Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zwolle and Bristol

For one person, living is cheaper in Zwolle: $2,305 a month against $2,835 in Bristol, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Zwolle
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$2,305
/mo nomad
Bristol
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,835
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zwolle and in Bristol

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Zwolle and in Bristol actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,305 in Zwolle versus $2,835 in Bristol.

  • Zwolle $2,305
  • Bristol $2,835

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Zwolle versus $4,144 in Bristol.

  • Zwolle $3,361
  • Bristol $4,144

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,417 in Zwolle versus $5,453 in Bristol.

  • Zwolle $4,417
  • Bristol $5,453

Living in Zwolle costs roughly 19% less than in Bristol, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Zwolle 71% above, Bristol 110% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Zwolle
Bristol
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.32 €18.08
$23.82 £17.87
-14.69%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$83.5 €74.3
$113 £84.8
-26.10%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.80 €10.50
$10.38 £7.79
13.68%
Cappuccino
$3.99 €3.55
$5.27 £3.95
-24.29%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.61 €3.21
$2.56 £1.92
41.02%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.53 €2.25
$1.84 £1.38
37.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.49 €5.78
$7.55 £5.66
-14.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.70 €5.07
$6.51 £4.88
-12.44%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Zwolle
Bristol
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.15 €1.02
$1.49 £1.12
-22.82%
White Bread (500g)
$2.43 €2.16
$1.63 £1.22
49.08%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.53 €2.25
$2.00 £1.50
26.50%
Eggs
$4.41 €3.93
$4.29 £3.22
2.80%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.15 €11.70
$8.39 £6.30
56.73%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.71 €12.20
$9.69 £7.27
41.49%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.41 €14.59
$12.85 £9.64
27.70%
Apples (1kg)
$1.90 €1.69
$3.14 £2.36
-39.49%
Banana (1kg)
$2.36 €2.10
$1.72 £1.29
37.21%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.79 €1.60
$2.62 £1.97
-31.68%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.70 €3.29
$4.16 £3.12
-11.06%
Potato (1kg)
$1.73 €1.54
$2.05 £1.54
-15.61%
Onion (1kg)
$1.88 €1.67
$1.51 £1.13
24.50%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.22 €1.08
$1.27 £0.95
-3.94%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.71 €0.63
$2.07 £1.55
-65.70%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.76 €12.24
$23.58 £17.69
-41.65%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.62 €5.89
$10.70 £8.03
-38.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.35 €1.20
$2.87 £2.15
-52.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.79 €2.48
$3.57 £2.68
-21.85%
🚌 Getting Around
Zwolle
Bristol
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$5.98 €5.32
$3.36 £2.52
77.98%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$89.8 €79.9
$118 £88.6
-23.95%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.67 €3.26
$3.39 £2.54
8.26%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.74 €2.44
$1.66 £1.25
65.06%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$45.07 €40.09
$26.38 £19.79
70.85%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.21 €1.97
$2.12 £1.59
4.25%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$41.0K €36.4K
$37.5K £28.1K
9.32%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.6K €35.2K
$39.7K £29.8K
-0.45%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Zwolle
Bristol
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$243 €216
$316 £237
-22.93%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.96 €19.53
$16.76 £12.58
31.03%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$44.12 €39.25
$38.59 £28.95
14.33%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Zwolle
Bristol
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.35 €35.90
$48.62 £36.48
-17.01%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.19 €18.84
$11.50 £8.63
84.26%
Cinema Ticket
$15.88 €14.12
$14.05 £10.54
13.02%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Zwolle
Bristol
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,588 €1,412
$2,221 £1,667
-28.54%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,101 €7,206
$25.0K £18.7K
-67.56%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Zwolle
Bristol
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$96.2 €85.6
$98.5 £73.9
-2.31%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.8 €46.08
$48.84 £36.64
6.08%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.8 €78.1
$105 £79.1
-16.74%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 €109
$98.9 £74.2
24.36%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Zwolle
Bristol
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$993 €883
$1,891 £1,419
-47.48%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$998 €888
$1,424 £1,068
-29.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,806 €1,606
$3,042 £2,282
-40.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,484 €1,320
$2,266 £1,700
-34.53%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,288 €4,704
$6,835 £5,128
-22.64%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,348 €3,867
$5,177 £3,884
-16.02%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Zwolle
Bristol
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,014 €2,681
$3,731 £2,799
-19.22%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.23
4.87
-33.68%

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

Last update for Zwolle: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bristol: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Zwolle
$998
Bristol
$1.4K 42.6% $426
Groceries & Markets
Zwolle
$318
Bristol
$308 3.2% $10
Eating Out
Zwolle
$314
Bristol
$353 12.4% $39
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Zwolle
$309
Bristol
$371 19.9% $62
Clothing & Footwear
Zwolle
$161
Bristol
$158 2% $3.2
Getting Around
Zwolle
$131
Bristol
$143 9.2% $12
Sport & Entertainment
Zwolle
$72
Bristol
$77 6.4% $4.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $993 in Zwolle and $1,891 in Bristol. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bristol pays 24% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $83.0 in Zwolle vs $113 in Bristol. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $308, with Bristol cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇳🇱 Zwolle
🇬🇧 Bristol
🕒 Local time
07:42 7:42 AM
06:42 6:42 AM
1 h behind Zwolle
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
132,411
463,400
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Zwolle Bristol 610 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Zwolle
  • Bristol

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Zwolle vs Bristol: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Zwolle and in Bristol?
Zwolle and Bristol differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($2,305 vs $2,835 including rent). Zwolle is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 24% lower in Bristol. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Zwolle and in Bristol?
Rent for a central apartment: $993 in Zwolle versus $1,891 in Bristol. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Bristol pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Zwolle – a meal for two runs $83.0 versus $113 in Bristol. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $2,500 per month?
At $2,305 in Zwolle versus $2,835 in Bristol, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Zwolle but tight or insufficient in Bristol. The gap between the two cities makes Zwolle the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Zwolle and Bristol?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Zwolle or Bristol safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Zwolle and Bristol are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Zwolle or Bristol?
Expats usually find Zwolle gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Bristol. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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