Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between The Hague and Utrecht

For one person, living is cheaper in The Hague: $2,733 a month against $2,876 in Utrecht, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

132

Cost of Living Index in The Hague
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The Hague Living Index
141

Cost of Living Index in Utrecht
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Utrecht Living Index

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The Hague

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,733

/mo nomad

Utrecht

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,876

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,733 per month in The Hague vs $2,876 in Utrecht, rent included.

The Hague $2,733
Utrecht $2,876

A couple spends around $4,089 per month in The Hague vs $4,129 in Utrecht, rent included.

The Hague $4,089
Utrecht $4,129

A family of three spends $5,446 per month in The Hague vs $5,382 in Utrecht, rent included.

The Hague $5,446
Utrecht $5,382

The Hague is about 5% cheaper than Utrecht, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both The Hague and Utrecht sit above the global median – The Hague by 102%, Utrecht by 113%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.35 €19.88

$22.38 €19.90

-0.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.5 €77.8

$85.1 €75.7

2.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.89 €13.24

$13.54 €12.04

9.97%

Cappuccino

$4.39 €3.91

$4.58 €4.08

-4.15%

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

$4.28 €3.81

$3.87 €3.44

10.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 €3.63

$3.28 €2.92

24.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.16 €6.37

$6.76 €6.01

5.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.64 €6.79

$7.23 €6.43

5.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 €1.33

$1.54 €1.37

-3.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 €2.04

$2.89 €2.57

-20.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 €2.23

Eggs

$4.73 €4.20

$4.73 €4.21

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.45 €12.85

$13.21 €11.75

9.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.18 €11.73

$13.86 €12.33

-4.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.25 €17.12

$19.03 €16.93

1.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.53 €2.25

$2.69 €2.39

-5.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.99

$2.37 €2.10

-5.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.76

$2.16 €1.92

-8.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.60 €3.20

$3.82 €3.40

-5.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 €1.16

$1.67 €1.48

-22.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.89 €1.68

-32.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 €0.99

$1.58 €1.41

-29.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 €0.83

$1.36 €1.21

-31.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.47 €12.87

$14.60 €12.99

-0.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.89 €5.24

$6.71 €5.97

-12.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.19

$1.33 €1.18

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.74

$2.71 €2.41

-28.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.59 €4.08

$3.67 €3.27

25.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.1 €81.0

$134 €119

-31.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 €4.03

$3.77 €3.35

20.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.32 €2.95

$2.70 €2.40

22.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.71 €29.99

$44.46 €39.54

-24.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.52 €2.24

$2.56 €2.27

-1.56%

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

$41.4K €36.9K

$41.0K €36.4K

1.13%

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

$39.5K €35.1K

$39.4K €35.1K

0.18%

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

$281 €250

$240 €214

17.21%

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

$28.39 €25.25

$21.52 €19.14

31.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.3 €48.31

$48.22 €42.90

12.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.4 €44.82

$44.50 €39.58

13.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.94 €21.30

$31.38 €27.91

-23.71%

Cinema Ticket

$16.49 €14.67

$15.87 €14.12

3.91%

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

$2,400 €2,135

$3,059 €2,721

-21.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K €10.3K

$8,154 €7,253

41.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.8 €85.2

$93.4 €83.1

2.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.61 €38.79

$51.3 €45.64

-15.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €96.2

$103 €92.0

4.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 €121

$122 €108

11.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,640 €1,459

$1,841 €1,638

-10.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,291 €1,148

$1,455 €1,294

-11.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,798 €2,489

$3,208 €2,853

-12.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,264 €2,014

$2,194 €1,951

3.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,067 €5,396

$6,832 €6,077

-11.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,538 €4,037

$4,670 €4,154

-2.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,069 €3,619

$4,240 €3,771

-4.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.4

3.23

5.26%

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

Last update for The Hague: October 10, 2026

Last update for Utrecht: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

The Hague

$1.3K 47.2%

Utrecht

$1.5K 50.6% 12.7% $164

Monthly Utilities & Internet

The Hague

$364 13.3%

Utrecht

$310 10.8% 14.9% $54

Eating Out

The Hague

$361 13.2%

Utrecht

$352 12.2% 2.5% $9.2

Groceries & Markets

The Hague

$330 12.1%

Utrecht

$352 12.2% 6.5% $21

Clothing & Footwear

The Hague

$173 6.3%

Utrecht

$166 5.8% 3.6% $6.2

Getting Around

The Hague

$131 4.8%

Utrecht

$166 5.8% 26.8% $35

Sport & Entertainment

The Hague

$83 3.1%

Utrecht

$76 2.7% 8.5% $7.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,640 in The Hague versus $1,841 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 4% 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 $87.0 in The Hague versus $85.0 in Utrecht. Groceries tell a different story – $330 in The Hague vs $352 in Utrecht – so The Hague wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇱 The Hague

🇳🇱 Utrecht

🕒 Local time

16:04 4:04 PM

Same time as The Hague

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

562,839

367,947

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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The Hague Utrecht 58 km

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The Hague
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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

The Hague vs Utrecht: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,733 in The Hague, $2,876 in Utrecht – roughly 5% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,099 per month in The Hague and $4,314 in Utrecht. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,733 in The Hague and $2,876 in Utrecht. That's a gap of about 5%.

Public transport costs about 47% less in The Hague. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,733 in The Hague and $2,876 in Utrecht. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. The Hague has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,733 in The Hague to $2,876 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 The Hague. 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.