2 Days in Rotterdam on a Budget: Full Cost Breakdown

I spent 2 days in Rotterdam on a budget to see if it’s possible to explore one of the most modern cities in Europe without spending too much.

In this guide, I’ll show you exactly what I spent, where I stayed, what I ate and how Rotterdam compares to Budapest in terms of budget travel.

Total Budget Overview

👉 While the total cost including flights was high, the actual cost in Rotterdam itself was only around €86 for 2 days.

Accommodation

I stayed at Hotel Light and my share for 1 nights was €39 (€78 total for two people).

The hotel was simple but good for a short trip:

• self check-in
• comfortable bed
• good shower
• free coffee and tea
• enough space for two people

It was small, but perfect for a budget stay.

👉 Tip: Sharing a room makes a big difference when you try to save money.

Food

Food in Rotterdam wasn’t as expensive as expected. I spent €44.91 for 2 days, including breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Here’s what I did:

• 🥐 Breakfast (bakery):
  Jordy’s Bakery: 2 croissants (cheap and simple)
• 🛒 Lunch (budget option):
  Albert Heijn supermarket: Bread, cheese and protein bar
  Very cheap and perfect for saving money
• 🍟 Lunch (Markthal):
  Bram Ladage: Kroket and fries with cheese sauce
• 🍝 Dinner:
  Happy Italy: Pasta and drink (good price)
• 🥪 Airport:
  Sandwich before the flight

Overall:

• Supermarket = biggest money saver
• Restaurants = slightly more expensive, but manageable
• Markthal = depends what you choose

Transport

I only used public transport for:

• Airport → Rotterdam
• Rotterdam → Airport

Everything else was on foot.

• Day 1: ~25,000 steps
• Day 2: ~15,000 steps

👉 Walking saved a lot of money and was the best way to explore the city.

Free / Cheap Activities

One of the best things about Rotterdam is that you can explore a lot for free.

We mainly:

• walked through the city
• visited the Markthal
• explored different areas and architecture

Paid activities:

We only paid for one activity during the trip: visiting the inside of the famous Cube Houses. The standard ticket price was €3.50 per person, but with a student discount, I only paid €2.50.

For such a unique and iconic place in Rotterdam, it was definitely worth it. You don’t need to spend much to enjoy the city.

2-Day Itinerary

Day 1

Morning
I arrived at Amsterdam Airport at 09:00am and took a train to Rotterdam (around 25 minutes). After meeting my friend, we walked about 25 minutes towards the Cube Houses. On the way, we passed a river where people were even surfing, which was interesting to see.

We then visited the Cube Houses, which was a unique experience and definitely worth it.

Midday
From there, we walked:

• 2 min → Markthal (food break)
• 5 min → Oude Haven
• 14 min → Leuvehaven

We explored the harbor area and enjoyed the modern architecture.

Afternoon

• 10 min → Park near Erasmus Bridge
• 10 min walk onto the Erasmus Bridge (great skyline view)
• 20 min → Museumpark
• 2 min → Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen (viewed from outside)

After that, we walked ~9 minutes to the hotel and took a short break.

Evening
We walked about 35 minutes to Happy Italy for dinner. After eating, we watched the sunset and saw the skyline at night, which was one of the highlights of the trip.

Day 2

Morning
We first went to a supermarket (6 min walk) to buy:

• Bread
• Cheese
• Protein bars

for a cheap lunch later.

After that, we walked ~9 minutes to the Jordys Bakery and had croissants for breakfast.

Midday
We explored:

• Witte de Withstraat (11 min walk)
• City Hall

It was King’s Day, so the city was full of people wearing orange, with music and events everywhere. However, some places were closed because of it.

Afternoon
We continued walking to:

• Nieuwe Delftse Poort (3 min)
• Luchtsingel (5 min)

We saw a lot of modern buildings and even found a free trampoline under a small bridge.

Then we went back to the City Hall area, ate our supermarket lunch and relaxed while listening to free music from nearby events.

Evening / Departure
We walked ~7 minutes to Rotterdam Central Station, said goodbye and took the train back to Amsterdam Airport. Before the flight, I grabbed a sandwich at the airport.

Comparison: Rotterdam vs Budapest

Here’s the most important part:

💸 Transport

Budapest is very cheap when it comes to transport, especially from the airport (around €6 by bus). In contrast, Rotterdam is much more expensive to reach due to the flight and the train from Amsterdam.

👉 This is clearly the biggest difference between the two cities.

🏙️ City Costs

Budapest: €109 for 2 days
Rotterdam: €86 for 2 days

Once you’re in the city, the costs are actually very similar.

🍝 Food

Food in Budapest is slightly cheaper overall.

However, the price really depends on where you eat.
In Rotterdam, I saved money by choosing a bakery and supermarket meals for one day.

In Budapest, I ate at a brunch café and a traditional restaurant, which made it more expensive. If I had chosen similar options (like a bakery) in Budapest, the cost would have been very similar.

Restaurants in both cities are close in price, with Budapest being only slightly cheaper.

✈️ Overall

Budapest is cheaper mainly because of the low transport costs. But once you arrive, Rotterdam can be just as budget-friendly as Budapest, especially if you make smart food choices.

Final Thoughts

Rotterdam is not as cheap as Budapest, but it’s still possible to explore the city on a budget.

What made the biggest difference:

• Walking instead of using transport
• Eating simple meals
• Useing supermarkets

👉 The biggest cost was clearly the flight for €405.

Conclusion

If you want the cheapest trip possible → Budapest is better

If you want a modern city and still travel on a budget → Rotterdam works too

The biggest surprise was that Rotterdam itself was not expensive,
the main cost was simply getting there.

Save this guide for your next trip and share it with someone you’d travel with ✈️