Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Utrecht and Oxford

For one person, living is cheaper in Utrecht: $2,987 a month against $3,210 in Oxford, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Oxford outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Utrecht, Netherlands
Oxford, United Kingdom
Utrecht
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$2,987
/mo nomad
Oxford
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$3,210
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Utrecht and in Oxford

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 Oxford actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,987 per month in Utrecht vs $3,210 in Oxford, rent included.

  • Utrecht $2,987
  • Oxford $3,210

A couple spends around $4,205 per month in Utrecht vs $4,477 in Oxford, rent included.

  • Utrecht $4,205
  • Oxford $4,477

A family of three spends $5,423 per month in Utrecht vs $5,743 in Oxford, rent included.

  • Utrecht $5,423
  • Oxford $5,743

Utrecht is about 7% cheaper than Oxford, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Utrecht and Oxford sit above the global median – Utrecht by 120%, Oxford by 136%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Utrecht
Oxford
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.74 €20.29
$24.95 £18.61
-8.86%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.0 €75.0
$104 £77.5
-19.15%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.55 €12.09
$10.60 £7.90
27.83%
Cappuccino
$4.78 €4.27
$4.94 £3.68
-3.24%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.84 €3.42
$4.46 £3.32
-13.90%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.39 €3.02
$2.19 £1.64
54.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.59 €5.88
$9.04 £6.74
-27.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.15 €6.38
$8.55 £6.38
-16.37%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Utrecht
Oxford
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 €1.34
$1.69 £1.26
-10.65%
White Bread (500g)
$2.98 €2.66
$1.70 £1.26
75.29%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.54 €2.26
$1.97 £1.47
28.93%
Eggs
$4.68 €4.17
$4.06 £3.03
15.27%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.36 €11.92
$13.74 £10.25
-2.77%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.92 €12.42
$8.58 £6.40
62.24%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.68 €16.67
$14.83 £11.06
25.96%
Apples (1kg)
$2.74 €2.44
$3.33 £2.49
-17.72%
Banana (1kg)
$2.40 €2.14
$1.70 £1.26
41.18%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.08 €1.85
$3.01 £2.24
-30.90%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.78 €3.38
$3.73 £2.78
1.34%
Potato (1kg)
$1.73 €1.54
$1.73 £1.29
-
Onion (1kg)
$1.88 €1.68
$1.76 £1.31
6.82%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.59 €1.42
$1.21 £0.90
31.40%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.38 €1.23
$1.61 £1.20
-14.29%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.42 €12.87
$23.70 £17.67
-39.16%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.82 €6.08
$11.30 £8.43
-39.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.35 €1.21
$3.26 £2.43
-58.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.68 €2.39
$3.39 £2.53
-20.94%
🚌 Getting Around
Utrecht
Oxford
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.55 €3.16
$3.89 £2.90
-8.74%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$132 €118
$110 £81.9
20.41%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.73 €3.33
$4.98 £3.71
-25.10%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.73 €2.43
$3.18 £2.37
-14.15%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$45.56 €40.65
$42.14 £31.42
8.12%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.59 €2.31
$2.11 £1.57
22.75%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$41.0K €36.6K
$38.4K £28.7K
6.74%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.1K €35.8K
$41.1K £30.7K
-2.49%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Utrecht
Oxford
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$245 €219
$361 £269
-32.11%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.75 €19.41
$18.08 £13.48
20.30%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$48.16 €42.97
$44.18 £32.94
9.01%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Utrecht
Oxford
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.24 €39.47
$41.85 £31.20
5.71%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$31.25 €27.88
$11.49 £8.56
171.98%
Cinema Ticket
$15.06 €13.44
$16.03 £11.95
-6.05%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Utrecht
Oxford
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$3,274 €2,921
$2,254 £1,680
45.25%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,994 €7,132
$15.2K £11.4K
-47.52%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Utrecht
Oxford
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$93.1 €83.1
$98.8 £73.7
-5.76%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.5 €45.94
$46.09 £34.36
11.72%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$103 €91.5
$102 £76.3
0.25%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$126 €112
$104 £77.6
20.62%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Utrecht
Oxford
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,945 €1,735
$2,187 £1,631
-11.09%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,558 €1,390
$1,706 £1,272
-8.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,128 €2,791
$3,231 £2,409
-3.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,229 €1,989
$2,464 £1,837
-9.53%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,109 €6,343
$8,794 £6,556
-19.16%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,877 €4,351
$6,600 £4,921
-26.11%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Utrecht
Oxford
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,245 €3,787
$4,032 £3,006
5.27%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.23
4.79
-32.57%

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

Last update for Utrecht: October 26, 2026

Last update for Oxford: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Utrecht
$1.6K
Oxford
$1.7K 9.5% $148
Eating Out
Utrecht
$356
Oxford
$380 6.6% $23
Groceries & Markets
Utrecht
$352
Oxford
$323 8.4% $30
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Utrecht
$315
Oxford
$423 34.4% $108
Clothing & Footwear
Utrecht
$168
Oxford
$158 5.8% $9.7
Getting Around
Utrecht
$164
Oxford
$146 10.7% $18
Sport & Entertainment
Utrecht
$74
Oxford
$74 0.6% $0.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,945 in Utrecht versus $2,187 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 5% 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 $84 in Utrecht versus $104 in Oxford. Groceries tell a different story – $352 in Utrecht vs $323 in Oxford – so Oxford wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇳🇱 Utrecht
🇬🇧 Oxford
🕒 Local time
23:25 11:25 PM
22:25 10:25 PM
1 h behind Utrecht
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
367,947
165,000
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

British Pound exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.746 GBP (1 GBP = 1.34 USD). 1 EUR = 0.836 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Utrecht Oxford 440 km
From you
  • Utrecht
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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
Which city is more expensive, Utrecht or Oxford?
Oxford costs about 7% more than Utrecht, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Utrecht and in Oxford?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,481 per month in Utrecht and $4,815 in Oxford. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Utrecht or Oxford?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Utrecht, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,945 there versus $2,187 in Oxford.
How do dining costs compare in Utrecht and in Oxford?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $84 in Utrecht and $104 in Oxford. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Utrecht compared to Oxford?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,987 in Utrecht and $3,210 in Oxford. That makes Utrecht about 7% cheaper.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Utrecht or Oxford?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Utrecht costs $2,987 versus $3,210 in Oxford. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Utrecht compared to Oxford?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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