Cost of Living Comparison Between Utrecht and Oxford Cost of Living Comparison Between Utrecht and Oxford

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,947 per month in Utrecht vs $3,083 in Oxford, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,160 per month in Utrecht vs $4,405 in Oxford, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,373 per month in Utrecht vs $5,726 in Oxford, rent included.

Utrecht is about 4% cheaper than Oxford, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Utrecht and Oxford sit above the global median – Utrecht by 120%, Oxford by 130%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.14 €18.19

$20.09 £14.93

5.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.5 €75.3

$77.5 £57.6

13.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.95 €12.00

$10.39 £7.73

34.26%

Cappuccino

$4.39 €3.78

$4.65 £3.46

-5.59%

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

$3.95 €3.40

$2.31 £1.72

71.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 €2.71

$1.82 £1.35

73.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.03 €6.05

$8.25 £6.13

-14.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.86 €5.04

$7.28 £5.41

-19.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.16

$1.95 £1.45

-30.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 €2.17

$1.63 £1.21

54.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.00 €2.58

$2.93 £2.18

2.39%

Eggs

$5.39 €4.63

$5.19 £3.86

3.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.04 €12.08

$14.29 £10.62

-1.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.53 €14.22

$9.39 £6.98

76.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.40 €14.97

$14.39 £10.70

20.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.02

$4.08 £3.04

-42.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 €2.14

$1.56 £1.16

58.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.66

$3.21 £2.38

-39.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.70 €3.18

$5.56 £4.13

-33.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.68 £1.25

15.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 €1.92

$1.96 £1.46

13.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 €1.17

$1.05 £0.78

29.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 €0.97

$2.02 £1.50

-44.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.32 €12.32

$19.74 £14.67

-27.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.22 €6.21

$11.16 £8.30

-35.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 €1.25

$3.60 £2.68

-59.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 €2.30

$4.66 £3.46

-42.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.48 €2.99

$3.38 £2.51

2.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.2 €64.7

$112 £83.2

-32.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.68 €3.16

$8.05 £5.98

-54.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.54 €2.19

$1.89 £1.40

34.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.59 €22.87

$33.31 £24.76

-20.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 €1.95

$1.93 £1.43

17.62%

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

$39.8K €34.2K

$38.1K £28.3K

4.55%

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

$39.8K €34.3K

$44.2K £32.9K

-9.91%

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

$296 €254

$384 £285

-22.91%

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

$26.03 €22.39

$18.63 £13.84

39.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.51 €40.01

$46.94 £34.89

-0.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.94 €40.38

$58.2 £43.27

-19.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.19 €19.95

$12.30 £9.14

88.54%

Cinema Ticket

$15.92 €13.69

$15.10 £11.22

5.43%

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

$2,609 €2,245

$1,758 £1,307

48.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K €9,620

$53.3K £39.6K

-79.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$115 €98.5

$96.0 £71.4

19.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.7 €52.2

$52.5 £39.05

15.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €92.6

$93.6 £69.6

14.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €112

$118 £88.0

10.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 €1,624

$2,139 £1,590

-11.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,521 €1,308

$1,532 £1,139

-0.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,826 €2,431

$3,534 £2,627

-20.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,241 €1,928

$2,510 £1,866

-10.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,022 €6,901

$8,154 £6,061

-1.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,872 €5,051

$6,899 £5,128

-14.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,615 €3,970

$4,073 £3,027

13.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.39

5.74

-23.52%

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

Last update for Utrecht: May 30, 2026

Last update for Oxford: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,888 in Utrecht versus $2,139 in Oxford. 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 $88.0 in Utrecht versus $77.0 in Oxford. Groceries tell a different story – $358 in Utrecht vs $359 in Oxford – so Utrecht 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 Oxford: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Oxford costs about 5% more than Utrecht, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,420 per month in Utrecht and $4,625 in Oxford. 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 $77.0 in Oxford. 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 $3,083 in Oxford. 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 $3,083 in Oxford. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Utrecht costs $2,947 versus $3,083 in Oxford. 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, Oxford makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.