Cost of Living Comparison Between Oxford and Utrecht Cost of Living Comparison Between Oxford and Utrecht

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,993 per month in Oxford vs $2,992 in Utrecht, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,387 per month in Oxford vs $4,240 in Utrecht, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,781 per month in Oxford vs $5,489 in Utrecht, rent included.

Oxford and Utrecht have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Oxford and Utrecht sit above the global median – Oxford by 124%, Utrecht by 124%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.25 £15.05

$20.90 €18.26

-3.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.9 £58.7

$85.8 €74.9

-7.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 £7.73

$13.83 €12.08

-24.80%

Cappuccino

$4.79 £3.56

$4.62 €4.04

3.68%

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

$2.29 £1.70

$4.08 €3.57

-43.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 £1.34

$3.24 €2.83

-44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.07 £6.00

$6.98 €6.10

15.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.41 £5.51

$5.64 €4.93

31.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.45

$1.35 €1.18

44.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 £1.24

$2.43 €2.12

-31.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.81 £2.09

$3.08 €2.69

-8.77%

Eggs

$5.26 £3.91

$5.30 €4.63

-0.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.73 £10.95

$14.05 €12.27

4.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.40 £6.99

$16.20 €14.15

-41.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.29 £10.62

$17.28 €15.10

-17.30%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 £3.06

$2.36 €2.06

74.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 £1.20

$2.55 €2.23

-36.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 £2.35

$1.96 €1.71

61.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.55 £4.12

$3.76 €3.29

47.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 £1.24

$2.02 €1.77

-17.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 £1.47

$2.23 €1.95

-11.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 £0.76

$1.36 €1.19

-25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 £1.54

$1.15 €1.00

80.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.74 £14.67

$14.39 €12.57

37.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.09 £8.24

$6.69 €5.85

65.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.46 £2.57

$1.45 €1.27

138.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 £3.30

$2.73 €2.38

62.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.49 £2.60

$3.45 €3.01

1.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 £82.7

$75.1 €65.6

48.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.26 £6.14

$3.70 €3.23

123.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 £1.38

$2.42 €2.11

-23.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.45 £25.61

$26.76 €23.38

28.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 £1.41

$2.30 €2.01

-17.39%

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

$38.4K £28.6K

$41.0K €35.8K

-6.30%

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

$44.4K £33.0K

$39.7K €34.7K

11.71%

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

$387 £288

$288 €252

34.20%

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

$18.26 £13.58

$26.02 €22.73

-29.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.32 £35.18

$47.92 €41.86

-1.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 £42.55

$47.99 €41.93

19.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.22 £9.08

$23.07 €20.16

-47.03%

Cinema Ticket

$14.75 £10.96

$16.04 €14.02

-8.04%

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

$1,782 £1,325

$2,628 €2,296

-32.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$53.4K £39.7K

$11.0K €9,593

386.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.8 £71.2

$118 €103

-18.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.0 £39.38

$62.7 €54.8

-15.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 £68.8

$108 €93.9

-13.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 £88.1

$130 €114

-8.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,165 £1,609

$1,887 €1,648

14.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,517 £1,128

$1,523 €1,331

-0.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,490 £2,595

$2,924 €2,555

19.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,544 £1,891

$2,309 €2,017

10.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,172 £6,075

$7,310 €6,387

11.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,738 £5,009

$5,072 €4,432

32.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,984 £2,961

$4,271 €3,732

-6.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

4.39

30.75%

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

Last update for Oxford: July 11, 2026

Last update for Utrecht: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,165 in Oxford versus $1,887 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 7% higher in Utrecht. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Oxford versus $86.0 in Utrecht. Groceries tell a different story – $360 in Oxford vs $356 in Utrecht – so Utrecht wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Oxford vs Utrecht: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,489 per month in Oxford and $4,487 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.

Groceries cost about 1% more in Oxford, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

Kindergarten costs $1,782 per month in Oxford and $2,628 in Utrecht. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,993 in Oxford and $2,992 in Utrecht. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Utrecht costs $2,992 versus $2,993 in Oxford. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Oxford makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.