Cost of Living Comparison Between Utrecht and Dartford Cost of Living Comparison Between Utrecht and Dartford

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,947 per month in Utrecht vs $3,007 in Dartford, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,160 per month in Utrecht vs $4,457 in Dartford, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,373 per month in Utrecht vs $5,907 in Dartford, rent included.

Utrecht is about 2% cheaper than Dartford, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Utrecht and Dartford sit above the global median – Utrecht by 120%, Dartford by 124%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.14 €18.19

$27.23 £20.24

-22.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.5 €75.3

$108 £80.5

-19.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.95 €12.00

$10.91 £8.11

27.86%

Cappuccino

$4.39 €3.78

$5.07 £3.77

-13.41%

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

$3.95 €3.40

$2.86 £2.13

38.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 €2.71

$1.88 £1.40

67.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.03 €6.05

$8.12 £6.04

-13.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.86 €5.04

$6.87 £5.11

-14.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.16

$1.62 £1.20

-16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 €2.17

$1.32 £0.98

90.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.00 €2.58

$2.55 £1.90

17.65%

Eggs

$5.39 €4.63

$3.65 £2.71

47.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.04 €12.08

$10.10 £7.51

39.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.53 €14.22

$8.83 £6.57

87.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.40 €14.97

$14.50 £10.77

20.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.02

$3.35 £2.49

-29.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 €2.14

$1.99 £1.48

24.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.66

$2.86 £2.13

-32.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.70 €3.18

$3.48 £2.58

6.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.49 £1.11

30.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 €1.92

$1.43 £1.07

55.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 €1.17

$0.93 £0.69

46.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 €0.97

$1.53 £1.13

-26.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.32 €12.32

$23.16 £17.22

-38.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.22 €6.21

$13.63 £10.13

-47.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 €1.25

$2.23 £1.66

-34.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 €2.30

$3.37 £2.51

-20.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.48 €2.99

$3.22 £2.39

8.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.2 €64.7

$87.8 £65.2

-14.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.68 €3.16

$5.35 £3.98

-31.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.54 €2.19

$1.70 £1.26

49.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.59 €22.87

$15.15 £11.26

75.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 €1.95

$1.89 £1.41

20.11%

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

$39.8K €34.2K

$38.1K £28.3K

4.42%

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

$39.8K €34.3K

$39.3K £29.2K

1.29%

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

$296 €254

$228 £169

29.84%

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

$26.03 €22.39

$20.12 £14.95

29.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.51 €40.01

$43.13 £32.06

7.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.94 €40.38

$44.78 £33.28

4.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.19 €19.95

Cinema Ticket

$15.92 €13.69

$20.14 £14.97

-20.95%

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

$2,609 €2,245

$1,905 £1,416

36.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K €9,620

$25.5K £18.9K

-56.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$115 €98.5

$83.2 £61.8

37.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.7 €52.2

$48.06 £35.73

26.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €92.6

$109 £80.9

-1.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €112

$98.4 £73.2

32.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 €1,624

$2,286 £1,699

-17.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,521 €1,308

$1,651 £1,227

-7.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,826 €2,431

$3,009 £2,237

-6.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,241 €1,928

$2,708 £2,013

-17.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,022 €6,901

$5,433 £4,038

47.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,872 €5,051

$4,424 £3,288

32.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,615 €3,970

$3,596 £2,673

28.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.39

5.05

-13.07%

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

Last update for Utrecht: May 30, 2026

Last update for Dartford: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,888 in Utrecht versus $2,286 in Dartford. 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 28% higher in Utrecht, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $88.0 in Utrecht versus $108 in Dartford. Groceries tell a different story – $358 in Utrecht vs $304 in Dartford – so Dartford wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Dartford: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Dartford is pricier by about 2%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,420 per month in Utrecht and $4,511 in Dartford. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $88.0 in Utrecht and $108 in Dartford. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,947 in Utrecht and $3,007 in Dartford. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,947 in Utrecht and $3,007 in Dartford. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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.

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