Cost of Living Comparison Between Southampton and Utrecht Cost of Living Comparison Between Southampton and Utrecht

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,713 per month in Southampton vs $2,947 in Utrecht, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,808 per month in Southampton vs $4,160 in Utrecht, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,902 per month in Southampton vs $5,373 in Utrecht, rent included.

Southampton is about 8% cheaper than Utrecht, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Southampton and Utrecht sit above the global median – Southampton by 102%, Utrecht by 120%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.36 £20.33

$21.14 €18.19

29.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.2 £58.1

$87.5 €75.3

-10.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.62 £8.64

$13.95 €12.00

-16.70%

Cappuccino

$4.92 £3.65

$4.39 €3.78

12.07%

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

$2.57 £1.91

$3.95 €3.40

-34.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 £1.69

$3.15 €2.71

-27.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.04 £5.23

$7.03 €6.05

0.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.77 £5.03

$5.86 €5.04

15.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 £1.09

$1.35 €1.16

8.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 £1.02

$2.52 €2.17

-45.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.59 £2.67

$3.00 €2.58

19.67%

Eggs

$5.44 £4.05

$5.39 €4.63

0.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.22 £6.85

$14.04 €12.08

-34.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 £6.95

$16.53 €14.22

-43.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 £10.95

$17.40 €14.97

-15.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 £1.79

$2.35 €2.02

2.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 £1.23

$2.48 €2.14

-33.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.47 £1.83

$1.93 €1.66

27.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.97 £2.21

$3.70 €3.18

-19.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 £1.31

$1.94 €1.67

-9.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 £0.87

$2.23 €1.92

-47.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 £0.73

$1.36 €1.17

-27.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 £1.67

$1.13 €0.97

98.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.42 £12.95

$14.32 €12.32

21.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 £8.40

$7.22 €6.21

56.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.13 £3.07

$1.46 €1.25

182.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 £2.48

$2.67 €2.30

25.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.89 £2.15

$3.48 €2.99

-16.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.4 £64.2

$75.2 €64.7

14.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.34 £3.22

$3.68 €3.16

17.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 £1.47

$2.54 €2.19

-22.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.46 £24.12

$26.59 €22.87

22.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 £1.47

$2.27 €1.95

-13.22%

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

$38.5K £28.6K

$39.8K €34.2K

-3.23%

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

$40.4K £30.1K

$39.8K €34.3K

1.55%

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

$343 £255

$296 €254

15.91%

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

$18.38 £13.66

$26.03 €22.39

-29.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.9 £40.05

$46.51 €40.01

15.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.51 £30.85

$46.94 €40.38

-11.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.22 £13.55

$23.19 €19.95

-21.43%

Cinema Ticket

$12.46 £9.26

$15.92 €13.69

-21.73%

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

$1,500 £1,115

$2,609 €2,245

-42.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.5K £13.8K

$11.2K €9,620

65.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$117 £86.9

$115 €98.5

2.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.6 £39.86

$60.7 €52.2

-11.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 £86.1

$108 €92.6

7.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 £109

$130 €112

12.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,370 £1,018

$1,888 €1,624

-27.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,206 £897

$1,521 €1,308

-20.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,438 £1,812

$2,826 €2,431

-13.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,774 £1,319

$2,241 €1,928

-20.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,101 £4,535

$8,022 €6,901

-23.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,587 £4,153

$5,872 €5,051

-4.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,394 £2,523

$4,615 €3,970

-26.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.62

4.39

28.02%

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

Last update for Southampton: May 31, 2026

Last update for Utrecht: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,370 in Southampton versus $1,888 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 36% higher in Utrecht, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78.0 in Southampton versus $88.0 in Utrecht. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $318 vs $358 – making Southampton the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Southampton vs Utrecht: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,713 in Southampton, $2,947 in Utrecht – roughly 9% apart. Utrecht costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,070 per month in Southampton and $4,420 in Utrecht. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Southampton, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,500 per month in Southampton and $2,609 in Utrecht. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Utrecht, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,713 in Southampton and $2,947 in Utrecht. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Southampton has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,713 in Southampton to $2,947 in Utrecht. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Southampton. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Utrecht makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.