht

$352 12.2%

Rotterdam

$336 11.1% 4.3% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Utrecht

$310 10.8%

Rotterdam

$375 12.4% 21% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Utrecht

$166 5.8%

Rotterdam

$171 5.7% 2.9% $4.8

Getting Around

Utrecht

$166 5.8%

Rotterdam

$148 4.9% 10.6% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Utrecht

$76 2.7%

Rotterdam

$80 2.6% 4.5% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,841 in Utrecht 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 3% higher in Utrecht, 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 $85.0 in Utrecht versus $84.0 in Rotterdam. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $345 – making Rotterdam the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Utrecht

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🕒 Local time

20:27 8:27 PM

Same time as Utrecht

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

367,947

572,392

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Utrecht Rotterdam 48 km

From you

Utrecht
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

Utrecht vs Rotterdam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rotterdam is pricier by about 5%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,314 per month in Utrecht 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 Utrecht, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Rotterdam – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85.0 in Utrecht 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 $2,876 in Utrecht and $3,032 in Rotterdam. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Utrecht – 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 Utrecht. 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.