Utrecht at a glance
- Utrecht ranks 4th of 6 priced cities in Netherlands on cost: $2,634 a month in essentials, 36% above Groningen, the cheapest.
- The average net salary of $4,465 covers that 1.7×.
- 97.4 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at COROP region level.
- PM2.5 averages 10.7 µg/m³ a year, 2× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 6 Netherlands cities we track, so every row says whether Utrecht is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $2,634 | $2,541 | $93 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $1,529 | $1,492 | $38 |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,934 | $1,805 | $129 |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $208 | $200 | $8 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $471 | $478 | $6 |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $288 | $314 | $26 |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $138 | $113 | $25 |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $4,465 | $4,190 | $275 |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $2,307 | $2,323 | $16 |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $3,234 | $3,032 | $202 |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Utrecht, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $23.05 | $23.05 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $83.54 | $92.19 | $8.65 |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $13.83 | $15.00 | $1.17 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $4.68 | $4.58 | $0.09 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $7.20 | $7.00 | $0.20 |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $7.49 | $5.90 | 1.27× as much |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $3.87 | $3.90 | $0.02 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $3.38 | $3.45 | $0.07 |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.60 | $1.54 | $0.06 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $2.99 | $2.47 | $0.52 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $2.68 | $2.73 | $0.04 |
| Eggs, 12 | $4.93 | $4.79 | $0.14 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $13.88 | $13.87 | $0.01 |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $14.38 | $13.55 | $0.83 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $3.13 | $3.12 | $0.00 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $2.49 | $2.50 | $0.01 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $3.81 | $3.74 | $0.07 |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $1.75 | $1.84 | $0.09 |
| Onions, 1 kg | $1.97 | $1.63 | $0.34 |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $1.44 | $1.34 | $0.10 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $3.69 | $4.14 | $0.45 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $138.28 | $113.22 | $25.06 |
| Taxi start | $3.87 | $4.78 | $0.91 |
| Taxi, 1 km | $2.77 | $3.28 | $0.51 |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $2.57 | $2.58 | $0.02 |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $241.39 | $260.83 | $19.44 |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $46.98 | $52.45 | $5.48 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $21.65 | $21.99 | $0.34 |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $48.72 | $49.36 | $0.64 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $16.13 | $16.70 | $0.57 |
Dating-age sex ratio
Utrecht has 97.4 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (COROP region level). That is the 5th-highest of 6 Netherlands cities we track. Netherlands's national figure is 102.6, so Utrecht runs 5 below the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Utrecht ranks against every city we track
Utrecht sits ahead of 95% of the 545 cities we track on local salary. On safety it is ahead of 78% of 562. Its weakest measure is cost of living, ahead of only 7% of 542.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Utrecht sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
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Photo: Sebastiaan ter Burg from Utrecht, The Netherlands, CC BY 2.0.
