Cost of Living: Rotterdam vs The Hague (2026)

Netherlands vs Netherlands — relocation comparison

Your passport:

Livability Score

Rotterdam

The Hague

$1,805/mo

Rent

1BR centre

$1,548/mo

$28k/yr

Take-home savings

At each city's local median pay

$35k/yr

5 yr

PR path

5 yr

30% Ruling (expatriateregeling)

Tax breaks

Open incentive regimes for newcomers

30% Ruling (expatriateregeling)

Freelance setup

ZZP'er

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

WiseStripe

ZZP'er

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

WiseStripe

Sourced from Numbeo · Updated April 2026

TL;DRThe Hague is 14% cheaper on rent ($1,548/mo vs $1,805/mo). Both countries will let you complain about the government in public — and mean it.

Rotterdam and The Hague are almost suspiciously well-matched. Flip a coin.

How the livability score breaks down

Rotterdam

The Hague

11.5/25

💰 Affordability

14/25

14.3/15

🔒 Violent Crime

14.3/15

7.4/10

🛡️ Perceived Safety

8/10

10.5/15

⚡ Internet

7.4/15

13.5/15

🗳️ Democracy

13.5/15

9.1/10

🗣️ English

9.1/10

7.8/10

☀️ Climate

7.3/10

6.7/10

📊 Stability

6.7/10

9.8/10

🚗 Road Safety

9.8/10

8/10

🕊️ Geopolitical Safety

8/10

Verdict delivered. Your move.

Heads

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

Full profile, in case the coin says so.

Tails

🇳🇱 The Hague

Full profile, in case it says otherwise.

Plot twist

Amsterdam vs Rotterdam

Someone else's dilemma, equally unsolvable.

Household

Rotterdam

Metric

The Hague

$888/mo

🛒

Living costs (no rent)

lower is better

$731/mo✓

$7,746

🧳

Cost to land

lower is better

$6,793✓

89 / 100

🛡️

Settler safety

higher is better

90 / 100

0.7 / 100k

🔒

Homicides

lower is better

0.7 / 100k

3.4 / 100k

🚗

Road deaths

lower is better

3.4 / 100k

74 / 100

🚨

Safety Index

higher is better

80 / 100✓

70°F

☀️

Summer high

personal taste

68°F

34°F

❄️

Winter low

personal taste

36°F

✓141 Mbps

⚡

Internet speed

higher is better

99 Mbps

11.4 μg/m³

🌬️

Air quality (PM2.5)

lower is better

9.9 μg/m³✓

87 / 100

🏥

Healthcare

higher is better

88 / 100

9.0 / 10

🗳️

Democracy

higher is better

9.0 / 10

7.5 / 9

🤝

Migrant acceptance

higher is better

7.5 / 9

59 / 100

🏳️‍🌈

Rainbow Index

higher is better

59 / 100

76/100

🗣️

Street English

higher is better

76/100

$86k

💼

GDP per capita (PPP)

higher is better

$86k

3.3% · Boringly steady

📈

Inflation

lower is better

3.3% · Boringly steady

94/100 — Reliable

⚡

Grid reliability

higher is better

94/100 — Reliable

97/100

🗽

Freedom House

higher is better

97/100

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

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

🎯 The Hague'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.

$128k

💰

Gross income

$128k

−$39k

🏛️

Income tax

Standard employee

−$39k

−$12k

🛡️

Social contributions

−$12k

$77k/yr

$6k/mo

💵

Take-home pay

$77k/yr

$6k/mo

−$49k

🏠

Cost of living

−$42k

$28k/yr

🐖

Annual savings

$35k/yr✓

Swap the local medians for your actual number

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

💰

Cost of Living

The Hague

$256/mo cheaper on rent alone

Sun

How much sky you actually get

45% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

Sky clear

avg daytime

45% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

7.8h

Shortest day

Dec

7.7h

16.7h

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

stable →

Democracy trend

stable →

improving ↑

Inflation trend

improving ↑

logisticspetrochemicalsmaritimecleantech

Industries

governmentlegal-internationaltechsecurity

active

Startup ecosystem

nascent

Moderate

🇺🇸 Your visa

Moderate

Easy

EU visa

Easy

Complex

RU visa

Complex

Easy

UA visa

Easy

✅ Partner can work immediately

Spouse works

✅ Partner can work immediately

Recognized

geregistreerd partnerschap / samenwonend

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

24 wk

Gestational limit

24 wk

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

Legal

Marriage

Legal

Joint adoption

Adoption

Joint adoption

Yes

Job protection

Yes

Hate crime law

Yes

Rotterdam vs The Hague — Common Questions

Is Rotterdam cheaper than The Hague?▾

The Hague is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $1548/month there vs $1805/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Rotterdam or The Hague?▾

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

Should I move to Rotterdam or The Hague?▾

Rotterdam and The Hague are almost suspiciously well-matched. Flip a coin. 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 Rotterdam or The Hague?▾

Rotterdam: Netherlands Highly Skilled Migrant (complex process, Up to 5 years). The Hague: Netherlands Highly Skilled Migrant (complex process, Up to 5 years). See each city's profile page for full requirements.

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

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $1548/month in The Hague, $1805/month in Rotterdam (Numbeo). That's 14% cheaper rent in The Hague.