✦ Compare
New York 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.
New York, NY vs Rotterdam, NL at a glance — Rotterdam, NL is 5% more expensive than New York, NY overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $1,500/mo versus $3,800/mo. Top income tax: 49.5% vs 37%.
To keep the same standard of living in Rotterdam, NL, you'd need
$79,077 / year
Rotterdam, NL is 5% more expensive overall
Category breakdown (Rotterdam, NL vs New York, NY)
- Housing-15%
- Food & groceries+28%
- Transport+3%
- Utilities+52%
- Healthcare+27%
- Goods & services+19%
Median 1-bed rent
$3,800 /mo
New York, NY overview →
Median 1-bed rent
$1,500 /mo
Rotterdam, NL overview →
◎ How New York, NY and Rotterdam, NL compare
Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.
▤ Full comparison
| New York, NY | Rotterdam, NL | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 113 | 119 |
| Housing | 170 | 145 |
| Food | 86 | 110 |
| Transport | 89 | 92 |
| Utilities | 79 | 120 |
| Healthcare | 77 | 98 |
| Goods & services | 94 | 112 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $3,800/mo | $1,500/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $2,600/mo | $1,150/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $7,500/mo | $2,600/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | $15,000 | $6,500 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $887 | $841 |
| Inexpensive meal | $25 | $18 |
| Monthly transit pass | $132 | $100 |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 37% | 49.5% |
| VAT / sales tax | 0% | 21% |
| Social security (employee) | 7.7% | — |
| Corporate tax | 21% | 25.8% |
| Capital gains | 20% | — |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $4,300/mo | $3,100/mo |
| Minimum wage | $1,257/mo | $2,100/mo |
| GDP per capita | $90,027 | $73,684 |
| Inflation (annual) | — | 3.3% |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | No | No |
| English proficiency | Native | High |
| Coworking spaces | 200 | 35 |
| Time zone | UTC-5 | UTC+1 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Safety index | 55 | 62 |
| Healthcare index | 78 | 85 |
| Pollution index | 55 | 40 |
| Internet speed | 200 Mbps | 170 Mbps |
| Walkability | 90 | 80 |
| Public transport | 85 | 82 |
| Family-friendly | 55 | 72 |
| Tap water | Safe to drink | Safe to drink |
| Health insurance | $500/mo | — |
| Life expectancy | 79 yr | 82 yr |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | High | High |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | 0 °C | +4 °C |
| July avg | +25 °C | +18 °C |
| Sunny days / year | 234 | 110 |
| Rainfall / year | 1,200 mm | 800 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 1 h | 1 h |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: United States vs Netherlands. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
Good to know before you move to New York
The benchmark against which everywhere else feels cheap. World-class salaries and everything else, offset by the highest rents in the dataset.
- Currency
- US dollar ($ USD)
- Languages
- English
- Time zone
- UTC-5
- Internet
- 200 Mbps
- English
- Native language
- Safety
- 55/100
- Climate
- ❄ 0°C · ☀ 25°C · 234 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Power
- A/B · 120V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
- Popular areas
- Manhattan · Brooklyn · Queens
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 New York
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsCheapvuelos
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsNH Hotels
- Car rentalEconomybookings
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- InsuranceSafetyWing
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
- Parking & carWay.com
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 New York to Rotterdam: cheaper or more expensive?
Moving from New York to Rotterdam, your cost of living will be roughly 5% more expensive. Rotterdam’s cost-of-living index is 119 versus 113 for New York (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.
Is New York cheaper than Rotterdam?
Rotterdam is about 5% more expensive than New York overall — its cost-of-living index is 119 versus 113 for New York.
How much do you need to earn in Rotterdam to live like in New York?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in New York is worth about $79,077 in Rotterdam. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, New York or Rotterdam?
United States has the lower top income-tax rate — 37% versus 49.5% in Netherlands.
◷ More comparisons from New York
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.