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: $2,936 in Utrecht versus $2,557 in Oshawa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,182 in Utrecht versus $3,795 in Oshawa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,429 in Utrecht versus $5,032 in Oshawa.

Living in Utrecht is roughly 15% more expensive than Oshawa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Utrecht 119% above, Oshawa 91% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.76 €17.77

$18.21 CA$24.95

14.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.9 €73.5

$72.8 CA$99.7

17.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.86 €11.87

$10.45 CA$14.32

32.63%

Cappuccino

$4.42 €3.78

$3.83 CA$5.24

15.40%

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

$3.97 €3.39

$1.88 CA$2.57

111.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 €2.76

$1.55 CA$2.13

108.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.05 €6.04

$5.29 CA$7.24

33.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 €4.89

$6.14 CA$8.41

-7.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 €1.14

$2.68 CA$3.67

-50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 €2.16

$2.59 CA$3.55

-2.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.97 €2.54

$3.66 CA$5.01

-18.85%

Eggs

$5.17 €4.42

$3.40 CA$4.66

52.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.15 €12.11

$12.26 CA$16.79

15.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.34 €13.99

$11.44 CA$15.67

42.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.71 €15.16

$16.29 CA$22.31

8.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$3.59 CA$4.92

-33.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 €2.17

$1.16 CA$1.59

118.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$3.86 CA$5.29

-48.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.80 €3.25

$5.07 CA$6.94

-25.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.73

$4.55 CA$6.23

-55.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 €1.82

$3.30 CA$4.52

-35.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 €1.17

$3.02 CA$4.14

-54.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.95

$1.34 CA$1.83

-17.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.13 €12.09

$15.01 CA$20.57

-5.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.35 €6.29

$12.89 CA$17.66

-42.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$3.07 CA$4.20

-53.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 €2.33

$3.00 CA$4.11

-9.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.49 €2.99

$2.73 CA$3.74

27.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.4 €65.4

$87.9 CA$120

-13.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.66 €3.13

$3.60 CA$4.93

1.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.53 €2.16

$2.20 CA$3.02

15.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.11 €23.21

$22.25 CA$30.48

21.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 €1.94

$1.10 CA$1.51

106.36%

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

$40.3K €34.5K

$25.1K CA$34.4K

60.43%

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

$40.3K €34.5K

$20.6K CA$28.2K

95.34%

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

$296 €254

$236 CA$323

25.69%

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

$26.45 €22.64

$57.9 CA$79.4

-54.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.53 €40.68

$74.9 CA$103

-36.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.98 €40.21

$41.84 CA$57.3

12.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.75 €19.47

$37.03 CA$50.7

-38.56%

Cinema Ticket

$16.34 €13.99

$12.34 CA$16.90

32.41%

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

$2,603 €2,228

$1,346 CA$1,845

93.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K €9,294

$12.0K CA$16.4K

-9.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$119 €102

$59.0 CA$80.9

101.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.2 €53.2

$57.6 CA$79.0

7.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €90.2

$117 CA$160

-9.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 €110

$158 CA$217

-18.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,866 €1,598

$1,303 CA$1,785

43.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,558 €1,334

$1,186 CA$1,625

31.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,899 €2,482

$1,991 CA$2,727

45.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,320 €1,986

$1,941 CA$2,659

19.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,953 €6,807

$5,248 CA$7,189

51.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,708 €4,886

$10.6K CA$14.5K

-46.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,670 €3,998

$3,106 CA$4,255

50.38%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Oshawa: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,866 in Utrecht and $1,303 in Oshawa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Utrecht pays 50% 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: $86.0 in Utrecht vs $73.0 in Oshawa. Groceries flip the comparison at $359 vs $385, 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 15% 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.

Utrecht pays 50% more on average, 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: $1,866 in Utrecht versus $1,303 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 $73.0 versus $86.0 in Utrecht. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,936 per month in Utrecht versus $2,557 in Oshawa – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,557 in Oshawa versus $2,936 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 $2,557 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 15% less than in Utrecht. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.