Netherlands, Rotterdam

Country Full Name: The Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Location: The Netherlands is in Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium and Germany.

Country Climate: Temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters.

Country Terrain: Mostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land (polders); some hills in southeast.

Major Languages: Dutch.

Major Religions: Christianity.

Population: 1.2 Mil (2012 est.).

Country Economy: The Netherlands has a prosperous and open economy in which the government has reduced its role since the 1980s. Industrial activity is predominantly in food-processing, Financial services, chemicals, petroleum refining, and electrical machinery.

Currency: Euro (EUR). Make an international currency transfer to Netherlands.

Inflation: 2.6% (2011 est.).

Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world.

Rotterdam's commercial and strategic importance is based on its location near the mouth of the Nieuwe Maas (New Meuse), one of the channels in the delta formed by the Rhine and Meuse on the North Sea. These rivers lead directly into the centre of Europe, including the industrial Ruhr region.

The cost of living in Rotterdam in the Netherlands is in the middle compared to other places. The overall cost of living is determined using the prices for defined quantities of the same goods and services across 13 Basket Groups. Rotterdam in the Netherlands is currently ranked 422 overall out of 780 places (rank 1 is most expensive: rank 780 is least expensive). The cost of living rank for each of the 13 Basket Groups is as follows:

Alcohol & Tobacco costs are very low compared to other places for items such as alcohol at a bar, beer, locally produced spirit, whiskey, wine (where alcohol is legally sold) and tobacco related products. There are 680 places that are more expensive, and 99 places that are less expensive for alcohol and or tobacco.

Clothing costs are high compared to other places for items such as business suits, casual clothing, children's clothing, coats, evening wear, footwear, hats, shoe repairs and underwear. There are 308 places that are more expensive, and 471 places that are less expensive for clothing.

Communication costs are high compared to other places for various communication costs such as call charges, home telephone rental, internet connection, mobile data costs, mobile phone contract and service provider fees. There are 219 places that are more expensive, and 560 places that are less expensive for communication.

Education costs are low compared to other places for items such as creche / pre-school fees, primary school fees, high school fees and tertiary study fees. There are 535 places that are more expensive, and 244 places that are less expensive for education.

Furniture & Appliance costs are average compared to other places for items such as DVD player, fridge freezer, furniture, household equipment, iron, kettle, light bulbs, microwave, television, toaster, vacuum cleaner and washing machine. There are 378 places that are more expensive, and 401 places that are less expensive for furniture and appliances.

Grocery costs are very low compared to other places for items such as baby consumables, baked goods, baking, canned foods, cheese, cleaning materials, cleaning products, dairy, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, fruit juices, meat, oil & vinegars, pet food, pre-prepared meals, sauces, seafood, snacks, soft drinks, spices & herbs. There are 667 places that are more expensive, and 112 places that are less expensive for groceries.

Healthcare costs are very low compared to other places for general healthcare, general practitioner consultation rates, healthcare/medical insurance, hospital private ward daily rate and non-prescription medicine. There are 656 places that are more expensive, and 123 places that are less expensive for healthcare.

Household Accommodation costs are low compared to other places for items such as accommodation, apartment, flat, house, villa, rent, electricity, household fuels, household gas, water, and local property rates / residential taxes / levies. There are 536 places that are more expensive, and 243 places that are less expensive for household accommodation.

Miscellaneous costs are average compared to other places for items such as dry cleaning, general goods, general services, linen, magazines, maid, newspapers, office supplies, postage stamps and stationery. There are 321 places that are more expensive, and 458 places that are less expensive for miscellaneous items.

Personal Care costs are low compared to other places for items such as cosmetics, hair care, moisturizer, nappies, pain relief tablets, shampoo, soap, sun block, toilet paper and toothpaste. There are 506 places that are more expensive, and 273 places that are less expensive for personal care.

Recreation and Culture costs are average compared to other places for items such as books, camera, cinema tickets, fitness/health club membership, sports goods and theatre tickets. There are 321 places that are more expensive, and 458 places that are less expensive for recreation and culture.

Restaurants, Meals Out and Hotel costs are high compared to other places for items such as a business dinner, dinner at a family restaurant (non fast food), 4 star and 5 star hotel rates and take away meal (fast food). There are 309 places that are more expensive, and 470 places that are less expensive for restaurants, meals out and hotels.

Transport costs are very high compared to other places for items such as car hire purchase, car insurance, car lease, car maintenance, car rental, car service, diesel, petrol, tyres and public transport. There are 74 places that are more expensive, and 705 places that are less expensive for transport.

Personalized cost of living indexes for Rotterdam in the Netherlands are based on the basket groups and comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

In terms of the hardship people are likely to experience, assessed in global terms, Rotterdam in the Netherlands is ranked as minimal hardship with a hardship index of 10%.

Personalized hardship index premiums for Rotterdam in the Netherlands are based on the comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

Note: Xpatulator.com data is updated quarterly. The latest update is as at 1 April 2012. Create a personalized cost of living comparison report using the calculators:
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