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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,947 per month in Utrecht vs $2,713 in Southampton, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,160 per month in Utrecht vs $3,808 in Southampton, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,373 per month in Utrecht vs $4,902 in Southampton, rent included.

Utrecht costs about 9% more than Southampton, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Utrecht and Southampton sit above the global median – Utrecht by 120%, Southampton by 102%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.14 €18.19

$27.36 £20.33

-22.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.5 €75.3

$78.2 £58.1

11.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.95 €12.00

$11.62 £8.64

20.05%

Cappuccino

$4.39 €3.78

$4.92 £3.65

-10.77%

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

$3.95 €3.40

$2.57 £1.91

53.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 €2.71

$2.27 £1.69

38.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.03 €6.05

$7.04 £5.23

-0.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.86 €5.04

$6.77 £5.03

-13.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.16

$1.47 £1.09

-8.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 €2.17

$1.37 £1.02

83.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.00 €2.58

$3.59 £2.67

-16.43%

Eggs

$5.39 €4.63

$5.44 £4.05

-0.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.04 €12.08

$9.22 £6.85

52.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.53 €14.22

$9.36 £6.95

76.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.40 €14.97

$14.73 £10.95

18.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.02

$2.40 £1.79

-2.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 €2.14

$1.65 £1.23

50.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.66

$2.47 £1.83

-21.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.70 €3.18

$2.97 £2.21

24.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.76 £1.31

10.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 €1.92

$1.16 £0.87

92.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 €1.17

$0.98 £0.73

38.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 €0.97

$2.24 £1.67

-49.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.32 €12.32

$17.42 £12.95

-17.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.22 €6.21

$11.30 £8.40

-36.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 €1.25

$4.13 £3.07

-64.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 €2.30

$3.34 £2.48

-20.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.48 €2.99

$2.89 £2.15

20.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.2 €64.7

$86.4 £64.2

-12.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.68 €3.16

$4.34 £3.22

-15.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.54 €2.19

$1.98 £1.47

28.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.59 €22.87

$32.46 £24.12

-18.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 €1.95

$1.97 £1.47

15.23%

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

$39.8K €34.2K

$38.5K £28.6K

3.34%

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

$39.8K €34.3K

$40.4K £30.1K

-1.53%

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

$296 €254

$343 £255

-13.72%

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

$26.03 €22.39

$18.38 £13.66

41.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.51 €40.01

$53.9 £40.05

-13.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.94 €40.38

$41.51 £30.85

13.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.19 €19.95

$18.22 £13.55

27.28%

Cinema Ticket

$15.92 €13.69

$12.46 £9.26

27.77%

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

$2,609 €2,245

$1,500 £1,115

74.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K €9,620

$18.5K £13.8K

-39.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$115 €98.5

$117 £86.9

-2.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.7 €52.2

$53.6 £39.86

13.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €92.6

$116 £86.1

-7.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €112

$146 £109

-10.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 €1,624

$1,370 £1,018

37.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,521 €1,308

$1,206 £897

26.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,826 €2,431

$2,438 £1,812

15.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,241 €1,928

$1,774 £1,319

26.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,022 €6,901

$6,101 £4,535

31.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,872 €5,051

$5,587 £4,153

5.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,615 €3,970

$3,394 £2,523

35.96%

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for Southampton: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,888 in Utrecht versus $1,370 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 36% 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 $88.0 in Utrecht versus $78.0 in Southampton. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $358 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: $2,947 in Utrecht, $2,713 in Southampton – roughly 9% apart. Utrecht costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,420 per month in Utrecht and $4,070 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 $2,609 per month in Utrecht and $1,500 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 $2,947 in Utrecht and $2,713 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 $2,713 in Southampton to $2,947 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.