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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,947 per month in Utrecht vs $1,999 in Uppsala, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,160 per month in Utrecht vs $3,014 in Uppsala, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,373 per month in Utrecht vs $4,028 in Uppsala, rent included.

Utrecht costs about 47% more than Uppsala, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Utrecht and Uppsala sit above the global median – Utrecht by 120%, Uppsala by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.14 €18.20

$15.78 SEK 148

33.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.5 €75.4

$69.9 SEK 656

25.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.95 €12.01

$11.40 SEK 107

22.37%

Cappuccino

$4.39 €3.78

$5.00 SEK 47.00

-12.20%

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

$3.95 €3.40

$2.67 SEK 25.05

47.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 €2.71

$2.19 SEK 20.56

43.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.03 €6.06

$8.39 SEK 78.8

-16.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.86 €5.04

$8.66 SEK 81.4

-32.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.16

$1.63 SEK 15.33

-17.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 €2.17

$2.75 SEK 25.83

-8.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.00 €2.59

$4.53 SEK 42.59

-33.77%

Eggs

$5.39 €4.64

$5.10 SEK 47.92

5.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.04 €12.09

$11.89 SEK 112

18.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.53 €14.24

$13.97 SEK 131

18.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.40 €14.98

$16.80 SEK 158

3.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.02

$3.74 SEK 35.09

-37.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 €2.14

$2.79 SEK 26.21

-11.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.66

$3.57 SEK 33.51

-45.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.70 €3.19

$5.18 SEK 48.69

-28.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.58 SEK 14.82

22.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 €1.92

$1.79 SEK 16.81

24.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 €1.18

$2.63 SEK 24.72

-48.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 €0.98

$1.32 SEK 12.41

-14.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.32 €12.33

$8.14 SEK 76.4

75.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.22 €6.21

$10.81 SEK 102

-33.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 €1.26

$2.41 SEK 22.62

-39.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 €2.30

$2.57 SEK 24.13

3.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.48 €3.00

$4.01 SEK 37.63

-13.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.2 €64.7

$109 SEK 1,023

-31.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.68 €3.17

$5.69 SEK 53.4

-35.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.54 €2.19

$1.19 SEK 11.17

113.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.59 €22.89

$63.5 SEK 597

-58.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 €1.95

$2.01 SEK 18.84

12.94%

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

$39.8K €34.3K

$33.2K SEK 311.7K

19.92%

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

$39.8K €34.3K

$33.8K SEK 317.6K

17.80%

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

$296 €255

$111 SEK 1,040

167.04%

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

$26.03 €22.42

$29.67 SEK 279

-12.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.51 €40.05

$43.81 SEK 412

6.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.94 €40.42

$38.15 SEK 358

23.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.19 €19.97

$28.06 SEK 264

-17.36%

Cinema Ticket

$15.92 €13.71

$19.76 SEK 186

-19.43%

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

$2,609 €2,247

$149 SEK 1,400

1650.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K €9,630

$5,570 SEK 52.3K

100.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$115 €98.6

$88.7 SEK 833

29.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.7 €52.2

$41.94 SEK 394

44.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €92.7

$98.7 SEK 927

9.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €112

$157 SEK 1,471

-16.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 €1,626

$943 SEK 8,862

100.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,521 €1,310

$755 SEK 7,087

101.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,826 €2,433

$1,503 SEK 14.1K

88.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,241 €1,930

$1,075 SEK 10.1K

108.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,022 €6,908

$5,511 SEK 51.8K

45.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,872 €5,057

$2,972 SEK 27.9K

97.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,615 €3,974

$3,097 SEK 29.1K

49.04%

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for Uppsala: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,888 in Utrecht versus $943 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 49% 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 $70.0 in Uppsala. Groceries tell a different story – $358 in Utrecht vs $387 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: $2,947 in Utrecht, $1,999 in Uppsala – roughly 47% 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 $2,999 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 45% less in Uppsala. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,609 per month in Utrecht and $149 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 $1,999, than in Utrecht at $2,947. 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 $1,999 in Uppsala 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 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.