Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ulm and Zoetermeer

For one person, living is cheaper in Ulm: $2,129 a month against $2,292 in Zoetermeer, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

104

Cost of Living Index in Ulm
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Ulm Living Index
112

Cost of Living Index in Zoetermeer
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Zoetermeer Living Index

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Ulm

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,129

/mo nomad

Zoetermeer

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,292

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ulm and in Zoetermeer

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ulm and in Zoetermeer actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,129 per month in Ulm vs $2,292 in Zoetermeer, rent included.

Ulm $2,129
Zoetermeer $2,292

A couple spends around $3,252 per month in Ulm vs $3,474 in Zoetermeer, rent included.

Ulm $3,252
Zoetermeer $3,474

A family of three spends $4,375 per month in Ulm vs $4,656 in Zoetermeer, rent included.

Ulm $4,375
Zoetermeer $4,656

Ulm is about 7% cheaper than Zoetermeer, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Ulm and Zoetermeer sit above the global median – Ulm by 57%, Zoetermeer by 69%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.81

$20.45 €18.19

-18.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.2 €58.9

$85.1 €75.7

-22.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.53 €12.03

$11.00 €9.78

23.00%

Cappuccino

$3.86 €3.43

$4.48 €3.98

-13.84%

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

$4.76 €4.23

$3.28 €2.92

45.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 €1.71

$2.24 €2.00

-14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.80 €4.27

$5.14 €4.57

-6.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 €4.06

$5.95 €5.29

-23.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 €1.26

$1.10 €0.98

28.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 €1.75

$1.11 €0.99

76.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.03 €3.58

$2.97 €2.64

35.69%

Eggs

$3.59 €3.20

$4.50 €4.00

-20.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.67 €13.05

$11.82 €10.51

24.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.26 €9.13

$13.36 €11.88

-23.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.98 €22.22

$16.78 €14.92

48.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 €3.06

$1.80 €1.60

91.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.08

$2.41 €2.15

-2.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

$1.46 €1.29

38.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.88 €3.45

$3.40 €3.02

14.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 €0.97

$1.68 €1.50

-35.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 €1.00

$1.51 €1.34

-25.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.45

$1.12 €0.99

44.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 €1.11

$0.94 €0.84

32.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.83 €8.74

$13.97 €12.43

-29.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.48 €4.87

$6.81 €6.06

-19.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 €1.01

$1.26 €1.12

-10.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 €1.31

$2.52 €2.24

-41.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.21 €2.86

$3.48 €3.09

-7.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.0 €58.7

$88.5 €78.8

-25.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.68 €4.16

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.49 €3.10

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$66.8 €59.4

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.93

$2.21 €1.97

-1.81%

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

$32.9K €29.2K

$41.5K €36.9K

-20.86%

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

$38.1K €33.9K

$39.7K €35.3K

-3.90%

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

$380 €338

$90.7 €80.7

318.85%

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

$34.07 €30.31

$21.17 €18.83

60.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.6 €46.83

$55.7 €49.52

-5.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.51 €30.69

$35.19 €31.30

-1.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.53 €20.04

$23.77 €21.15

-5.22%

Cinema Ticket

$13.34 €11.86

$15.41 €13.70

-13.43%

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

$441 €392

$2,699 €2,401

-83.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K €11.4K

$12.5K €11.1K

2.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.2 €78.4

$95.1 €84.6

-7.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.6 €49.42

$38.25 €34.02

45.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 €79.8

$110 €97.8

-18.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 €134

$141 €125

7.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$937 €834

$1,384 €1,231

-32.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 €649

$1,151 €1,024

-36.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,821 €1,619

$2,416 €2,149

-24.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,485 €1,321

$1,907 €1,696

-22.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,952 €5,294

$5,354 €4,763

11.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,922 €3,489

$4,391 €3,905

-10.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,775 €3,358

$4,353 €3,872

-13.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.97

3.49

13.75%

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

Last update for Ulm: October 18, 2026

Last update for Zoetermeer: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ulm

$730 34.3%

Zoetermeer

$1.2K 50.2% 57.8% $421

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ulm

$467 21.9%

Zoetermeer

$168 7.3% 64.1% $299

Groceries & Markets

Ulm

$340 16%

Zoetermeer

$300 13.1% 11.8% $40

Eating Out

Ulm

$280 13.2%

Zoetermeer

$310 13.5% 10.8% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Ulm

$173 8.1%

Zoetermeer

$173 7.5% 0.2% $0.4

Getting Around

Ulm

$79 * 3.7%

Zoetermeer

$125 5.4% 57.9% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Ulm

$61 2.9%

Zoetermeer

$66 2.9% 7.9% $4.8

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $937 in Ulm versus $1,384 in Zoetermeer. 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 15% higher in Zoetermeer, 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 $66.0 in Ulm versus $85.0 in Zoetermeer. Groceries tell a different story – $340 in Ulm vs $300 in Zoetermeer – so Zoetermeer wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Ulm

🇳🇱 Zoetermeer

🕒 Local time

12:16 12:16 PM

Same time as Ulm

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

121,648

126,998

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ulm Zoetermeer 560 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Ulm
Zoetermeer

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

Ulm vs Zoetermeer: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Zoetermeer is pricier by about 8%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,194 per month in Ulm and $3,437 in Zoetermeer. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $441 per month in Ulm and $2,699 in Zoetermeer. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 13% cheaper in Zoetermeer – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Ulm, where all-in costs run around $2,129, than in Zoetermeer at $2,292. In Ulm it covers expenses comfortably, while in Zoetermeer it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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