Cost of Living: Bologna vs Rotterdam (2026)

Italy vs Netherlands — relocation comparison

Your passport:

Livability Score

Bologna

Rotterdam

$1,130/mo

Rent

1BR centre

$1,805/mo

−$10k/yr

Take-home savings

At each city's local median pay

$28k/yr

5 yr

PR path

5 yr

Impatriati Regime, Regime Forfettario, New Residents Flat Tax, 7% Retiree Flat Tax

Tax breaks

Open incentive regimes for newcomers

30% Ruling (expatriateregeling)

Freelance setup

Regime Forfettario

VAT-free under €85k
26% social
€1000/yr accountant

WiseStripe

ZZP'er

VAT-free under €20k
5.3% social
€1200/yr accountant

WiseStripe

Sourced from Numbeo · Updated May 2026

TL;DRBologna is 37% cheaper on rent ($1,130/mo vs $1,805/mo). Rotterdam scores 9.0 vs 7.6 on democracy. Both are solid options for settling down — the spreadsheet won't save you from this one.

Rotterdam edges ahead 76 to 71. Bologna isn't far behind — it depends what matters to you.

How the livability score breaks down

Bologna

Rotterdam

18/25

💰 Affordability

11.5/25

14.4/15

🔒 Violent Crime

14.3/15

5.1/10

🛡️ Perceived Safety

7.4/10

5.3/15

⚡ Internet

10.5/15

11.4/15

🗳️ Democracy

13.5/15

5.4/10

🗣️ English

9.1/10

7.2/10

☀️ Climate

7.8/10

9/10

📊 Stability

6.7/10

8.8/10

🚗 Road Safety

9.8/10

7.4/10

🕊️ Geopolitical Safety

8/10

Verdict delivered. Your move.

The winner's file

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

Full profile. Verify before you pack.

Due diligence

🇮🇹 Bologna

Every verdict deserves an appeal.

Plot twist

Milan vs Bologna

Someone else's dilemma, equally unsolvable.

Household

Bologna

Metric

Rotterdam

✓$724/mo

🛒

Living costs (no rent)

lower is better

$888/mo

✓$6,884

🧳

Cost to land

lower is better

$7,746

80 / 100

🛡️

Settler safety

higher is better

89 / 100✓

✓0.6 / 100k

🔒

Homicides

lower is better

0.7 / 100k

5.0 / 100k

🚗

Road deaths

lower is better

3.4 / 100k✓

51 / 100

🚨

Safety Index

higher is better

74 / 100✓

88°F

☀️

Summer high

personal taste

70°F

36°F

❄️

Winter low

personal taste

34°F

—

⚡

Internet speed

higher is better

141 Mbps

15 μg/m³

🌬️

Air quality (PM2.5)

lower is better

11.4 μg/m³✓

85 / 100

🏥

Healthcare

higher is better

87 / 100

7.6 / 10

🗳️

Democracy

higher is better

9.0 / 10✓

6.5 / 9

🤝

Migrant acceptance

higher is better

7.5 / 9✓

25 / 100

🏳️‍🌈

Rainbow Index

higher is better

59 / 100✓

29/100

🗣️

Street English

higher is better

76/100✓

$62k

💼

GDP per capita (PPP)

higher is better

$86k✓

✓1.0% · Practically frozen

📈

Inflation

lower is better

3.3% · Boringly steady

—

⚡

Grid reliability

higher is better

94/100 — Reliable

87/100

🗽

Freedom House

higher is better

97/100✓

A median Software Engineer in Bologna takes home $2,253/mo under Standard employee. In Rotterdam: $6,417/mo under Standard employee.

$4,164/mo more in Rotterdam

🎯 Bologna's Impatriati Regime isn't modelled above — if you qualify, take-home would be $2,825/mo instead.

🎯 Rotterdam's 30% Ruling (expatriateregeling) isn't modelled above — if you qualify, take-home would be $8,212/mo instead.

Each city pays its own median — Software Engineer gross via Levels.fyi / Eurostat. Moving changes your salary too; that's the point.

