Cost of Living Comparison Between Bristol and Zwolle Cost of Living Comparison Between Bristol and Zwolle

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,879 in Bristol versus $2,397 in Zwolle.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,130 in Bristol versus $3,454 in Zwolle.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,380 in Bristol versus $4,512 in Zwolle.

Living in Bristol is roughly 20% more expensive than Zwolle, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bristol 115% above, Zwolle 79% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.34 £15.15

$17.57 €15.13

15.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$104 £77.3

$86.8 €74.7

19.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 £8.00

$11.75 €10.12

-8.51%

Cappuccino

$5.14 £3.83

$3.86 €3.32

33.16%

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

$2.70 £2.01

$3.46 €2.98

-21.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 £1.29

$2.86 €2.46

-39.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.94 £5.92

$6.19 €5.33

28.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.80 £5.07

$4.57 €3.94

48.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 £1.16

$1.19 €1.02

31.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.35 £1.75

$2.41 €2.08

-2.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 £1.39

$2.99 €2.58

-37.46%

Eggs

$4.18 £3.11

$4.54 €3.91

-7.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.30 £9.16

$13.63 €11.74

-9.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.36 £8.46

$16.15 €13.91

-29.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.15 £9.05

$17.16 €14.78

-29.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 £2.52

$1.97 €1.70

72.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 £1.22

$2.57 €2.21

-36.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 £2.03

$1.87 €1.61

45.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 £2.97

$3.66 €3.15

8.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 £1.52

$1.94 €1.67

5.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 £1.32

$2.15 €1.85

-17.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 £0.89

$1.24 €1.07

-3.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 £1.39

$0.79 €0.68

135.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.50 £15.27

$13.21 €11.37

55.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.83 £8.07

$7.03 €6.05

54.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 £2.22

$1.39 €1.20

114.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 £2.01

$2.59 €2.23

4.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 £2.32

$6.04 €5.20

-48.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$115 £85.5

$116 €99.9

-1.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.58 £4.15

$3.76 €3.24

48.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 £1.26

$3.02 €2.60

-44.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.71 £20.64

$27.53 €23.70

0.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 £1.42

$2.20 €1.90

-13.64%

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

$38.2K £28.5K

$40.0K €34.4K

-4.46%

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

$35.3K £26.3K

$40.3K €34.7K

-12.34%

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

$301 £224

$287 €247

5.08%

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

$16.75 £12.48

$26.72 €23.01

-37.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.52 £33.90

$45.89 €39.51

-0.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.81 £37.10

$39.92 €34.38

24.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.12 £7.54

$22.75 €19.59

-55.52%

Cinema Ticket

$13.72 £10.22

$16.13 €13.89

-14.94%

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

$2,193 £1,633

$1,610 €1,386

36.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K £18.0K

$9,391 €8,087

157.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.6 £71.2

$96.9 €83.5

-1.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.61 £36.20

$60.9 €52.5

-20.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 £83.5

$86.2 €74.2

30.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 £103

$130 €112

6.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,852 £1,379

$1,029 €886

79.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,391 £1,036

$1,021 €879

36.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,094 £2,305

$1,837 €1,582

68.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,285 £1,702

$1,535 €1,322

48.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,918 £5,153

$5,905 €5,085

17.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,209 £3,880

$4,664 €4,016

11.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,777 £2,813

$3,203 €2,758

17.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.6

4.39

27.56%

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

Last update for Bristol: May 31, 2026

Last update for Zwolle: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,852 in Bristol and $1,029 in Zwolle. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bristol pays 18% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $104 in Bristol vs $87.0 in Zwolle. Groceries flip the comparison at $330 vs $341, with Bristol cheaper for home cooking.

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

Bristol vs Zwolle: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bristol and Zwolle differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($2,879 vs $2,397 including rent). Zwolle is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Bristol pays 18% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,852 in Bristol versus $1,029 in Zwolle. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Bristol pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Zwolle – a meal for two runs $87.0 versus $104 in Bristol. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,397 in Zwolle versus $2,879 in Bristol, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Zwolle but tight or insufficient in Bristol. The gap between the two cities makes Zwolle the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Bristol and Zwolle are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Zwolle gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Bristol. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.