Cost of Living Comparison Between Utrecht and Oshawa Cost of Living Comparison Between Utrecht and Oshawa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,971 in Utrecht versus $2,599 in Oshawa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,155 in Utrecht versus $3,728 in Oshawa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,340 in Utrecht versus $4,858 in Oshawa.

Living in Utrecht is roughly 14% more expensive than in Oshawa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Utrecht 123% above, Oshawa 95% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.66 €18.01

$18.23 CA$25.59

13.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.1 €74.2

$74.5 CA$105

14.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.82 €12.05

$10.26 CA$14.41

34.70%

Cappuccino

$4.41 €3.84

$3.82 CA$5.35

15.45%

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

$4.04 €3.52

$1.97 CA$2.77

105.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 €2.86

$1.61 CA$2.26

103.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.10 €6.19

$5.27 CA$7.39

34.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.73 €4.99

$6.08 CA$8.53

-5.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 €1.22

$2.68 CA$3.76

-48.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.42 €2.11

$2.73 CA$3.83

-11.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.08 €2.68

$3.75 CA$5.26

-17.87%

Eggs

$5.20 €4.54

$3.55 CA$4.99

46.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.41 €12.56

$12.08 CA$16.95

19.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.21 €14.13

$11.16 CA$15.67

45.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.37 €15.14

$16.02 CA$22.48

8.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 €2.11

$3.45 CA$4.85

-29.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.49 €2.17

$1.21 CA$1.69

105.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 €1.74

$3.93 CA$5.52

-49.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.80 €3.31

$4.99 CA$7.00

-23.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 €1.69

$4.76 CA$6.68

-59.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.87

$3.34 CA$4.69

-35.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 €1.13

$2.91 CA$4.09

-55.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.33 CA$1.86

-13.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.17 €12.35

$14.79 CA$20.76

-4.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.68 €5.83

$12.57 CA$17.65

-46.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.21

$3.17 CA$4.45

-56.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 €2.28

$2.99 CA$4.20

-12.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.55 €3.10

$2.70 CA$3.80

31.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 €65.2

$87.5 CA$123

-14.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.67 €3.20

$3.60 CA$5.05

1.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.43 €2.12

$2.09 CA$2.94

16.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.52 €23.99

$21.74 CA$30.51

26.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.14 CA$1.60

106.14%

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

$40.9K €35.7K

$24.6K CA$34.6K

66.11%

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

$39.3K €34.3K

$20.5K CA$28.7K

92.09%

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

$294 €257

$233 CA$327

26.24%

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

$25.86 €22.55

$58.8 CA$82.5

-55.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.38 €41.31

$74.7 CA$105

-36.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.58 €41.48

$41.59 CA$58.4

14.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.53 €20.51

$36.70 CA$51.5

-35.89%

Cinema Ticket

$16.43 €14.33

$12.38 CA$17.38

32.71%

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

$2,694 €2,348

$1,305 CA$1,832

106.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K €9,614

$12.0K CA$16.8K

-7.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$115 €100

$60.5 CA$85.0

89.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.8 €54.7

$59.1 CA$83.0

6.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €93.4

$118 CA$165

-9.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 €110

$158 CA$221

-19.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,911 €1,666

$1,272 CA$1,786

50.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,521 €1,326

$1,188 CA$1,667

28.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,542

$2,015 CA$2,829

44.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,297 €2,003

$1,889 CA$2,652

21.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,359 €6,415

$5,145 CA$7,222

43.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,860 €4,237

$10.4K CA$14.6K

-53.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,306 €3,754

$2,997 CA$4,207

43.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.39

6.21

-29.31%

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

Last update for Utrecht: July 26, 2026

Last update for Oshawa: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,911 in Utrecht and $1,272 in Oshawa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Utrecht pays 44% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Utrecht vs $74.0 in Oshawa. Groceries flip the comparison at $356 vs $384, with Utrecht cheaper for home cooking.

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 Oshawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Oshawa wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Utrecht. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Oshawa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 44% higher in Utrecht, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,911 in Utrecht versus $1,272 in Oshawa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Oshawa – a meal for two runs $74.0 versus $85.0 in Utrecht. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,971 per month in Utrecht versus $2,599 in Oshawa – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,599 in Oshawa versus $2,971 in Utrecht, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Oshawa but tight or insufficient in Utrecht. The gap between the two cities makes Oshawa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Oshawa delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,599 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Oshawa hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Utrecht and Oshawa are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Oshawa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Utrecht. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.