Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Paul, MN and Utrecht

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint Paul, MN: $2,445 a month against $2,987 in Utrecht, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Saint Paul, MN
Learn more

Saint Paul, MN Living Index
142

Cost of Living Index in Utrecht
Learn more

Utrecht Living Index

Jump to prices

Saint Paul, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,445

/mo nomad

Utrecht

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,987

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,445 per month in Saint Paul, MN vs $2,987 in Utrecht, rent included.

Saint Paul, MN $2,445
Utrecht $2,987

A couple spends around $3,672 per month in Saint Paul, MN vs $4,205 in Utrecht, rent included.

Saint Paul, MN $3,672
Utrecht $4,205

A family of three spends $4,900 per month in Saint Paul, MN vs $5,423 in Utrecht, rent included.

Saint Paul, MN $4,900
Utrecht $5,423

Saint Paul, MN is about 18% cheaper than Utrecht, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Saint Paul, MN and Utrecht sit above the global median – Saint Paul, MN by 80%, Utrecht by 120%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.66 $15.66

$22.74 €20.42

-31.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.8 $67.8

$84.0 €75.5

-19.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.07 $10.07

$13.55 €12.17

-25.68%

Cappuccino

$5.03 $5.03

$4.78 €4.30

5.23%

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

$3.09 $3.09

$3.84 €3.45

-19.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 $2.59

$3.39 €3.04

-23.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.04 $6.04

$6.59 €5.92

-8.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.37 $7.37

$7.15 €6.43

3.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.51 €1.35

-35.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$2.98 €2.68

27.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.54 €2.28

31.10%

Eggs

$2.96 $2.96

$4.68 €4.20

-36.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.39 $9.39

$13.36 €12.00

-29.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 $9.66

$13.92 €12.50

-30.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.17 $13.17

$18.68 €16.78

-29.50%

Apples (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$2.74 €2.46

76.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 $1.11

$2.40 €2.15

-53.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.88 $5.88

$2.08 €1.87

182.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$3.78 €3.40

30.16%

Potato (1kg)

$3.81 $3.81

$1.73 €1.55

120.23%

Onion (1kg)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.88 €1.69

85.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.59 €1.43

28.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.38 €1.24

26.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.68 $12.68

$14.42 €12.96

-12.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.65 $14.65

$6.82 €6.12

114.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.35 €1.22

25.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 $3.41

$2.68 €2.40

27.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$3.55 €3.19

-44.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 $104

$132 €119

-21.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 $2.54

$3.73 €3.35

-31.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$2.73 €2.45

-44.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.02 $31.02

$45.56 €40.92

-31.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$2.59 €2.33

-60.23%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$41.0K €36.9K

-33.97%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$40.1K €36.0K

-33.71%

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

$232 $232

$245 €220

-5.20%

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

$50.6 $50.6

$21.75 €19.54

132.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.7 $64.7

$48.16 €43.26

34.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.74 $29.74

$44.24 €39.74

-32.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.50 $8.50

$31.25 €28.07

-72.80%

Cinema Ticket

$13.07 $13.07

$15.06 €13.53

-13.21%

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

$1,481 $1,481

$3,274 €2,941

-54.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.1K $28.1K

$7,994 €7,181

251.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.01 $41.01

$93.1 €83.7

-55.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.23 $40.23

$51.5 €46.25

-21.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.1 $82.1

$103 €92.1

-19.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$126 €113

-12.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,444 $1,444

$1,945 €1,747

-25.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,153 $1,153

$1,558 €1,400

-25.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,660 $2,660

$3,128 €2,810

-14.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,132 $2,132

$2,229 €2,002

-4.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,631 $2,631

$7,109 €6,386

-63.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,949 $1,949

$4,877 €4,381

-60.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,256 $4,256

$4,245 €3,813

0.27%

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 Saint Paul, MN: October 24, 2026

Last update for Utrecht: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saint Paul, MN

$1.2K 47.2%

Utrecht

$1.6K 52.2% 35.1% $405

Groceries & Markets

Saint Paul, MN

$360 14.7%

Utrecht

$352 11.8% 2.1% $7.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint Paul, MN

$348 14.2%

Utrecht

$315 10.5% 9.4% $33

Eating Out

Saint Paul, MN

$283 11.6%

Utrecht

$356 11.9% 25.6% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Saint Paul, MN

$123 5%

Utrecht

$168 5.6% 36.3% $45

Getting Around

Saint Paul, MN

$122 5%

Utrecht

$164 5.5% 34.5% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Saint Paul, MN

$56 2.3%

Utrecht

$74 2.5% 33.1% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,444 in Saint Paul, MN versus $1,945 in Utrecht. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Saint Paul, MN versus $84 in Utrecht. Groceries tell a different story – $360 in Saint Paul, MN vs $352 in Utrecht – so Utrecht wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Saint Paul, MN

🇳🇱 Utrecht

🕒 Local time

18:06 6:06 PM

00:06 12:06 AM

6 h ahead of Saint Paul, MN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

285,068

367,947

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Saint Paul, MN Utrecht 6,710 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Saint Paul, MN
Utrecht

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

Saint Paul, MN vs Utrecht: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Utrecht is pricier by about 22%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,667 per month in Saint Paul, MN and $4,481 in Utrecht. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Saint Paul, MN, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,444 there versus $1,945 in Utrecht.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Saint Paul, MN and $84 in Utrecht. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 21% less in Saint Paul, MN. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Families tend to lean toward Saint Paul, MN – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.