🇳🇱 Netherlands · 2026

Cost of Living in Rotterdam

6.7% above the Netherlands average

Ranked #41 of 577 cities · More expensive than 92.9% of cities worldwide

+6.7%
Cost of Living
+8.4%
Rent
+0.4%
Groceries
+0.7%
Purchasing Power

Compared to Netherlands average · See Netherlands ranking →

Rent Prices in Rotterdam

Apartment City Centre Outside Centre You Save
1-Bedroom EUR 1,740/mo ≈ $1,969 EUR 1,352/mo ≈ $1,530 22%
3-Bedroom EUR 2,770/mo ≈ $3,135 EUR 2,016/mo ≈ $2,282 27%
Numbeo · 2026-10-02

Prices of Goods & Services in Rotterdam

Groceries

Apples (1kg)
EUR 2.50
Beer (0.5L, supermarket)
EUR 1.93
Bread (500g)
EUR 1.86
Local cheese (1kg)
EUR 14.05
Chicken (1kg)
EUR 12.15
Cigarettes (Marlboro)
EUR 12.25
Eggs (12)
EUR 5.92
Milk (1L)
EUR 1.46
Potatoes (1kg)
EUR 1.97
Tomatoes (1kg)
EUR 2.66
Wine (mid-range)
EUR 8.15

Restaurants

Draft beer (0.5L)
EUR 6.50
Cappuccino
EUR 4.26
McMeal
EUR 13.00
Cheap meal
EUR 21.00
Mid-range dinner (2 people)
EUR 79.50

Clothing & Shoes

Business shoes (leather)
EUR 182.00
Jeans (Levi's 501)
EUR 93.00
Sport shoes (Nike)
EUR 105.31
Summer dress (Zara/H&M)
EUR 31.08

Leisure

Cinema ticket
EUR 15.75
Gym membership
EUR 48.21

Transportation

Gasoline (1L)
EUR 1.99
Taxi start
EUR 4.15
Monthly pass
EUR 92.00

Utilities

Basic utilities (85m²)
EUR 266.69

Prices in local currency, cross-referenced from multiple independent sources. October 2026.

Multi-Source Comparison

★★★ High Confidence

Rotterdam has a cost of living index of 61.8 (New York = 100, rent included), the average of 3 of 3 data sources.

61.8
Index
3
Sources
4.9
Gap between sources

Source Values (NYC = 100)

Numbeo
59.1
Expatistan
64.0
LivingCost
62.2
ShouldIMove price index
No data

ShouldIMove price index: our own basket of real item prices plus rent.

Cost Indices

Cost of Living
+6.7% Average
Rent
+8.4% Expensive
Groceries
+0.4% Average
Restaurants
-3.3% Average
Purchasing Power
+0.7% Average

Living in Rotterdam: What to Expect

Rotterdam is very expensive by global standards (ranked #41 of 577 cities). It is 6.7% more expensive than the Netherlands average, based on 10 cities.

Groceries are average and dining out is average. The best value is restaurants and the priciest is rent.

Local purchasing power is strong: residents can afford more goods and services than in most cities.

Workers in Netherlands earning EUR 50,000 gross take home EUR 3,105/month after tax (25.5% effective rate). See full Netherlands tax calculator →

How Does Rotterdam Compare?

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