Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Utrecht and Amstelveen

For one person, living is cheaper in Utrecht: $2,916 a month against $3,074 in Amstelveen, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Amstelveen outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Utrecht
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$2,916
/mo nomad
Amstelveen
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$3,074
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Utrecht and in Amstelveen

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

A single person spends $2,916 per month in Utrecht vs $3,074 in Amstelveen, rent included.

  • Utrecht $2,916
  • Amstelveen $3,074

A couple spends around $4,182 per month in Utrecht vs $4,293 in Amstelveen, rent included.

  • Utrecht $4,182
  • Amstelveen $4,293

A family of three spends $5,448 per month in Utrecht vs $5,512 in Amstelveen, rent included.

  • Utrecht $5,448
  • Amstelveen $5,512

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

Both Utrecht and Amstelveen sit above the global median – Utrecht by 115%, Amstelveen by 127%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Utrecht
Amstelveen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.48 €19.99
$24.20 €21.53
-7.11%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.0 €75.6
$84.1 €74.8
1.08%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.41 €11.93
$13.40 €11.92
0.07%
Cappuccino
$4.73 €4.21
$3.92 €3.49
20.66%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.78 €3.36
$3.88 €3.45
-2.58%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.29 €2.93
$3.09 €2.75
6.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.57 €5.84
$5.46 €4.86
20.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.44 €6.62
$5.73 €5.10
29.84%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Utrecht
Amstelveen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.54 €1.37
$1.15 €1.02
33.91%
White Bread (500g)
$2.89 €2.57
$1.59 €1.41
81.76%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.46 €2.19
$3.68 €3.27
-33.15%
Eggs
$4.92 €4.38
$4.95 €4.40
-0.61%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.44 €11.95
$12.70 €11.30
5.83%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.79 €12.27
$14.22 €12.65
-3.02%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.19 €17.07
$16.79 €14.94
14.29%
Apples (1kg)
$2.83 €2.52
$1.98 €1.76
42.93%
Banana (1kg)
$2.47 €2.20
$2.40 €2.13
2.92%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.10 €1.87
$1.88 €1.67
11.70%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.78 €3.36
$5.78 €5.14
-34.60%
Potato (1kg)
$1.73 €1.54
$2.01 €1.79
-13.93%
Onion (1kg)
$1.94 €1.73
$1.86 €1.66
4.30%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.54 €1.37
$1.23 €1.09
25.20%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.45 €1.29
$0.71 €0.63
104.23%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.63 €13.01
$13.99 €12.44
4.57%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.62 €5.89
$6.55 €5.82
1.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.35 €1.20
$1.49 €1.32
-9.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.68 €2.39
$2.61 €2.32
2.68%
🚌 Getting Around
Utrecht
Amstelveen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.49 €3.11
$3.87 €3.45
-9.82%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$135 €120
$73.9 €65.7
82.75%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.79 €3.37
$4.09 €3.64
-7.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.74 €2.44
$3.06 €2.72
-10.46%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$44.33 €39.43
$30.19 €26.86
46.84%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.55 €2.27
$2.42 €2.15
5.37%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$42.2K €37.6K
$40.9K €36.4K
3.24%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.6K €35.2K
$40.0K €35.6K
-1.02%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Utrecht
Amstelveen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$248 €221
$282 €250
-11.86%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.90 €19.48
$24.53 €21.82
-10.72%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$47.01 €41.81
$50.9 €45.26
-7.62%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Utrecht
Amstelveen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.64 €40.59
$31.15 €27.71
46.52%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$31.35 €27.88
$56.6 €50.4
-44.63%
Cinema Ticket
$15.42 €13.71
$16.65 €14.81
-7.39%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Utrecht
Amstelveen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$3,024 €2,690
$2,305 €2,050
31.23%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,950 €7,071
$26.8K €23.8K
-70.34%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Utrecht
Amstelveen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$93.5 €83.2
$59.2 €52.7
57.85%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.9 €46.19
$44.81 €39.86
15.89%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$103 €91.7
$89.8 €79.9
14.72%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$126 €112
$148 €132
-14.58%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Utrecht
Amstelveen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,847 €1,643
$2,278 €2,026
-18.92%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,480 €1,316
$1,711 €1,522
-13.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,230 €2,873
$3,159 €2,810
2.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,234 €1,987
$2,467 €2,194
-9.46%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,933 €6,167
$8,122 €7,225
-14.64%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,859 €4,322
$5,959 €5,301
-18.47%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Utrecht
Amstelveen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,254 €3,784
$4,726 €4,204
-10.00%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.23
4.3
-24.88%

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

Last update for Utrecht: October 19, 2026

Last update for Amstelveen: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Utrecht
$1.5K
Amstelveen
$1.7K 15.6% $232
Groceries & Markets
Utrecht
$355
Amstelveen
$331 6.7% $24
Eating Out
Utrecht
$353
Amstelveen
$348 1.5% $5.2
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Utrecht
$317
Amstelveen
$357 12.6% $40
Clothing & Footwear
Utrecht
$169
Amstelveen
$154 8.8% $15
Getting Around
Utrecht
$166
Amstelveen
$109 34.7% $58
Sport & Entertainment
Utrecht
$76
Amstelveen
$64 15.7% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,847 in Utrecht versus $2,278 in Amstelveen. 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 11% higher in Amstelveen, 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 $85.0 in Utrecht versus $84.0 in Amstelveen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $355 vs $331 – making Amstelveen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇳🇱 Utrecht
🇳🇱 Amstelveen
🕒 Local time
01:29 1:29 AM
01:29 1:29 AM
Same time as Utrecht
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
367,947
91,675
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Utrecht Amstelveen 30 km
From you
  • Utrecht
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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
Utrecht vs Amstelveen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Amstelveen cheaper than Utrecht?
Yes – Amstelveen is pricier by about 5%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,374 per month in Utrecht and $4,611 in Amstelveen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 83% less in Utrecht. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $3,024 per month in Utrecht and $2,305 in Amstelveen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $3,000 enough to cover costs in Utrecht or in Amstelveen?
$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,916 in Utrecht and $3,074 in Amstelveen. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is Utrecht or Amstelveen more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Utrecht – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Utrecht or Amstelveen?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Utrecht. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Amstelveen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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