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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,992 per month in Utrecht vs $1,972 in Uppsala, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,240 per month in Utrecht vs $2,967 in Uppsala, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,489 per month in Utrecht vs $3,962 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 124%, Uppsala by 48%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.90 €18.30

$16.00 SEK 155

30.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.8 €75.1

$68.7 SEK 665

24.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.83 €12.11

$11.72 SEK 113

18.00%

Cappuccino

$4.62 €4.05

$4.89 SEK 47.37

-5.52%

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

$4.08 €3.58

$2.68 SEK 25.91

52.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 €2.84

$2.26 SEK 21.87

43.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 €6.11

$8.31 SEK 80.5

-16.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 €4.94

$8.53 SEK 82.6

-33.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.18

$1.63 SEK 15.81

-17.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.43 €2.13

$2.89 SEK 27.97

-15.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.08 €2.69

$4.67 SEK 45.21

-34.05%

Eggs

$5.30 €4.64

$5.19 SEK 50.2

2.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.05 €12.30

$12.16 SEK 118

15.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.20 €14.18

$13.90 SEK 135

16.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.28 €15.13

$17.40 SEK 168

-0.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.36 €2.07

$3.89 SEK 37.69

-39.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.55 €2.23

$2.83 SEK 27.40

-9.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$3.61 SEK 34.94

-45.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.76 €3.30

$5.18 SEK 50.2

-27.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.77

$1.66 SEK 16.10

21.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 €1.95

$1.86 SEK 18.01

19.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 €1.19

$2.70 SEK 26.17

-49.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 €1.01

$1.31 SEK 12.73

-12.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.39 €12.61

$8.15 SEK 78.9

76.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.69 €5.86

$10.44 SEK 101

-35.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 €1.27

$2.47 SEK 23.88

-41.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 €2.39

$2.63 SEK 25.50

3.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.45 €3.02

$4.17 SEK 40.38

-17.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 €65.8

$108 SEK 1,050

-30.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.70 €3.24

$5.64 SEK 54.6

-34.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.42 €2.12

$1.20 SEK 11.60

101.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.76 €23.43

$64.2 SEK 621

-58.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.30 €2.02

$1.99 SEK 19.26

15.58%

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

$41.0K €35.9K

$32.1K SEK 310.4K

27.90%

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

$39.7K €34.8K

$33.9K SEK 328.1K

17.19%

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

$288 €253

$110 SEK 1,063

162.58%

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

$26.02 €22.79

$28.97 SEK 280

-10.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.92 €41.97

$42.96 SEK 416

11.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$39.06 SEK 378

22.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.07 €20.21

$27.76 SEK 269

-16.89%

Cinema Ticket

$16.04 €14.05

$20.37 SEK 197

-21.26%

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

$2,628 €2,301

$145 SEK 1,406

1708.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K €9,616

$5,535 SEK 53.6K

98.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$118 €103

$87.8 SEK 850

33.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.7 €54.9

$41.63 SEK 403

50.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €94.2

$99.6 SEK 964

7.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €114

$157 SEK 1,517

-17.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 €1,652

$928 SEK 8,982

103.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,523 €1,334

$756 SEK 7,323

101.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,924 €2,561

$1,500 SEK 14.5K

95.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,309 €2,022

$1,086 SEK 10.5K

112.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,310 €6,402

$5,452 SEK 52.8K

34.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,072 €4,442

$2,626 SEK 25.4K

93.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,271 €3,741

$3,066 SEK 29.7K

39.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.39

4.8

-8.54%

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

Last update for Utrecht: July 13, 2026

Last update for Uppsala: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,887 in Utrecht versus $928 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 39% 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 $69.0 in Uppsala. Groceries tell a different story – $356 in Utrecht vs $393 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: $2,992 in Utrecht, $1,972 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 $4,487 per month in Utrecht and $2,958 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 44% less in Uppsala. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,628 per month in Utrecht and $145 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 $1,972, than in Utrecht at $2,992. 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 $1,972 in Uppsala 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 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.