Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Amsterdam and Utrecht

For one person, living is cheaper in Utrecht: $2,987 a month against $3,517 in Amsterdam, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

170

Cost of Living Index in Amsterdam
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Amsterdam Living Index
142

Cost of Living Index in Utrecht
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Utrecht Living Index

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Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,517

/mo nomad

Utrecht

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,987

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Amsterdam and in Utrecht

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Amsterdam and in Utrecht actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,517 per month in Amsterdam vs $2,987 in Utrecht, rent included.

Amsterdam $3,517
Utrecht $2,987

A couple spends around $5,063 per month in Amsterdam vs $4,205 in Utrecht, rent included.

Amsterdam $5,063
Utrecht $4,205

A family of three spends $6,608 per month in Amsterdam vs $5,423 in Utrecht, rent included.

Amsterdam $6,608
Utrecht $5,423

Amsterdam costs about 18% more than Utrecht, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Amsterdam and Utrecht sit above the global median – Amsterdam by 158%, Utrecht by 120%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.34 €20.01

$22.74 €20.36

-1.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 €79.3

$84.0 €75.3

5.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.80 €13.25

$13.55 €12.14

9.23%

Cappuccino

$4.65 €4.16

$4.78 €4.29

-2.72%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 €3.31

$3.84 €3.44

-3.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.59

$3.39 €3.03

-14.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.92 €7.10

$6.59 €5.91

20.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.54 €5.85

$7.15 €6.41

-8.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 €1.29

$1.51 €1.35

-4.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 €2.15

$2.98 €2.67

-19.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 €2.24

$2.54 €2.27

-1.57%

Eggs

$5.15 €4.62

$4.68 €4.19

10.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.90 €15.14

$13.36 €11.96

26.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.73 €11.40

$13.92 €12.47

-8.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.87 €20.49

$18.68 €16.73

22.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.46

$2.74 €2.45

0.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 €2.45

$2.40 €2.15

14.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 €2.46

$2.08 €1.86

31.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.86 €3.46

$3.78 €3.39

2.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.26

$1.73 €1.55

45.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 €1.48

$1.88 €1.69

-12.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.35

$1.59 €1.43

-5.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.51

$1.38 €1.23

22.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.52 €13.00

$14.42 €12.92

0.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.60 €7.70

$6.82 €6.11

26.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.60

$1.35 €1.21

31.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.24

$2.68 €2.40

-6.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.70 €3.31

$3.55 €3.18

4.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$117 €104

$132 €118

-11.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.69 €4.20

$3.73 €3.34

25.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.42 €3.07

$2.73 €2.44

25.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.00 €34.93

$45.56 €40.80

-14.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.56 €2.29

$2.59 €2.32

-1.16%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$40.6K €36.3K

$41.0K €36.7K

-1.07%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$38.9K €34.8K

$40.1K €35.9K

-3.02%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$306 €274

$245 €219

25.06%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$22.66 €20.29

$21.75 €19.48

4.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.8 €47.31

$48.16 €43.13

9.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.0 €49.23

$44.24 €39.62

24.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.66 €31.94

$31.25 €27.99

14.11%

Cinema Ticket

$16.48 €14.76

$15.06 €13.49

9.43%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$2,778 €2,488

$3,274 €2,932

-15.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €15.2K

$7,994 €7,160

112.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.7 €83.0

$93.1 €83.4

-0.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.28 €36.97

$51.5 €46.11

-19.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €90.8

$103 €91.9

-1.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €120

$126 €112

6.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,642 €2,366

$1,945 €1,742

35.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,989 €1,782

$1,558 €1,395

27.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,165 €3,730

$3,128 €2,802

33.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,251 €2,911

$2,229 €1,996

45.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.6K €9,452

$7,109 €6,367

48.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,734 €6,031

$4,877 €4,368

38.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,625 €4,142

$4,245 €3,801

8.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.3

3.23

2.17%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Amsterdam: October 27, 2026

Last update for Utrecht: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Amsterdam

$2K 56.6%

Utrecht

$1.6K 52.2% 21.7% $431

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Amsterdam

$382 10.9%

Utrecht

$315 10.5% 17.5% $67

Groceries & Markets

Amsterdam

$381 10.8%

Utrecht

$352 11.8% 7.4% $28

Eating Out

Amsterdam

$358 10.2%

Utrecht

$356 11.9% 0.5% $1.8

Clothing & Footwear

Amsterdam

$166 4.7%

Utrecht

$168 5.6% 0.9% $1.5

Getting Around

Amsterdam

$153 4.4%

Utrecht

$164 5.5% 6.9% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Amsterdam

$88 2.5%

Utrecht

$74 2.5% 15.4% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,642 in Amsterdam versus $1,945 in Utrecht. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 9% higher in Amsterdam, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Amsterdam versus $84 in Utrecht. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $381 vs $352 – making Utrecht the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Utrecht

🕒 Local time

11:48 11:48 AM

Same time as Amsterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

881,933 Capital

367,947

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Amsterdam Utrecht 35 km

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Amsterdam
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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Amsterdam vs Utrecht: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Amsterdam is pricier by about 18%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,276 per month in Amsterdam and $4,481 in Utrecht. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Utrecht, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,945 there versus $2,642 in Amsterdam.

Public transport costs about 12% less in Amsterdam. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,778 per month in Amsterdam and $3,274 in Utrecht. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Utrecht costs $2,987 versus $3,517 in Amsterdam. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Utrecht. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Amsterdam makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.