Leuven vs Rotterdam — Digital Nomad Comparison 2026

At a glance

At a glance
	BE Leuven	NL Rotterdam
Country	Belgium	Netherlands
Nomad score	6.3 / 10	7.0 / 10
Cost of living	$3,703 / mo	$3,753 / mo
Internet speed	Data unavailable	Data unavailable
Weather now	22° / 17°C	20° / 17°C
Air quality (AQI)	34 Good	42 Good
Community votes	0 0	0 0

Climate averages

Yearly averages of monthly climate data

Climate averages
	BE Leuven	NL Rotterdam
Average high	15.3°C	14.9°C
Average low	7.8°C	8.3°C
Precipitation	68 mm / mo	77 mm / mo
Sunshine	233 h / mo	242 h / mo
Humidity	78%	80%
Rain days	11.6 / mo	12.8 / mo
Wind speed	19.4 km/h	20.7 km/h

BE Leuven · average high by month

J 6 F 9 M 12 A 14 M 18 J 23 J 23 A 23 S 21 O 16 N 10 D 8

NL Rotterdam · average high by month

J 7 F 9 M 11 A 13 M 18 J 22 J 22 A 23 S 20 O 16 N 11 D 8

Air quality

Air quality
	BE Leuven	NL Rotterdam
US AQI	34	42
PM2.5	5.6 µg/m³	6.1 µg/m³
PM10	10.4 µg/m³	11.8 µg/m³
Ozone	51 µg/m³	51 µg/m³
UV index	3	2.2

Business & Economy

Scores out of 10

Business & Economy
	BE Leuven	NL Rotterdam
Blockchain & Crypto Adoption	5.9	6.7
Local Payment Services	8.6	9.1
Startup Scene	6.9	7.7

Climate & Environment

Scores out of 10

Climate & Environment
	BE Leuven	NL Rotterdam
Air Conditioning	4.1	4.1
Green Spaces	7.1	7.3
Natural Disaster Risk	8.6	8.0
Noise Pollution	6.2	5.7
Seasonal Variety	6.3	6.3
Weather	5.7	5.6

Connectivity

Scores out of 10

Connectivity
	BE Leuven	NL Rotterdam
Mobile Network Coverage	9.1	9.3
Power Grid Reliability	9.2	9.5
Public WiFi Availability	7.3	7.9
VPN Reliability	9.2	9.1

Cost & Affordability

Scores out of 10

Cost & Affordability
	BE Leuven	NL Rotterdam
Accommodation Cost	3.7	3.2
Cost of Living	3.9	4.0
Currency Stability	9.4	9.4
Entertainment Cost	4.6	5.1
Food & Groceries	4.2	5.1
Gym Membership Cost	5.4	6.0
Transportation Cost	5.5	6.8

Culture & Entertainment

Scores out of 10

Culture & Entertainment
	BE Leuven	NL Rotterdam
Culture	7.5	8.2
Indoors Fun	6.1	7.5
Language Learning Opportunities	5.8	6.4
Local Experiences & Tours	6.8	7.5
Nightlife	6.6	7.6
Outdoors & Nature	5.6	6.4

Digital Nomad Community

Scores out of 10

Digital Nomad Community
	BE Leuven	NL Rotterdam
Nomad Events & Meetups	4.1	6.7
Nomad Friendly	6.4	7.7
Online Community Presence	3.8	6.1

Digital Nomad Essentials

Scores out of 10

Digital Nomad Essentials
	BE Leuven	NL Rotterdam
Cafes with WiFi	7.1	8.1
Coworking Spaces Availability	6.3	8.0
Digital Nomad Friendly Cafes	6.1	7.2
Digital Nomad Popularity	3.4	6.3
Internet Speed	8.5	9.0
Local SIM Card Availability	8.0	8.9

Food & Fitness

Scores out of 10

Food & Fitness
	BE Leuven	NL Rotterdam
Fitness Facilities	6.9	8.0
Food Scene	7.5	8.0
Healthy Food Options	6.9	8.1
Yoga Studios	6.2	7.1

Healthcare

Scores out of 10

Healthcare
	BE Leuven	NL Rotterdam
Healthcare	7.9	7.4
Healthcare Affordability	5.4	5.8
Healthcare Quality	8.7	8.9

Legal & Administrative

Scores out of 10

Legal & Administrative
	BE Leuven	NL Rotterdam
Digital Nomad Visa Availability	2.4	3.3
Ease of Business Registration	5.4	7.0
Ease of Opening Bank Account	4.3	4.6
Freedom of Speech	8.7	9.1
Political Stability	8.2	8.7
Tax Friendliness	3.1	4.5
Visa Ease	5.6	6.8

Quality of Life

Scores out of 10

Quality of Life
	BE Leuven	NL Rotterdam
Air Quality	6.8	6.5
Cleanliness	8.0	8.1
Environmental Quality	7.6	7.6
Family Friendly	8.0	8.1
Language Barrier	7.5	7.7
Work-Life Balance	8.0	8.3

