✦ Compare
London vs
Rotterdam
Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.
London, UK vs Rotterdam, NL at a glance — Rotterdam, NL is 14% cheaper than London, UK overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $1,500/mo versus $2,600/mo. Top income tax: 49.5% vs 45%.
To keep the same standard of living in Rotterdam, NL, you'd need
$64,855 / year
Rotterdam, NL is 14% cheaper overall
Category breakdown (Rotterdam, NL vs London, UK)
- Housing-19%
- Food & groceries-7%
- Transport-29%
- Utilities-8%
- Healthcare+11%
- Goods & services-8%
◎ How London, UK and Rotterdam, NL compare
Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.
▤ Full comparison
| London, UK | Rotterdam, NL | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 138 | 119 |
| Housing | 178 | 145 |
| Food | 118 | 110 |
| Transport | 130 | 92 |
| Utilities | 130 | 120 |
| Healthcare | 88 | 98 |
| Goods & services | 122 | 112 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $2,600/mo | $1,500/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $1,850/mo | $1,150/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $5,200/mo | $2,600/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | $16,000 | $6,500 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $727 | $841 |
| Inexpensive meal | $20 | $18 |
| Monthly transit pass | $200 | $100 |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 45% | 49.5% |
| VAT / sales tax | 20% | 21% |
| Social security (employee) | 8% | — |
| Corporate tax | 25% | 25.8% |
| Capital gains | 24% | — |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $2,900/mo | $3,100/mo |
| Minimum wage | $2,050/mo | $2,100/mo |
| GDP per capita | $57,602 | $73,684 |
| Inflation (annual) | 3.9% | 3.3% |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | No | No |
| English proficiency | Native | High |
| Coworking spaces | 250 | 35 |
| Time zone | UTC+0 | UTC+1 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Safety index | 55 | 62 |
| Healthcare index | 74 | 85 |
| Pollution index | 60 | 40 |
| Internet speed | 90 Mbps | 170 Mbps |
| Walkability | 88 | 80 |
| Public transport | 92 | 82 |
| Family-friendly | 62 | 72 |
| Tap water | Safe to drink | Safe to drink |
| Life expectancy | 81 yr | 82 yr |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | High | High |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | +5 °C | +4 °C |
| July avg | +19 °C | +18 °C |
| Sunny days / year | 106 | 110 |
| Rainfall / year | 690 mm | 800 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 1 h | 1 h |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: United Kingdom vs Netherlands. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
Good to know before you move to London
Europe's financial capital — unmatched jobs, culture and connections, paid for with some of the highest rents on the continent.
- Currency
- Pound sterling (£ GBP)
- Languages
- English
- Time zone
- UTC+0
- Internet
- 90 Mbps
- English
- Native language
- Safety
- 55/100
- Climate
- ❄ 5°C · ☀ 19°C · 106 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Power
- G · 230V
- Driving
- Left-hand side
- Popular areas
- Shoreditch · Camden · Clapham
Good to know before you move to Rotterdam
Europe's biggest port and the Netherlands' boldest architecture — a modern, design-driven city rebuilt after the war, noticeably cheaper and grittier than Amsterdam. Bike-first, international and well-connected, with the same flat, wet, windy weather.
- Currency
- Euro (€ EUR)
- Languages
- Dutch
- Time zone
- UTC+1
- Internet
- 170 Mbps
- English
- Widely spoken
- Safety
- 62/100
- Climate
- ❄ 4°C · ☀ 18°C · 110 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Power
- F · 230V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
- Popular areas
- Kop van Zuid · Kralingen · Cool District · Delfshaven
Plan your move to London
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsCheapvuelos
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsNH Hotels
- Car rentalEconomybookings
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- Tours & ticketsTiqets
- InsuranceSafetyWing
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
- Flight compensationAirHelp
Sponsored
Plan your move to Rotterdam
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsCheapvuelos
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsNH Hotels
- Car rentalEconomybookings
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- Tours & ticketsTiqets
- InsuranceSafetyWing
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
- Flight compensationAirHelp
Sponsored
? Frequently asked questions
Moving from London to Rotterdam: cheaper or more expensive?
Moving from London to Rotterdam, your cost of living will be roughly 14% cheaper. Rotterdam’s cost-of-living index is 119 versus 138 for London (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.
Is London cheaper than Rotterdam?
Rotterdam is about 14% cheaper than London overall — its cost-of-living index is 119 versus 138 for London.
How much do you need to earn in Rotterdam to live like in London?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in London is worth about $64,855 in Rotterdam. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, London or Rotterdam?
United Kingdom has the lower top income-tax rate — 45% versus 49.5% in Netherlands.
◷ More comparisons from London
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.