Cost of Living Comparison Between Oshawa and Utrecht Cost of Living Comparison Between Oshawa and Utrecht

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,599 in Oshawa versus $2,971 in Utrecht.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,728 in Oshawa versus $4,155 in Utrecht.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,858 in Oshawa versus $5,340 in Utrecht.

Living in Oshawa costs roughly 13% less than in Utrecht, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oshawa 95% above, Utrecht 123% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.23 CA$25.59

$20.66 €18.01

-11.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.5 CA$105

$85.1 €74.2

-12.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.26 CA$14.41

$13.82 €12.05

-25.76%

Cappuccino

$3.82 CA$5.35

$4.41 €3.84

-13.38%

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

$1.97 CA$2.77

$4.04 €3.52

-51.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 CA$2.26

$3.28 €2.86

-50.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.27 CA$7.39

$7.10 €6.19

-25.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.08 CA$8.53

$5.73 €4.99

6.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.68 CA$3.76

$1.39 €1.22

92.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 CA$3.83

$2.42 €2.11

12.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.75 CA$5.26

$3.08 €2.68

21.75%

Eggs

$3.55 CA$4.99

$5.20 €4.54

-31.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 CA$16.95

$14.41 €12.56

-16.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.16 CA$15.67

$16.21 €14.13

-31.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.02 CA$22.48

$17.37 €15.14

-7.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.45 CA$4.85

$2.42 €2.11

42.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 CA$1.69

$2.49 €2.17

-51.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 CA$5.52

$2.00 €1.74

96.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.99 CA$7.00

$3.80 €3.31

31.32%

Potato (1kg)

$4.76 CA$6.68

$1.94 €1.69

145.36%

Onion (1kg)

$3.34 CA$4.69

$2.15 €1.87

55.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 CA$4.09

$1.30 €1.13

123.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 CA$1.86

$1.15 €1.00

15.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.79 CA$20.76

$14.17 €12.35

4.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.57 CA$17.65

$6.68 €5.83

88.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.17 CA$4.45

$1.39 €1.21

128.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 CA$4.20

$2.62 €2.28

14.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.70 CA$3.80

$3.55 €3.10

-23.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.5 CA$123

$74.8 €65.2

16.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 CA$5.05

$3.67 €3.20

-1.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 CA$2.94

$2.43 €2.12

-13.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.74 CA$30.51

$27.52 €23.99

-21.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 CA$1.60

$2.35 €2.05

-51.49%

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

$24.6K CA$34.6K

$40.9K €35.7K

-39.80%

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

$20.5K CA$28.7K

$39.3K €34.3K

-47.94%

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

$233 CA$327

$294 €257

-20.79%

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

$58.8 CA$82.5

$25.86 €22.55

127.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.7 CA$105

$47.38 €41.31

57.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.59 CA$58.4

$47.58 €41.48

-12.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.70 CA$51.5

$23.53 €20.51

55.97%

Cinema Ticket

$12.38 CA$17.38

$16.43 €14.33

-24.65%

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

$1,305 CA$1,832

$2,694 €2,348

-51.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K CA$16.8K

$11.0K €9,614

8.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.5 CA$85.0

$115 €100

-47.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.1 CA$83.0

$62.8 €54.7

-5.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 CA$165

$107 €93.4

9.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 CA$221

$127 €110

24.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 CA$1,786

$1,911 €1,666

-33.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,188 CA$1,667

$1,521 €1,326

-21.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,015 CA$2,829

$2,915 €2,542

-30.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,889 CA$2,652

$2,297 €2,003

-17.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,145 CA$7,222

$7,359 €6,415

-30.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.4K CA$14.6K

$4,860 €4,237

113.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,997 CA$4,207

$4,306 €3,754

-30.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.21

4.39

41.46%

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

Last update for Oshawa: July 25, 2026

Last update for Utrecht: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,272 in Oshawa and $1,911 in Utrecht. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Utrecht pays 44% 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: $74.0 in Oshawa vs $85.0 in Utrecht. Groceries flip the comparison at $384 vs $356, 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

Oshawa vs Utrecht: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Oshawa wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Utrecht. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Oshawa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 44% lower in Utrecht. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,272 in Oshawa versus $1,911 in Utrecht. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Oshawa – a meal for two runs $74.0 versus $85.0 in Utrecht. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,599 per month in Oshawa versus $2,971 in Utrecht – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,599 in Oshawa versus $2,971 in Utrecht, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Oshawa but tight or insufficient in Utrecht. The gap between the two cities makes Oshawa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Oshawa delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,599 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Oshawa hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Oshawa 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 Oshawa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Utrecht. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.