Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Utrecht and Burlington

For one person, living is cheaper in Burlington: $2,737 a month against $2,987 in Utrecht, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Utrecht, Netherlands
Burlington, Canada
Utrecht
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$2,987
/mo nomad
Burlington
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,737
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Utrecht and in Burlington

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 Burlington actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,987 per month in Utrecht vs $2,737 in Burlington, rent included.

  • Utrecht $2,987
  • Burlington $2,737

A couple spends around $4,205 per month in Utrecht vs $3,881 in Burlington, rent included.

  • Utrecht $4,205
  • Burlington $3,881

A family of three spends $5,423 per month in Utrecht vs $5,025 in Burlington, rent included.

  • Utrecht $5,423
  • Burlington $5,025

Utrecht costs about 9% more than Burlington, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Utrecht and Burlington sit above the global median – Utrecht by 120%, Burlington by 101%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Utrecht
Burlington
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.74 €20.42
$21.84 CA$30.65
4.12%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.0 €75.5
$72.3 CA$101
16.29%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.55 €12.17
$10.60 CA$14.87
27.83%
Cappuccino
$4.78 €4.30
$3.31 CA$4.64
44.41%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.84 €3.45
$2.00 CA$2.81
92.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.39 €3.04
$1.55 CA$2.18
118.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.59 €5.92
$5.57 CA$7.82
18.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.15 €6.43
$6.11 CA$8.57
17.02%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Utrecht
Burlington
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 €1.35
$2.60 CA$3.65
-41.92%
White Bread (500g)
$2.98 €2.68
$2.86 CA$4.01
4.20%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.54 €2.28
$3.78 CA$5.31
-32.80%
Eggs
$4.68 €4.20
$3.76 CA$5.27
24.47%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.36 €12.00
$10.00 CA$14.03
33.60%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.92 €12.50
$10.59 CA$14.86
31.44%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.68 €16.78
$14.78 CA$20.74
26.39%
Apples (1kg)
$2.74 €2.46
$3.83 CA$5.38
-28.46%
Banana (1kg)
$2.40 €2.15
$1.48 CA$2.08
62.16%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.08 €1.87
$2.67 CA$3.75
-22.10%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.78 €3.40
$3.65 CA$5.12
3.56%
Potato (1kg)
$1.73 €1.55
$1.96 CA$2.75
-11.73%
Onion (1kg)
$1.88 €1.69
$1.92 CA$2.70
-2.08%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.59 €1.43
$2.09 CA$2.93
-23.92%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.38 €1.24
$1.47 CA$2.07
-6.12%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.42 €12.96
$13.64 CA$19.15
5.72%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.82 €6.12
$10.79 CA$15.15
-36.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.35 €1.22
$2.80 CA$3.94
-51.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.68 €2.40
$2.92 CA$4.10
-8.22%
🚌 Getting Around
Utrecht
Burlington
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.55 €3.19
$2.65 CA$3.71
33.96%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$132 €119
$99.8 CA$140
32.42%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.73 €3.35
$5.09 CA$7.15
-26.72%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.73 €2.45
$2.44 CA$3.42
11.89%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$45.56 €40.92
$43.32 CA$60.8
5.17%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.59 €2.33
$1.19 CA$1.67
117.65%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$41.0K €36.9K
$27.8K CA$39.0K
47.64%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.1K €36.0K
$21.7K CA$30.5K
84.45%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Utrecht
Burlington
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$245 €220
$144 CA$202
70.20%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.75 €19.54
$44.16 CA$62.0
-50.75%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$48.16 €43.26
$67.4 CA$94.6
-28.55%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Utrecht
Burlington
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.24 €39.74
$43.66 CA$61.3
1.33%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$31.25 €28.07
$30.23 CA$42.42
3.37%
Cinema Ticket
$15.06 €13.53
$16.13 CA$22.64
-6.63%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Utrecht
Burlington
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$3,274 €2,941
$902 CA$1,266
262.77%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,994 €7,181
$19.0K CA$26.7K
-57.96%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Utrecht
Burlington
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$93.1 €83.7
$69.3 CA$97.2
34.41%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.5 €46.25
$65.5 CA$91.9
-21.40%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$103 €92.1
$100 CA$140
2.50%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$126 €113
$99.8 CA$140
25.88%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Utrecht
Burlington
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,945 €1,747
$1,729 CA$2,426
12.47%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,558 €1,400
$1,480 CA$2,078
5.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,128 €2,810
$2,599 CA$3,647
20.37%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,229 €2,002
$2,176 CA$3,054
2.42%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,109 €6,386
$5,270 CA$7,396
34.90%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,877 €4,381
$4,145 CA$5,816
17.68%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Utrecht
Burlington
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,245 €3,813
$3,285 CA$4,610
29.21%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.23
4.52
-28.54%

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

Last update for Utrecht: October 26, 2026

Last update for Burlington: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Utrecht
$1.6K
Burlington
$1.5K 5% $78
Eating Out
Utrecht
$356
Burlington
$300 15.6% $56
Groceries & Markets
Utrecht
$352
Burlington
$346 1.7% $6.1
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Utrecht
$315
Burlington
$256 18.9% $59
Clothing & Footwear
Utrecht
$168
Burlington
$151 10.2% $17
Getting Around
Utrecht
$164
Burlington
$128 22% $36
Sport & Entertainment
Utrecht
$74
Burlington
$76 2.1% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,945 in Utrecht versus $1,729 in Burlington. 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 29% higher in Utrecht. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $84 in Utrecht versus $72 in Burlington. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $346 – making Burlington the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇳🇱 Utrecht
🇨🇦 Burlington
🕒 Local time
19:48 7:48 PM
14:48 2:48 PM
5 h behind Utrecht
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
367,947
183,314
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.64 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Utrecht Burlington 6,060 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Utrecht
  • Burlington

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 Burlington: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Burlington cheaper than Utrecht?
Yes – Utrecht is pricier by about 9%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,481 per month in Utrecht and $4,105 in Burlington. 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 Burlington, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,729 there versus $1,945 in Utrecht.
Is eating out cheaper in Utrecht or in Burlington?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $84 in Utrecht and $72 in Burlington. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 24% less in Burlington. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $2,500 enough to cover costs in Utrecht or in Burlington?
$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,987 in Utrecht and $2,737 in Burlington. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is Utrecht or Burlington more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Burlington – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Burlington. 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.

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