Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Utrecht and North Charleston, SC

For one person, living costs are similar in Utrecht and in North Charleston, SC: $2,916 and $2,932 a month, rent and utilities included.

141

Cost of Living Index in Utrecht
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Utrecht Living Index
142

Cost of Living Index in North Charleston, SC
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North Charleston, SC Living Index

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Utrecht

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,916

/mo nomad

North Charleston, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,932

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Utrecht and in North Charleston, SC

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 North Charleston, SC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,916 per month in Utrecht vs $2,932 in North Charleston, SC, rent included.

Utrecht $2,916
North Charleston, SC $2,932

A couple spends around $4,182 per month in Utrecht vs $4,243 in North Charleston, SC, rent included.

Utrecht $4,182
North Charleston, SC $4,243

A family of three spends $5,448 per month in Utrecht vs $5,554 in North Charleston, SC, rent included.

Utrecht $5,448
North Charleston, SC $5,554

Utrecht is about 1% cheaper than North Charleston, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Utrecht and North Charleston, SC sit above the global median – Utrecht by 115%, North Charleston, SC by 116%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.48 €19.99

$20.08 $20.08

11.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 €75.6

$92.3 $92.3

-7.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.41 €11.93

$11.86 $11.86

13.07%

Cappuccino

$4.73 €4.21

$5.93 $5.93

-20.24%

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

$3.78 €3.36

$2.92 $2.92

29.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 €2.93

$2.52 $2.52

30.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.57 €5.84

$5.91 $5.91

11.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.44 €6.62

$7.92 $7.92

-6.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 €1.37

$1.03 $1.03

49.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 €2.57

$3.75 $3.75

-22.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.46 €2.19

$4.73 $4.73

-47.99%

Eggs

$4.92 €4.38

$5.10 $5.10

-3.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.44 €11.95

$7.38 $7.38

82.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.79 €12.27

$14.76 $14.76

-6.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.19 €17.07

$20.30 $20.30

-5.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 €2.52

$8.26 $8.26

-65.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.20

$1.76 $1.76

40.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$5.12 $5.12

-58.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.78 €3.36

$6.40 $6.40

-40.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 €1.54

$4.37 $4.37

-60.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 €1.73

$3.19 $3.19

-39.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 €1.37

$2.52 $2.52

-38.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 €1.29

$2.05 $2.05

-29.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.63 €13.01

$8.94 $8.94

63.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.62 €5.89

$15.38 $15.38

-56.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 €1.20

$2.12 $2.12

-36.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.39

$2.96 $2.96

-9.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.49 €3.11

$2.47 $2.47

41.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$135 €120

$49.53 $49.53

172.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.79 €3.37

$3.05 $3.05

24.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.74 €2.44

$1.26 $1.26

117.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.33 €39.43

$32.64 $32.64

35.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.55 €2.27

$0.99 $0.99

157.58%

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

$42.2K €37.6K

$26.8K $26.8K

57.73%

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

$39.6K €35.2K

$25.8K $25.8K

53.51%

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

$248 €221

$223 $223

11.18%

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

$21.90 €19.48

$75.9 $75.9

-71.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.01 €41.81

$86.1 $86.1

-45.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.64 €40.59

$17.45 $17.45

161.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.35 €27.88

Cinema Ticket

$15.42 €13.71

$13.79 $13.79

11.82%

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

$3,024 €2,690

$920 $920

228.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,950 €7,071

$18.4K $18.4K

-56.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.5 €83.2

$65.4 $65.4

43.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.9 €46.19

$45.10 $45.10

15.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €91.7

$112 $112

-7.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €112

$131 $131

-3.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,847 €1,643

$2,063 $2,063

-10.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,480 €1,316

$1,489 $1,489

-0.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,230 €2,873

$2,429 $2,429

32.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,234 €1,987

$2,328 $2,328

-4.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,933 €6,167

$2,844 $2,844

143.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,859 €4,322

$2,898 $2,898

67.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,254 €3,784

$3,763 $3,763

13.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.23

6.57

-50.84%

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

Last update for Utrecht: October 19, 2026

Last update for North Charleston, SC: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Utrecht

$1.5K 50.8%

North Charleston, SC

$1.5K 50.8% 0.7% $9.7

Groceries & Markets

Utrecht

$355 12.2%

North Charleston, SC

$450 15.3% 26.7% $95

Eating Out

Utrecht

$353 12.1%

North Charleston, SC

$334 11.4% 5.2% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Utrecht

$317 10.9%

North Charleston, SC

$385 13.1% 21.5% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Utrecht

$169 5.8%

North Charleston, SC

$159 5.4% 5.8% $9.7

Getting Around

Utrecht

$166 5.7%

North Charleston, SC

$69 2.3% 58.7% $98

Sport & Entertainment

Utrecht

$76 2.6%

North Charleston, SC

$45 1.5% 41.1% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,847 in Utrecht versus $2,063 in North Charleston, SC. 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 13% 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 $85.0 in Utrecht versus $92.0 in North Charleston, SC. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $355 vs $450 – making Utrecht the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Utrecht

🇺🇸 North Charleston, SC

🕒 Local time

10:47 10:47 AM

04:47 4:47 AM

6 h behind Utrecht

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

367,947

97,471

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Utrecht North Charleston, SC 6,870 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Utrecht
North Charleston, SC

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 North Charleston, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

North Charleston, SC costs about 1% more than Utrecht, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,374 per month in Utrecht and $4,397 in North Charleston, SC. 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.

Groceries cost about 27% more in North Charleston, SC, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85.0 in Utrecht and $92.0 in North Charleston, SC. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,916 in Utrecht and $2,932 in North Charleston, SC. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Utrecht costs $2,916 versus $2,932 in North Charleston, SC. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, North Charleston, SC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.