Cost of Living Comparison Between Utrecht and Uppsala Cost of Living Comparison Between Utrecht and Uppsala

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,017 per month in Utrecht vs $1,989 in Uppsala, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,313 per month in Utrecht vs $3,078 in Uppsala, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,608 per month in Utrecht vs $4,167 in Uppsala, rent included.

Utrecht costs about 52% more than Uppsala, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Utrecht and Uppsala sit above the global median – Utrecht by 121%, Uppsala by 45%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.05 €20.09

$15.53 SEK 153

48.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.2 €74.3

$82.1 SEK 809

3.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.69 €11.93

$10.16 SEK 100

34.74%

Cappuccino

$4.95 €4.32

$4.99 SEK 49.18

-0.80%

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

$4.01 €3.49

$3.14 SEK 30.96

27.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 €2.88

$2.39 SEK 23.51

38.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.49 €6.53

$7.97 SEK 78.5

-6.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.61 €6.63

$10.15 SEK 100.0

-25.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 €1.36

$1.81 SEK 17.88

-13.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.99 €2.60

$3.04 SEK 29.92

-1.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.61 €2.28

$4.13 SEK 40.69

-36.80%

Eggs

$4.84 €4.22

$5.17 SEK 51.0

-6.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.80

$10.21 SEK 101

32.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.58 €12.71

$14.82 SEK 146

-1.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.49 €16.99

$17.98 SEK 177

8.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 €2.44

$4.34 SEK 42.73

-35.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 €2.24

$2.81 SEK 27.71

-8.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 €1.90

$3.77 SEK 37.15

-42.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.89 €3.39

$5.49 SEK 54.1

-29.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 €1.55

$1.81 SEK 17.80

-1.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.71 SEK 16.84

15.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.41

$2.62 SEK 25.84

-38.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.32 SEK 13.00

12.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.23 €13.27

$7.98 SEK 78.7

90.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.83 €5.95

$10.27 SEK 101

-33.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.25

$2.51 SEK 24.75

-42.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.43

$2.66 SEK 26.23

4.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.79 €3.30

$3.93 SEK 38.77

-3.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 €121

$113 SEK 1,110

23.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.77 €3.29

$5.69 SEK 56.0

-33.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.30 SEK 12.76

112.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.67 €39.81

$63.1 SEK 621

-27.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.49 €2.17

$1.81 SEK 17.79

37.57%

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

$42.8K €37.3K

$33.7K SEK 332.4K

26.74%

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

$40.6K €35.4K

$33.2K SEK 327.0K

22.23%

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

$249 €217

$116 SEK 1,142

114.74%

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

$21.74 €18.95

$19.04 SEK 188

14.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.62 €43.25

$44.43 SEK 438

11.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.54 €40.57

$39.93 SEK 394

16.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.08 €28.83

$24.26 SEK 239

36.36%

Cinema Ticket

$16.13 €14.06

$19.65 SEK 194

-17.91%

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

$3,177 €2,770

$128 SEK 1,263

2379.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,273 €7,211

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.8 €84.4

$92.8 SEK 914

4.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.2 €47.27

$50.5 SEK 498

7.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €93.3

$96.5 SEK 951

10.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 €113

$208 SEK 2,053

-38.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,958 €1,706

$906 SEK 8,928

116.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,505 €1,312

$716 SEK 7,060

110.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,294 €2,871

$1,795 SEK 17.7K

83.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,294 €2,000

$1,160 SEK 11.4K

97.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,174 €6,254

$5,446 SEK 53.7K

31.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,929 €4,296

$2,613 SEK 25.8K

88.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,433 €3,864

$3,073 SEK 30.3K

44.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.21

3.94

-18.53%

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

Last update for Utrecht: September 15, 2026

Last update for Uppsala: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,958 in Utrecht versus $906 in Uppsala. 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 44% 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 $82.0 in Uppsala. Groceries tell a different story – $365 in Utrecht vs $399 in Uppsala – so Utrecht 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 Uppsala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,017 in Utrecht, $1,989 in Uppsala – roughly 52% apart. Utrecht costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,525 per month in Utrecht and $2,984 in Uppsala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 23% less in Uppsala. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $3,177 per month in Utrecht and $128 in Uppsala. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Uppsala, where all-in costs run around $1,989, than in Utrecht at $3,017. In Uppsala 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 $1,989 in Uppsala to $3,017 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 Uppsala. 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.