Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fullerton, CA and Utrecht

For one person, living is cheaper in Utrecht: $2,916 a month against $3,507 in Fullerton, CA, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

169

Cost of Living Index in Fullerton, CA
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Fullerton, CA Living Index
141

Cost of Living Index in Utrecht
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Utrecht Living Index

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Fullerton, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,507

/mo nomad

Utrecht

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,916

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Fullerton, CA 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 Fullerton, CA and in Utrecht actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,507 per month in Fullerton, CA vs $2,916 in Utrecht, rent included.

Fullerton, CA $3,507
Utrecht $2,916

A couple spends around $5,392 per month in Fullerton, CA vs $4,182 in Utrecht, rent included.

Fullerton, CA $5,392
Utrecht $4,182

A family of three spends $7,276 per month in Fullerton, CA vs $5,448 in Utrecht, rent included.

Fullerton, CA $7,276
Utrecht $5,448

Fullerton, CA costs about 20% more than Utrecht, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Fullerton, CA and Utrecht sit above the global median – Fullerton, CA by 159%, Utrecht by 115%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.09 $25.09

$22.48 €19.99

11.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.9 $78.9

$85.0 €75.6

-7.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.35 $11.35

$13.41 €11.93

-15.36%

Cappuccino

$5.72 $5.72

$4.73 €4.21

20.93%

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

$2.81 $2.81

$3.78 €3.36

-25.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$3.29 €2.93

-37.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.88 $7.88

$6.57 €5.84

19.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.81 $9.81

$7.44 €6.62

31.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.54 €1.37

-8.44%

White Bread (500g)

$5.10 $5.10

$2.89 €2.57

76.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.46 €2.19

76.42%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$4.92 €4.38

2.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.26 $12.26

$13.44 €11.95

-8.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.63 $8.63

$13.79 €12.27

-37.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.69 $15.69

$19.19 €17.07

-18.24%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$2.83 €2.52

66.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.47 €2.20

-30.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$2.10 €1.87

91.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$3.78 €3.36

69.31%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$1.73 €1.54

106.36%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$1.94 €1.73

70.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.54 €1.37

37.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.45 €1.29

75.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.66 $11.66

$14.63 €13.01

-20.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.13 $15.13

$6.62 €5.89

128.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.35 €1.20

28.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.68 €2.39

21.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 $2.30

$3.49 €3.11

-34.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.6 $64.6

$135 €120

-52.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.44 $4.44

$3.79 €3.37

17.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 $1.89

$2.74 €2.44

-31.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.21 $36.21

$44.33 €39.43

-18.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 $1.48

$2.55 €2.27

-41.96%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$42.2K €37.6K

-35.51%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$39.6K €35.2K

-33.71%

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

$213 $213

$248 €221

-14.19%

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

$84.5 $84.5

$21.90 €19.48

285.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.2 $73.2

$47.01 €41.81

55.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.78 $40.78

$45.64 €40.59

-10.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.35 €27.88

Cinema Ticket

$12.13 $12.13

$15.42 €13.71

-21.34%

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

$1,391 $1,391

$3,024 €2,690

-54.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.3K $43.3K

$7,950 €7,071

444.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 $75.0

$93.5 €83.2

-19.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.26 $40.26

$51.9 €46.19

-22.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.4 $88.4

$103 €91.7

-14.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$126 €112

-5.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 $2,588

$1,847 €1,643

40.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,043 $2,043

$1,480 €1,316

38.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 $4,005

$3,230 €2,873

24.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,069 $4,069

$2,234 €1,987

82.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,472 $5,472

$6,933 €6,167

-21.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,859 €4,322

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,578 $4,578

$4,254 €3,784

7.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.31

3.23

95.36%

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

Last update for Fullerton, CA: October 18, 2026

Last update for Utrecht: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fullerton, CA

$2K 58.3%

Utrecht

$1.5K 50.8% 27.6% $563

Groceries & Markets

Fullerton, CA

$413 11.8%

Utrecht

$355 12.2% 14.1% $58

Eating Out

Fullerton, CA

$382 10.9%

Utrecht

$353 12.1% 7.6% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fullerton, CA

$371 10.6%

Utrecht

$317 10.9% 14.5% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Fullerton, CA

$146 4.2%

Utrecht

$169 5.8% 15.9% $23

Getting Around

Fullerton, CA

$88 2.5%

Utrecht

$166 5.7% 90% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Fullerton, CA

$65 1.9%

Utrecht

$76 2.6% 17.6% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,588 in Fullerton, CA versus $1,847 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 8% higher in Fullerton, CA, 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 $79.0 in Fullerton, CA versus $85.0 in Utrecht. Groceries tell a different story – $413 in Fullerton, CA vs $355 in Utrecht – so Utrecht wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fullerton, CA

🇳🇱 Utrecht

🕒 Local time

03:48 3:48 AM

12:48 12:48 PM

9 h ahead of Fullerton, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

135,161

367,947

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Fullerton, CA Utrecht 8,970 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

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Fullerton, CA
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Fullerton, CA vs Utrecht: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,507 in Fullerton, CA, $2,916 in Utrecht – roughly 20% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,260 per month in Fullerton, CA and $4,374 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,391 per month in Fullerton, CA and $3,024 in Utrecht. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 16% more in Fullerton, CA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,507 in Fullerton, CA and $2,916 in Utrecht. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Fullerton, CA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,916 in Utrecht to $3,507 in Fullerton, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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