Cost of Living Comparison Between Utrecht and Southampton Cost of Living Comparison Between Utrecht and Southampton

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,992 per month in Utrecht vs $2,676 in Southampton, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,240 per month in Utrecht vs $3,835 in Southampton, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,489 per month in Utrecht vs $4,994 in Southampton, rent included.

Utrecht costs about 12% more than Southampton, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Utrecht and Southampton sit above the global median – Utrecht by 124%, Southampton by 100%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.90 €18.26

$27.09 £20.14

-22.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.8 €74.9

$77.1 £57.4

11.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.83 €12.08

$11.52 £8.56

20.05%

Cappuccino

$4.62 €4.04

$5.07 £3.77

-8.88%

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

$4.08 €3.57

$2.72 £2.02

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 €2.83

$2.35 £1.75

37.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 €6.10

$7.33 £5.45

-4.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 €4.93

$6.93 £5.15

-18.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.18

$1.46 £1.09

-7.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.43 €2.12

$1.36 £1.01

78.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.08 €2.69

$3.71 £2.75

-16.98%

Eggs

$5.30 €4.63

$5.22 £3.88

1.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.05 €12.27

$9.28 £6.90

51.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.20 €14.15

$9.26 £6.88

74.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.28 €15.10

$14.82 £11.02

16.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.36 €2.06

$2.30 £1.71

2.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.55 €2.23

$1.63 £1.21

56.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 €1.71

$2.46 £1.83

-20.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.76 €3.29

$2.98 £2.21

26.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.77

$1.78 £1.32

13.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 €1.95

$1.22 £0.91

82.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 €1.19

$0.99 £0.74

37.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 €1.00

$2.30 £1.71

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.39 €12.57

$17.69 £13.15

-18.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.69 €5.85

$11.30 £8.40

-40.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 €1.27

$4.07 £3.02

-64.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 €2.38

$3.47 £2.58

-21.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.45 €3.01

$2.91 £2.16

18.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 €65.6

$88.2 £65.6

-14.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.70 €3.23

$4.47 £3.32

-17.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.42 €2.11

$1.90 £1.41

27.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.76 €23.38

$32.45 £24.12

-17.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.30 €2.01

$1.91 £1.42

20.42%

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

$41.0K €35.8K

$39.0K £29.0K

5.04%

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

$39.7K €34.7K

$41.3K £30.7K

-3.86%

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

$288 €252

$339 £252

-15.03%

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

$26.02 €22.73

$18.42 £13.69

41.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.92 €41.86

$52.3 £38.87

-8.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.93

$42.54 £31.63

12.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.07 €20.16

$18.49 £13.74

24.77%

Cinema Ticket

$16.04 €14.02

$12.42 £9.23

29.15%

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

$2,628 €2,296

$1,509 £1,121

74.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K €9,593

$18.1K £13.4K

-39.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$118 €103

$116 £86.3

1.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.7 €54.8

$53.0 £39.41

18.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €93.9

$118 £87.4

-8.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €114

$149 £111

-12.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 €1,648

$1,413 £1,050

33.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,523 €1,331

$1,197 £890

27.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,924 €2,555

$2,433 £1,809

20.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,309 €2,017

$1,784 £1,326

29.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,310 €6,387

$6,009 £4,467

21.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,072 €4,432

$5,472 £4,068

-7.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,271 €3,732

$3,307 £2,459

29.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.39

5.62

-21.89%

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

Last update for Utrecht: July 13, 2026

Last update for Southampton: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,887 in Utrecht versus $1,413 in Southampton. 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 29% higher in Utrecht, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $86.0 in Utrecht versus $77.0 in Southampton. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $356 vs $318 – making Southampton the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Southampton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,992 in Utrecht, $2,676 in Southampton – roughly 12% apart. Utrecht costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,487 per month in Utrecht and $4,015 in Southampton. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Southampton, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $2,628 per month in Utrecht and $1,509 in Southampton. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Utrecht, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Southampton, where all-in costs run around $2,676, than in Utrecht at $2,992. In Southampton it covers expenses comfortably, while in Utrecht it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Utrecht has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,676 in Southampton to $2,992 in Utrecht. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Southampton. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Utrecht makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.