Safety & Tolerance

Scores out of 10

Safety & Tolerance
	BE Leuven	NL Rotterdam
Female Friendly	8.4	8.3
Racial Tolerance	7.7	7.7
Safety	8.6	8.3

Transportation

Scores out of 10

Transportation
	BE Leuven	NL Rotterdam
Airport Connectivity	7.7	8.3
Cycling	9.1	9.6
Intercity Travel Options	8.3	8.9
Public Transit	8.0	9.0
Ride-sharing Services	6.4	7.6
Scooter/Bike Rental Availability	8.1	8.7
Walkability	8.7	8.5

Work Environment

Scores out of 10

Work Environment
	BE Leuven	NL Rotterdam
Coworking Quality	6.4	8.1
Freelance Ecosystem	5.2	7.3
Networking Opportunities	5.9	7.4
Remote Job Opportunities	5.6	7.4
Time Zone Favorability	8.3	8.2

Clothing

Local prices in US dollars

Clothing
	BE Leuven	NL Rotterdam
Jeans	$102 per pair	$93 per pair
Summer Dress	$49 per dress	$58 per dress
Running Shoes	$110 per pair	$116 per pair

Dining Out

Local prices in US dollars

Dining Out
	BE Leuven	NL Rotterdam
Dining Out	$173 per month	$81 per month

Entertainment

Local prices in US dollars

Entertainment
	BE Leuven	NL Rotterdam
Cinema Ticket	$16 per ticket	$15 per ticket

Food & Dining

Local prices in US dollars

Food & Dining
	BE Leuven	NL Rotterdam
Coffee	$4.45 per cup	$4.05 per cup
Beer	$5.20 per pint	$5.78 per pint
Meal (Inexpensive)	$19 per meal	$21 per meal
Meal (Mid-range, 2 people)	$87 per meal	$81 per meal
Fast Food Combo	$13 per meal	$12 per meal
Apples	$2.83 per kg	$2.89 per kg
Bread	$3.24 per loaf	$2.31 per loaf
Water (1.5L bottle)	$1.27 per bottle	$1.39 per bottle
Milk	$1.68 per liter	$1.39 per liter
Rice	$2.54 per kg	$2.31 per kg
Chicken Fillets	$13 per kg	$12 per kg
Beef	$21 per kg	$17 per kg
Wine (Mid-range)	$10 per bottle	$9.25 per bottle

Groceries

Local prices in US dollars

Groceries
	BE Leuven	NL Rotterdam
Groceries	$370 per month	$324 per month

Health Insurance

Local prices in US dollars

Health Insurance
	BE Leuven	NL Rotterdam
Health Insurance	$35 per month	$150 per month

Healthcare

Local prices in US dollars

Healthcare
	BE Leuven	NL Rotterdam
Doctor Visit (GP)	$37 per visit	$46 per visit
Pharmacy (basic meds)	$14 per purchase	$9.25 per purchase

Housing

Local prices in US dollars

Housing
	BE Leuven	NL Rotterdam
Housing	$982 per month	$1,099 per month
Apartment (1 bedroom)	$1,092 per month	$1,388 per month
Airbnb (1 month)	$2,426 per month	$2,313 per month
Coworking Space	$248 per month	$347 per month
Coliving Space	$947 per month	$1,156 per month

Internet & Mobile

Local prices in US dollars

Internet & Mobile
	BE Leuven	NL Rotterdam
Internet & Mobile	$52 per month	$58 per month

Leisure Activities

Local prices in US dollars

Leisure Activities
	BE Leuven	NL Rotterdam
Leisure Activities	$92 per month	$35 per month

Personal Care

Local prices in US dollars

Personal Care
	BE Leuven	NL Rotterdam
Haircut	$37 per visit	$35 per visit
Laundry	$7.51 per kg	$9.25 per kg

Services

Local prices in US dollars

Services
	BE Leuven	NL Rotterdam
Mobile Plan	$29 per month	$23 per month
Internet (60 Mbps+)	$62 per month	$52 per month
SIM Card (Tourist, prepaid)	$17 one-time	$17 one-time
Gym Membership	$40 per month	$46 per month
Tennis Court (Weekend)	$25 per hour	$29 per hour

Transportation

Local prices in US dollars

Transportation
	BE Leuven	NL Rotterdam
Transportation	$58 per month	$110 per month
Taxi Start	$7.51 per trip	$4.05 per trip
Taxi per km	$3.00 per km	$2.89 per km
Monthly Transport Pass	$60 per month	$104 per month
Ride-hailing (5km)	$18 per trip	$14 per trip
Gasoline	$2.14 per liter	$2.31 per liter
Scooter Rental	$14 per month	$35 per month

Utilities

Local prices in US dollars

Utilities
	BE Leuven	NL Rotterdam
Utilities	$185 per month	$139 per month