$43k

💰

Gross income

$128k

−$12k

🏛️

Income tax

Standard employee

−$39k

−$4k

🛡️

Social contributions

−$12k

$27k/yr

$2k/mo

💵

Take-home pay

$77k/yr✓

$6k/mo

−$37k

🏠

Cost of living

−$49k

−$10k/yr

🐖

Annual savings

$28k/yr✓

Swap the local medians for your actual number

Sources: Numbeo · UNODC · Ookla · WHO · EIU · Gallup · World Bank · Freedom House · Updated May 2026

💰

Cost of Living

Bologna

$675/mo cheaper on rent alone

🗳️

Democracy

Rotterdam

9.0/10 EIU index

☀️

Weather

—

88°F vs 70°F summers

🗣️

English

Rotterdam

higher proficiency score

Sun

How much sky you actually get

50% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

Sky clear

avg daytime

45% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

8.9h

Shortest day

Dec

7.8h

15.5h

Longest day

Jun

16.7h

Sun clocks out before 5pm in both cities come December. Plan accordingly.

Source: WeatherSpark (clear-sky share of daytime hours)

Settler Essentials

Democracy trend

stable →

Inflation trend

improving ↑

—

Industries

logisticspetrochemicalsmaritimecleantech

—

Startup ecosystem

active

Moderate

🇺🇸 Your visa

Moderate

Easy

EU visa

Easy

Complex

RU visa

Complex

Easy

UA visa

Easy

—

Spouse works

✅ Partner can work immediately

Not recognized

unione civile / convivenza di fatto (no immigration rights)

Partner pathway

Recognized

geregistreerd partnerschap / samenwonend

Visa stamps:Easy <90 daysModerate 3–6 moComplex 6+ mo

Sources: EIU · Freedom House · Startup Genome · official immigration portals

Reproductive Rights

Because your body shouldn't need a visa too

On request

Abortion access

On request

12 wk

Gestational limit

24 wk

On request up to 90 days. 7-day waiting period. High rates of conscientious objection limit practical access.

On request up to 24 weeks. 5-day reflection period removed in 2023.

Source: Center for Reproductive Rights

LGBTQ+ Rights

Can you hold hands without doing a risk assessment first

Civil union

Marriage

Legal

Step-child only

Adoption

Joint adoption

Yes

Job protection

Yes

Hate crime law

Yes

Bologna vs Rotterdam — Common Questions

Is Bologna cheaper than Rotterdam?▾

Bologna is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $1130/month there vs $1805/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Bologna or Rotterdam?▾

Bologna is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Bologna has a rate of 0.57 per 100,000 and Rotterdam has 0.73 per 100,000.

Should I move to Bologna or Rotterdam?▾

Rotterdam edges ahead 76 to 71. Bologna isn't far behind — it depends what matters to you. See the full comparison above for rent, safety, internet speed, climate, and democracy scores to decide which city fits your priorities.

Is it easier to get residency in Bologna or Rotterdam?▾

Bologna: no specific remote work visa. Rotterdam: Netherlands Highly Skilled Migrant (complex process, Up to 5 years). See each city's profile page for full requirements.

Which has better weather, Bologna or Rotterdam?▾

Bologna is warmer in summer (88°F vs 70°F). Rotterdam has milder summers, which suits those who prefer cooler weather. Climate preference is personal — use the weather section above to compare seasons.

Can I live in Bologna or Rotterdam without speaking the local language?▾

Rotterdam is easier for street-level English (76/100) than Bologna (29/100). That's the score that matters for doctors, landlords, and bureaucracy. Office English can still run higher than street English in both cities.

What's the cost of rent in Bologna vs Rotterdam?▾

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $1130/month in Bologna, $1805/month in Rotterdam (Numbeo). That's 37% cheaper rent in Bologna.

Is Bologna or Rotterdam better for democracy and rule of law?▾

Rotterdam scores 9.0/10 on the EIU Democracy Index vs 7.6/10 for Bologna. That puts it in 'full democracy' territory — free press, independent courts, the works.