Cost of Living in Rotterdam
Summary of cost of living in Rotterdam, Netherlands:
- The estimated monthly costs for a family of four are 5,988.5C$ (3,719.1€), excluding rent (using our estimator).
- The estimated monthly costs for a single person are 1,679.1C$ (1,042.8€), excluding rent.
- Rotterdam is 19.0% less expensive than Seattle (excluding rent, see our cost of living index).
- Rent in Rotterdam is, on average, 33.1% lower than in Seattle.
Restaurants |  Edit |
Range |
|---|---|---|
| Meal at an Inexpensive Restaurant | 32.20 C$ | |
| Meal for Two at a Mid-Range Restaurant (Three Courses, Without Drinks) | 128.82 C$ | |
| Combo Meal at McDonald's (or Equivalent Fast-Food Meal) | 19.32 C$ | |
| Domestic Draft Beer (1 Pint) | 10.06 C$ | |
| Imported Beer (12 oz Small Bottle) | 8.05 C$ | |
| Cappuccino (Regular Size) | 6.25 C$ | |
| Soft Drink (Coca-Cola or Pepsi, 12 oz Small Bottle) | 5.04 C$ | |
| Bottled Water (12 oz) | 3.97 C$ | |
Markets | Edit |
|
| Milk (Regular, 1 Liter) | 1.92 C$ | |
| Fresh White Bread (1 lb Loaf) | 2.86 C$ | |
| White Rice (1 lb) | 1.77 C$ | |
| Eggs (12, Large Size) | 7.06 C$ | |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 8.54 C$ | |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 8.71 C$ | |
| Beef Round or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat (1 lb) | 11.26 C$ | |
| Apples (1 lb) | 1.87 C$ | |
| Bananas (1 lb) | 1.49 C$ | |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 1.43 C$ | |
| Tomatoes (1 lb) | 2.86 C$ | |
| Potatoes (1 lb) | 1.17 C$ | |
| Onions (1 lb) | 1.23 C$ | |
| Lettuce (1 Head) | 2.04 C$ | |
| Bottled Water (50 oz) | 1.97 C$ | |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 9.66 C$ | |
| Domestic Beer (16.9 oz Bottle) | 2.27 C$ | |
| Imported Beer (12 oz Small Bottle) | 3.63 C$ | |
| Cigarettes (Pack of 20, Marlboro) | 20.13 C$ | |
Transportation | Edit |
|
| One-Way Ticket (Local Transport) | 6.44 C$ | |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (Regular Price) | 154.58 C$ | |
| Taxi Start (Standard Tariff) | 6.68 C$ | |
| Taxi 1 mile (Standard Tariff) | 7.77 C$ | |
| Taxi 1 Hour Waiting (Standard Tariff) | 48.31 C$ | |
| Gasoline (1 Liter) | 3.15 C$ | |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.5 (or Equivalent New Compact Car) | 59,560.98 C$ | |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6 (or Equivalent New Mid-Size Car) | 56,707.45 C$ | |
Utilities (Monthly) | Edit |
|
| Basic Utilities for 915 Square Feet Apartment (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) | 381.61 C$ | |
| Mobile Phone Plan (Monthly, with Calls and 10GB+ Data) | 29.71 C$ | |
| Broadband Internet (Unlimited Data, 60 Mbps or Higher) | 73.59 C$ | |
Sports And Leisure | Edit |
|
| Monthly Fitness Club Membership | 66.97 C$ | |
| Tennis Court Rental (1 Hour, Weekend) | 41.54 C$ | |
| Cinema Ticket (International Release) | 22.54 C$ | |
Childcare | Edit |
|
| Private Full-Day Preschool or Kindergarten, Monthly Fee per Child | 2,902.94 C$ | |
| International Primary School, Annual Tuition per Child | 19,354.50 C$ | |
Clothing And Shoes | Edit |
|
| Jeans (Levi's 501 or Similar) | 129.17 C$ | |
| Summer Dress in a Chain Store (e.g. Zara or H&M) | 59.66 C$ | |
| Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 171.90 C$ | |
| Men's Leather Business Shoes | 232.88 C$ | |
Rent Per Month | Edit |
|
| 1 Bedroom Apartment in City Centre | 2,367.88 C$ | |
| 1 Bedroom Apartment Outside of City Centre | 1,912.26 C$ | |
| 3 Bedroom Apartment in City Centre | 3,898.13 C$ | |
| 3 Bedroom Apartment Outside of City Centre | 3,233.42 C$ | |
Buy Apartment Price | Edit |
|
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 746.86 C$ | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 542.28 C$ | |
Salaries And Financing | Edit |
|
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 5,401.98 C$ | |
| Annual Mortgage Interest Rate (20-Year Fixed, in %) | 3.82 |
Prices in Rotterdam
This city had 1401 entries in the past 12 months by 167 different contributors.
Last update: 7 December 2025
Last update: 7 December 2025
Sources and References
Moving to Rotterdam? Explore:
Distribution of Expenses Using Our Statistical Model:
Nearby Cities:| Cost of Living in Delft | 9.42 miles |
| Cost of Living in Dordrecht | 14.38 miles |
| Cost of Living in Spijkenisse | 14.62 miles |
| Cost of Living in The Hague (Den Haag) | 15.08 miles |
| Cost of Living in Leiden | 21.83 miles |
| Cost of Living in Oegstgeest | 24.51 miles |
| Cost of Living in Breda | 30.24 miles |
| Cost of Living in Utrecht | 36.17 miles |
| Cost of Living in Haarlem | 45.28 miles |
| Cost of Living in Amsterdam | 45.66 miles |
This Page in Other Languages:
 DeutschLebenshaltungskosten in Rotterdam
|
 PortuguêsCusto de Vida em Roterdão
|
 ItalianoCosto della vita a Rotterdam
|
 FrançaisCoût de la vie à Rotterdam
|
 EspañolCoste de vida en Rotterdam
|
Salary Calculator:Got a job offer in Rotterdam? Estimate your take-home pay with our Salary Calculator for Rotterdam.
For the less fortunate, there's minimum wages of over 20 euro/hour from age 18, not too bad. And if you work less hours, you get more per hour.
It's a great city with a good international atmosphere.
Government and locals are inviting and helpful to people from all around the world.
The Netherlands has plenty of good tax deals for expats, so in the end you make good money here.
If ‘average’ here means median/‘typical’/most common net income, then somewhere around 2500 is more realistic.
To give an example: a toilet lady working 36 hrs a week for a minimal wage already makes 2000 before tax/ 1780 after tax, plus monthly allowances like 300 euro rental allowance, 150 euro health allowance, 7% holiday payout etc etc, making a total of around 2300 after tax.
Many in Rotterdam have better wages working in harbour related work, expedition, trading, transport.
So on average, there is way better payouts than you think.