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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,264 per month in Oxford vs $2,992 in Utrecht, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,576 per month in Oxford vs $4,267 in Utrecht, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,889 per month in Oxford vs $5,542 in Utrecht, rent included.

Oxford costs about 9% more than Utrecht, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Oxford and Utrecht sit above the global median – Oxford by 138%, Utrecht by 118%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.26 £18.69

$22.86 €19.72

10.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$106 £78.7

$85.4 €73.6

24.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.89 £8.06

$13.71 €11.82

-20.57%

Cappuccino

$5.03 £3.72

$4.83 €4.17

4.14%

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

$4.56 £3.37

$3.92 €3.38

16.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 £1.71

$3.49 €3.01

-33.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.18 £6.79

$7.68 €6.63

19.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.72 £6.45

$7.39 €6.37

18.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 £1.34

$1.64 €1.41

10.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 £1.27

$2.95 €2.54

-41.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 £1.44

$2.58 €2.22

-24.42%

Eggs

$4.19 £3.10

$4.85 €4.18

-13.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.90 £11.03

$13.69 €11.81

8.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.57 £6.34

$14.45 €12.47

-40.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.90 £11.03

$19.44 €16.77

-23.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.50 £2.59

$2.95 €2.54

18.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 £1.25

$2.57 €2.21

-34.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.06 £2.26

$2.18 €1.88

40.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.80 £2.81

$3.84 €3.31

-1.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 £1.30

$1.79 €1.55

-1.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 £1.30

$1.93 €1.66

-8.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 £0.89

$1.64 €1.42

-26.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 £1.24

$1.44 €1.24

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.73 £17.56

$15.39 €13.28

54.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.45 £8.47

$7.17 €6.18

59.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.39 £2.51

$1.44 €1.24

135.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 £2.69

$2.85 €2.46

27.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.99 £2.95

$3.76 €3.25

6.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 £81.4

$141 €122

-22.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.08 £3.76

$3.88 €3.35

30.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.18 £2.36

$2.87 €2.47

10.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.23 £31.25

$47.52 €40.98

-11.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 £1.49

$2.63 €2.26

-23.57%

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

$38.9K £28.8K

$42.3K €36.5K

-8.19%

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

$40.8K £30.2K

$41.2K €35.5K

-1.00%

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

$370 £273

$250 €215

47.98%

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

$17.94 £13.28

$21.86 €18.86

-17.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.56 £32.97

$49.84 €42.99

-10.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.99 £33.30

$46.75 €40.32

-3.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.47 £8.49

$33.26 €28.68

-65.51%

Cinema Ticket

$14.67 £10.85

$16.33 €14.08

-10.17%

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

$2,409 £1,783

$3,148 €2,715

-23.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K £11.6K

$8,193 €7,067

91.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.3 £72.8

$98.5 €85.0

-0.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.26 £35.72

$52.6 €45.33

-8.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 £76.4

$110 €95.2

-6.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 £79.4

$132 €114

-18.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,292 £1,696

$1,926 €1,661

18.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,736 £1,285

$1,531 €1,321

13.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,296 £2,439

$3,285 €2,833

0.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,665 £1,972

$2,323 €2,004

14.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,219 £6,082

$7,283 €6,282

12.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,953 £5,145

$4,976 €4,292

39.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,110 £3,041

$4,525 €3,903

-9.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.79

3.21

49.22%

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

Last update for Oxford: September 1, 2026

Last update for Utrecht: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,292 in Oxford versus $1,926 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 10% higher in Utrecht, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $106 in Oxford versus $85.0 in Utrecht. Groceries tell a different story – $332 in Oxford vs $366 in Utrecht – so Oxford 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

Oxford costs about 9% more than Utrecht, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,895 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $106 in Oxford and $85.0 in Utrecht. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,264 in Oxford and $2,992 in Utrecht. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,264 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 $3,264 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.