Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Venlo and Rotterdam

For one person, living is cheaper in Venlo: $2,433 a month against $3,153 in Rotterdam, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Venlo
Learn more

Venlo Living Index
150

Cost of Living Index in Rotterdam
Learn more

Rotterdam Living Index

Jump to prices

Venlo

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,433

/mo nomad

Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,153

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,433 per month in Venlo vs $3,153 in Rotterdam, rent included.

Venlo $2,433
Rotterdam $3,153

A couple spends around $3,469 per month in Venlo vs $4,381 in Rotterdam, rent included.

Venlo $3,469
Rotterdam $4,381

A family of three spends $4,506 per month in Venlo vs $5,609 in Rotterdam, rent included.

Venlo $4,506
Rotterdam $5,609

Venlo is about 23% cheaper than Rotterdam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Venlo and Rotterdam sit above the global median – Venlo by 79%, Rotterdam by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.60 €20.30

$20.81 €18.70

8.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.3 €79.3

$85.2 €76.5

3.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.04 €11.71

$13.66 €12.27

-4.54%

Cappuccino

$3.46 €3.11

$4.31 €3.87

-19.72%

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

$3.33 €2.99

$3.79 €3.40

-12.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 €2.44

$3.44 €3.09

-20.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.80 €6.11

$6.93 €6.22

-1.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.72 €5.14

$6.05 €5.43

-5.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 €1.19

$1.42 €1.28

-6.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 €1.56

$2.44 €2.19

-29.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 €2.27

$2.84 €2.55

-10.92%

Eggs

$5.12 €4.60

$5.27 €4.73

-2.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.50 €12.13

$12.09 €10.86

11.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.17 €13.63

$13.32 €11.96

13.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.43 €13.86

$18.92 €16.99

-18.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.08 €1.87

$3.43 €3.08

-39.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.96

$2.50 €2.24

-12.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 €1.68

$2.54 €2.28

-26.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.48 €4.03

$3.39 €3.04

32.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 €1.51

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 €1.65

$1.52 €1.36

21.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 €1.14

$1.51 €1.36

-15.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 €0.67

$1.29 €1.16

-41.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.83 €12.43

$14.39 €12.93

-3.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.89 €6.19

$6.82 €6.13

1.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.29

$1.52 €1.37

-5.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 €2.35

$2.58 €2.32

1.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 €1.38

$6.27 €5.64

-75.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$136 €122

$111 €99.5

22.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.67

$4.58 €4.11

-10.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.36 €2.12

$3.45 €3.10

-31.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.73 €29.40

$67.3 €60.5

-51.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.34 €2.11

$2.56 €2.30

-8.59%

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

$40.8K €36.7K

$41.3K €37.1K

-1.27%

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

$39.4K €35.4K

$39.9K €35.8K

-1.27%

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

$181 €163

$305 €274

-40.63%

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

$14.86 €13.35

$21.41 €19.24

-30.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.6 €49.97

$55.8 €50.1

-0.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.84 €19.62

$45.35 €40.74

-51.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.45 €28.25

$29.35 €26.37

7.16%

Cinema Ticket

$11.10 €9.97

$15.68 €14.09

-29.21%

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

$2,254 €2,025

$2,793 €2,509

-19.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K €10.9K

$12.5K €11.2K

-3.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.1 €79.1

$92.9 €83.4

-5.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.50 €25.60

$39.70 €35.66

-28.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 €101

$108 €97.0

4.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 €141

$141 €127

11.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,118 €1,004

$2,068 €1,858

-45.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 €1,031

$1,684 €1,513

-31.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,324 €1,189

$3,183 €2,860

-58.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 €1,374

$2,398 €2,154

-36.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,163 €2,841

$6,140 €5,516

-48.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,837 €2,549

$4,198 €3,771

-32.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,661 €3,289

$3,933 €3,533

-6.93%

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 Venlo: October 27, 2026

Last update for Rotterdam: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Venlo

$1.1K 47.2%

Rotterdam

$1.7K 53.4% 46.7% $536

Eating Out

Venlo

$331 13.6%

Rotterdam

$335 10.6% 1.1% $3.8

Groceries & Markets

Venlo

$326 13.4%

Rotterdam

$346 11% 6.1% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Venlo

$251 10.3%

Rotterdam

$382 12.1% 51.9% $130

Clothing & Footwear

Venlo

$174 7.2%

Rotterdam

$172 5.5% 1.2% $2.1

Getting Around

Venlo

$158 6.5%

Rotterdam

$158 5% 0.3% $0.5

Sport & Entertainment

Venlo

$44 1.8%

Rotterdam

$77 2.4% 74.2% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,118 in Venlo 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 7% 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 $88 in Venlo versus $85 in Rotterdam. Groceries tell a different story – $326 in Venlo vs $346 in Rotterdam – so Venlo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Venlo

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🕒 Local time

19:48 7:48 PM

Same time as Venlo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

103,328

572,392

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Venlo Rotterdam 130 km

From you

Venlo
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

Venlo vs Rotterdam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rotterdam is pricier by about 30%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,649 per month in Venlo 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 Venlo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,118 there versus $2,068 in Rotterdam.

Groceries cost about 6% 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 $88 in Venlo and $85 in Rotterdam. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Venlo, where all-in costs run around $2,433, than in Rotterdam at $3,153. In Venlo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rotterdam it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Venlo – 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 Venlo. 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.