Cost of Living Comparison Between Huntington Beach, CA and Utrecht Cost of Living Comparison Between Huntington Beach, CA and Utrecht

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,504 in Huntington Beach, CA versus $3,019 in Utrecht.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,833 in Huntington Beach, CA versus $4,253 in Utrecht.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,161 in Huntington Beach, CA versus $5,486 in Utrecht.

Living in Huntington Beach, CA is roughly 16% more expensive than Utrecht, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Huntington Beach, CA 161% above, Utrecht 125% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.72 $19.72

$20.75 €17.70

-4.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$86.3 €73.6

-1.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.13 $12.13

$13.73 €11.71

-11.65%

Cappuccino

$4.87 $4.87

$4.47 €3.81

8.95%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$4.12 €3.52

-35.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$3.29 €2.80

-34.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.97 $6.97

$7.11 €6.06

-1.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.12 $8.12

$5.75 €4.91

41.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.33 €1.14

-10.53%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$2.46 €2.10

102.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$3.14 €2.68

32.17%

Eggs

$5.05 $5.05

$5.36 €4.57

-5.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.25 $12.25

$14.11 €12.03

-13.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.47 $11.47

$16.14 €13.77

-28.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.75 $14.75

$17.49 €14.92

-15.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$2.47 €2.11

76.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 $1.86

$2.51 €2.14

-25.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.83 $3.83

$2.00 €1.70

91.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.63 $5.63

$3.79 €3.24

48.55%

Potato (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$1.96 €1.67

120.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.21 €1.88

32.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.32 €1.12

34.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.14 €0.97

85.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.61 $9.61

$14.23 €12.14

-32.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$7.34 €6.26

104.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.39 €1.19

22.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.49 $4.49

$2.71 €2.31

65.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.07 $3.07

$3.52 €3.01

-12.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.8 $50.8

$75.8 €64.6

-32.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.90 $3.90

$3.79 €3.23

2.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.43 €2.08

14.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.46 $32.46

$26.94 €22.98

20.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$2.23 €1.91

-43.95%

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

$23.9K $23.9K

$40.2K €34.3K

-40.65%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$40.0K €34.2K

-36.75%

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

$197 $197

$287 €245

-31.19%

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

$54.2 $54.2

$26.72 €22.79

102.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.9 $70.9

$47.67 €40.66

48.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.85 $44.85

$46.86 €39.97

-4.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.46 €20.01

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$16.07 €13.71

-11.26%

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

$1,193 $1,193

$2,672 €2,279

-55.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.8K $40.8K

$11.0K €9,384

270.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.5 $57.5

$116 €98.7

-50.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.61 $34.61

$61.9 €52.8

-44.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$106 €90.5

-20.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 $124

$127 €109

-2.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 $2,571

$1,863 €1,589

37.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,185 $2,185

$1,580 €1,348

38.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,071 $5,071

$2,853 €2,433

77.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,170 $5,170

$2,278 €1,943

126.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,043 $8,043

$7,806 €6,658

3.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,038 $5,038

$5,648 €4,817

-10.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,427 $5,427

$4,682 €3,994

15.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.58

4.39

49.89%

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

Last update for Huntington Beach, CA: April 20, 2026

Last update for Utrecht: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,571 in Huntington Beach, CA and $1,863 in Utrecht. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Huntington Beach, CA pays 16% 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: $85 in Huntington Beach, CA vs $86 in Utrecht. Groceries flip the comparison at $412 vs $358, with Utrecht 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

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

Utrecht wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Huntington Beach, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Utrecht the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Huntington Beach, CA pays 16% 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: $2,571 in Huntington Beach, CA versus $1,863 in Utrecht. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Huntington Beach, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Utrecht – a meal for two runs $86.0 versus $85.0 in Huntington Beach, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Utrecht is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Utrecht delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,019 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Utrecht hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Huntington Beach, CA and Utrecht 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 Utrecht gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Huntington Beach, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.