A Travel Price Comparison for Netherlands Utrecht vs. Leiden for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

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Should you visit Utrecht or Leiden?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Should I visit Utrecht or Leiden? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.

Utrecht

Utrecht is a province in the Netherlands, and its capital city happens to be called Utrecht as well. Utrecht is a unique university city (sorry for the tongue twister). Imagine Amsterdam but smaller, and with fewer tourists. Utrecht has the same underlying historical/magical feel as Amsterdam does, but is full of locals rather than crowds of tourists. It has a population of about 300,000 making it the fourth largest city in the Netherlands.

Leiden

Leiden is a city in the province of South Holland. It is south of the Netherlands capital, Amsterdam, and has a population of about 190,000. It is known for its university, museums, markets, and of course, canals. Leiden University is the oldest university in the Netherlands and is a sister school of Oxford, which is England's oldest university.

Which city is cheaper, Leiden or Utrecht?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Utrecht is €151, while the average daily cost in Leiden is €107. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each city. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Utrecht and Leiden in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Utrecht €85
    Leiden €62
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Utrecht €170
    Leiden €124

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Utrecht €18
    Leiden €21

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Utrecht

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Utrecht:

  • Private transfer: Utrecht to Utrecht Airport (UTC): $622
  • Private transfer: Utrecht Airport (UTC) to Utrecht: $622
  • Low Cost Private Transfer From Rotterdam Airport to Utrecht City - One Way: $108
  • Low Cost Private Transfer From Lelystad Airport to Utrecht City - One Way: $92
  • Low Cost Private Transfer From Amsterdam Schiphol Airport to Utrecht City - One Way: $100

Is it cheaper to fly into Utrecht or Leiden?

Prices for flights to both Leiden and Utrecht change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.





Food
  • Food Meals for one day
    Utrecht €46
    Leiden €31

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Utrecht €35
    Leiden €14

Tours and Activities in Utrecht

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Utrecht are as follows:

  • Castles, Canals and Good Folk: Explore the old city on an audio walking tour: $5.20
  • Orchid Farm & Giethoorn | Private Tour from Utrecht: $310
  • Private Experience in Amsterdam Castle and Keukenhof Flower Park: $310
  • Private Tour in Rotterdam and Keukenhof Tulip Gardens: $310
  • Private Tour to Giethoorn 'Venice of the North': $235
  • Private Tour to Kinderdijk Windmills and Keukenhof Flower Park: $310
  • Private Undercover Experience in Utrecht: $37
  • Private Walking Tour in Rotterdam and Harbor Cruise: $272
  • Private Walking Tour in Utrecht: $123
  • Private tour in Utrecht (half a day) by a local!: $243
  • Romantic tour in Utrecht: $496
  • Self-Guided Sightseeing Tour of Utrecht: $36

Tours and Activities in Leiden

For Leiden, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • American Revolution in Leiden Walking Tour: $19
  • Cruise around Amsterdam Lakes: $24
  • Leiden Lake District (Merenwijk) walking tour: $31
  • Leiden Private Tour and Canal Cruise: $150
  • Leiden Ancient and Medieval History: Private Tour with Art Historian: $366

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Utrecht €19
    Leiden €21

Sample the Local Flavors in Utrecht

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Utrecht:

  • Culinary lunch in Utrecht - SELF GUIDED FOOD & WINE TOUR: $102
  • Discover 3 restaurants in Utrecht - SELF GUIDED FOOD & WINE TOUR: $128
  • Experience 4 gastronomic restaurants in Utrecht - SELF GUIDED FOOD & WINE TOUR: $152

About these numbers

When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Utrecht and Leiden, we can see that Utrecht is more expensive. And not only is Leiden much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Leiden would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Leiden and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Utrecht would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Utrecht than you might in Leiden.

Budget Your Trip

Budget Your Trip has average travel costs for thousands of cities around the world, all provided by other travelers. You can also register to organize your spending by category and location with graphs, maps, charts, and tables.
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Utrecht vs. Leiden Travel Comparison

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