Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Utrecht and The Hague

For one person, living is cheaper in The Hague: $2,733 a month against $2,876 in Utrecht, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

141

Cost of Living Index in Utrecht
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Utrecht Living Index
132

Cost of Living Index in The Hague
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The Hague Living Index

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Utrecht

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,876

/mo nomad

The Hague

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,733

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Utrecht and in The Hague

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

A single person spends $2,876 per month in Utrecht vs $2,733 in The Hague, rent included.

Utrecht $2,876
The Hague $2,733

A couple spends around $4,129 per month in Utrecht vs $4,089 in The Hague, rent included.

Utrecht $4,129
The Hague $4,089

A family of three spends $5,382 per month in Utrecht vs $5,446 in The Hague, rent included.

Utrecht $5,382
The Hague $5,446

Utrecht costs about 5% more than The Hague, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Utrecht and The Hague sit above the global median – Utrecht by 113%, The Hague by 102%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.38 €19.90

$22.35 €19.88

0.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.1 €75.7

$87.5 €77.8

-2.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.54 €12.04

$14.89 €13.24

-9.07%

Cappuccino

$4.58 €4.08

$4.39 €3.91

4.33%

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

$3.87 €3.44

$4.28 €3.81

-9.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 €2.92

$4.08 €3.63

-19.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.76 €6.01

$7.16 €6.37

-5.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.23 €6.43

$7.64 €6.79

-5.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 €1.37

$1.49 €1.33

3.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 €2.57

$2.29 €2.04

26.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 €2.23

Eggs

$4.73 €4.21

$4.73 €4.20

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.21 €11.75

$14.45 €12.85

-8.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 €12.33

$13.18 €11.73

5.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.03 €16.93

$19.25 €17.12

-1.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 €2.39

$2.53 €2.25

6.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.10

$2.23 €1.99

6.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 €1.92

$1.98 €1.76

9.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.82 €3.40

$3.60 €3.20

6.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 €1.48

$1.30 €1.16

28.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

$1.28 €1.14

47.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 €1.41

$1.12 €0.99

41.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.21

$0.93 €0.83

46.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.60 €12.99

$14.47 €12.87

0.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.71 €5.97

$5.89 €5.24

13.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.18

$1.33 €1.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 €2.41

$1.95 €1.74

38.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.67 €3.27

$4.59 €4.08

-20.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$134 €119

$91.1 €81.0

46.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.77 €3.35

$4.54 €4.03

-16.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.70 €2.40

$3.32 €2.95

-18.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.46 €39.54

$33.71 €29.99

31.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.56 €2.27

$2.52 €2.24

1.59%

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

$41.0K €36.4K

$41.4K €36.9K

-1.12%

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

$39.4K €35.1K

$39.5K €35.1K

-0.18%

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

$240 €214

$281 €250

-14.68%

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

$21.52 €19.14

$28.39 €25.25

-24.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.22 €42.90

$54.3 €48.31

-11.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.50 €39.58

$50.4 €44.82

-11.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.38 €27.91

$23.94 €21.30

31.08%

Cinema Ticket

$15.87 €14.12

$16.49 €14.67

-3.76%

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

$3,059 €2,721

$2,400 €2,135

27.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,154 €7,253

$11.6K €10.3K

-29.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.4 €83.1

$95.8 €85.2

-2.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.3 €45.64

$43.61 €38.79

17.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €92.0

$108 €96.2

-4.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €108

$136 €121

-10.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,841 €1,638

$1,640 €1,459

12.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,455 €1,294

$1,291 €1,148

12.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,208 €2,853

$2,798 €2,489

14.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,194 €1,951

$2,264 €2,014

-3.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,832 €6,077

$6,067 €5,396

12.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,670 €4,154

$4,538 €4,037

2.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,240 €3,771

$4,069 €3,619

4.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.23

3.4

-5.00%

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

Last update for Utrecht: October 11, 2026

Last update for The Hague: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Utrecht

$1.5K 50.6%

The Hague

$1.3K 47.2% 11.2% $164

Groceries & Markets

Utrecht

$352 12.2%

The Hague

$330 12.1% 6.1% $21

Eating Out

Utrecht

$352 12.2%

The Hague

$361 13.2% 2.6% $9.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Utrecht

$310 10.8%

The Hague

$364 13.3% 17.5% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Utrecht

$166 5.8%

The Hague

$173 6.3% 3.7% $6.2

Getting Around

Utrecht

$166 5.8%

The Hague

$131 4.8% 21.1% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Utrecht

$76 2.7%

The Hague

$83 3.1% 9.3% $7.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,841 in Utrecht versus $1,640 in The Hague. 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 4% 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 $87.0 in The Hague. Groceries tell a different story – $352 in Utrecht vs $330 in The Hague – so The Hague wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Utrecht

🇳🇱 The Hague

🕒 Local time

19:55 7:55 PM

Same time as Utrecht

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

367,947

562,839

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Utrecht The Hague 58 km

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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 The Hague: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,876 in Utrecht, $2,733 in The Hague – roughly 5% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,314 per month in Utrecht and $4,099 in The Hague. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,876 in Utrecht and $2,733 in The Hague. That's a gap of about 5%.

Public transport costs about 47% less in The Hague. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,876 in Utrecht and $2,733 in The Hague. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. The Hague has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,733 in The Hague to $2,876 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 The Hague. 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.