Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zeist and Rotterdam

For one person, living is cheaper in Zeist: $2,745 a month against $3,032 in Rotterdam, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

134

Cost of Living Index in Zeist
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Zeist Living Index
149

Cost of Living Index in Rotterdam
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Rotterdam Living Index

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Zeist

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,745

/mo nomad

Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,032

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,745 per month in Zeist vs $3,032 in Rotterdam, rent included.

Zeist $2,745
Rotterdam $3,032

A couple spends around $3,809 per month in Zeist vs $4,227 in Rotterdam, rent included.

Zeist $3,809
Rotterdam $4,227

A family of three spends $4,873 per month in Zeist vs $5,422 in Rotterdam, rent included.

Zeist $4,873
Rotterdam $5,422

Zeist is about 9% cheaper than Rotterdam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Zeist and Rotterdam sit above the global median – Zeist by 103%, Rotterdam by 125%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.98 €19.55

$20.82 €18.52

5.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.4 €71.5

$84.4 €75.1

-4.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.37 €11.89

$13.49 €12.00

-0.89%

Cappuccino

$4.39 €3.91

$4.42 €3.93

-0.68%

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

$3.72 €3.31

$3.81 €3.39

-2.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 €3.01

$3.46 €3.07

-2.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.72 €5.09

$7.08 €6.29

-19.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.11 €4.54

$6.01 €5.35

-14.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 €1.27

$1.48 €1.31

-3.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 €1.98

$2.37 €2.11

-5.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 €2.36

$2.86 €2.54

-6.99%

Eggs

$4.71 €4.19

$5.38 €4.78

-12.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.69 €12.18

$11.78 €10.48

16.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.94 €12.40

$13.62 €12.11

2.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.74 €16.67

$18.76 €16.69

-0.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.32

$3.32 €2.96

-21.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.12

$2.60 €2.31

-8.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$2.52 €2.24

-16.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 €3.79

$3.37 €3.00

26.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.56

$1.70 €1.51

3.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 €1.65

$1.52 €1.35

22.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 €1.15

$1.48 €1.32

-12.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.95

$1.26 €1.12

-15.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.08 €12.52

$14.24 €12.67

-1.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.71 €5.97

$6.55 €5.82

2.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.16

$1.48 €1.32

-11.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 €2.38

$2.60 €2.31

2.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.40 €3.02

$4.39 €3.90

-22.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.9 €81.7

$109 €97.1

-15.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.68 €3.27

$4.51 €4.01

-18.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 €1.78

$3.37 €3.00

-40.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.89 €19.47

$65.8 €58.6

-66.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.41 €2.14

$2.64 €2.34

-8.71%

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

$40.6K €36.1K

$40.9K €36.3K

-0.75%

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

$38.0K €33.8K

$38.8K €34.5K

-1.95%

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

$242 €215

$300 €267

-19.23%

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

$25.85 €23.00

$21.55 €19.17

19.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.70 €41.54

$53.7 €47.74

-12.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.04 €36.51

$48.47 €43.11

-15.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.61 €22.78

$28.57 €25.41

-10.36%

Cinema Ticket

$15.43 €13.73

$15.60 €13.88

-1.09%

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

$2,454 €2,183

$2,658 €2,364

-7.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,949 €7,071

$12.8K €11.4K

-37.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.4 €84.9

$92.2 €82.0

3.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.27 €34.94

$38.50 €34.25

2.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 €80.3

$109 €97.0

-17.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 €89.4

$141 €125

-28.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,426 €1,268

$1,966 €1,748

-27.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,415 €1,258

$1,577 €1,402

-10.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,365 €2,104

$3,071 €2,732

-22.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,900 €1,690

$2,238 €1,991

-15.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,478 €5,762

$5,891 €5,240

9.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,584 €4,967

$3,967 €3,528

40.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,216 €3,750

$4,107 €3,653

2.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.65

3.49

4.58%

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

Last update for Zeist: 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

Zeist

$1.4K 51.5%

Rotterdam

$1.6K 52% 11.4% $162

Groceries & Markets

Zeist

$342 12.5%

Rotterdam

$345 11.4% 0.8% $2.7

Eating Out

Zeist

$336 12.2%

Rotterdam

$336 11.1% 0.2% $0.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zeist

$315 11.5%

Rotterdam

$375 12.4% 19.2% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Zeist

$146 5.3%

Rotterdam

$171 5.7% 16.9% $25

Getting Around

Zeist

$119 4.3%

Rotterdam

$148 4.9% 24.3% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Zeist

$72 2.6%

Rotterdam

$80 2.6% 10.8% $7.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,426 in Zeist 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 Zeist, 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 $80.0 in Zeist versus $84.0 in Rotterdam. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $342 vs $345 – making Zeist the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Zeist

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🕒 Local time

12:32 12:32 PM

Same time as Zeist

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

65,987

572,392

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Zeist Rotterdam 55 km

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Zeist
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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

Zeist vs Rotterdam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rotterdam is pricier by about 10%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,118 per month in Zeist 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 Zeist, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 1% 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 $80.0 in Zeist and $84.0 in Rotterdam. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,745 in Zeist and $3,032 in Rotterdam. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Zeist – 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 Zeist. 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.