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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,086 per month in Utrecht vs $2,768 in Southampton, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,329 per month in Utrecht vs $3,944 in Southampton, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,571 per month in Utrecht vs $5,121 in Southampton, rent included.

Utrecht costs about 12% more than Southampton, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Utrecht and Southampton sit above the global median – Utrecht by 124%, Southampton by 101%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.96 €19.79

$27.06 £20.00

-15.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.9 €73.2

$93.9 £69.4

-9.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.10 €12.15

$11.67 £8.63

20.82%

Cappuccino

$4.96 €4.27

$5.41 £4.00

-8.32%

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

$3.88 €3.35

$3.23 £2.39

20.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 €2.91

$2.31 £1.71

45.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.37 €6.35

$7.92 £5.85

-6.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.76 €6.69

$6.86 £5.07

13.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 €1.40

$2.03 £1.50

-19.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 €2.63

$1.68 £1.24

82.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.55 €2.20

$3.06 £2.26

-16.67%

Eggs

$4.83 €4.16

$4.45 £3.29

8.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.66 €11.78

$9.78 £7.23

39.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.42 €12.43

$9.91 £7.32

45.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$14.65 £10.83

36.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 €2.53

$2.90 £2.14

1.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.81 £1.34

35.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 €1.94

$2.91 £2.15

-22.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.83 €3.30

$3.63 £2.68

5.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.88 £1.39

-7.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$1.59 £1.17

27.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 €1.36

$1.29 £0.96

22.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.79 £1.32

-19.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.37 €13.25

$22.19 £16.40

-30.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.08 €6.11

$11.10 £8.20

-36.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$3.06 £2.26

-54.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 €2.49

$3.45 £2.55

-16.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.81 €3.29

$3.16 £2.34

20.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$141 €121

$86.3 £63.8

63.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.02 €3.47

$4.37 £3.23

-8.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.77 €2.38

$2.09 £1.54

32.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.95 €40.47

$32.08 £23.71

46.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.56 €2.20

$2.13 £1.58

20.19%

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

$43.8K €37.8K

$39.3K £29.0K

11.51%

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

$40.4K €34.8K

$41.5K £30.7K

-2.74%

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

$250 €216

$339 £251

-26.16%

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

$21.70 €18.70

$30.14 £22.28

-28.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.90 €43.01

$54.3 £40.15

-8.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.86 €40.39

$43.17 £31.91

8.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.41 €28.80

$16.65 £12.31

100.66%

Cinema Ticket

$16.01 €13.80

$16.16 £11.94

-0.93%

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

$3,194 €2,754

$1,617 £1,195

97.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,237 €7,100

$18.4K £13.6K

-55.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.0 €84.5

$108 £80.0

-9.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.4 €46.93

$53.6 £39.61

1.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €93.5

$104 £76.6

4.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 €111

$135 £100

-4.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,978 €1,705

$1,520 £1,124

30.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,562 €1,346

$1,238 £915

26.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,297 €2,842

$2,416 £1,786

36.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,353 €2,028

$1,916 £1,416

22.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,269 €6,266

$5,965 £4,409

21.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,062 €4,363

$5,655 £4,180

-10.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,380 €3,775

$3,425 £2,532

27.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.21

4.96

-35.28%

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

Last update for Utrecht: September 8, 2026

Last update for Southampton: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,978 in Utrecht versus $1,520 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 28% 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 $85.0 in Utrecht versus $94.0 in Southampton. Groceries tell a different story – $367 in Utrecht vs $325 in Southampton – so Southampton 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 Southampton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,086 in Utrecht, $2,768 in Southampton – roughly 12% apart. Utrecht costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,629 per month in Utrecht and $4,151 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 $3,194 per month in Utrecht and $1,617 in Southampton. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Utrecht, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,086 in Utrecht and $2,768 in Southampton. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Utrecht has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,768 in Southampton to $3,086 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.