🇬🇧 United Kingdom · #25 of 558 cities · 2026

Cost of Living in London

17.3% above the United Kingdom average

Ranked #25 of 558 cities · More expensive than 95.5% of cities worldwide

Compared to United Kingdom average

Rent Prices

Rent Prices in London

Apartment City Centre Outside Centre You Save
1-Bedroom GBP 2,276/mo ≈ $3,090 GBP 1,745/mo ≈ $2,369 23%
3-Bedroom GBP 3,773/mo ≈ $5,123 GBP 2,899/mo ≈ $3,937 23%
Numbeo · 2026-03-18

Prices

Prices of Goods & Services in London

🛒

Groceries

Apples (1kg)
GBP 2.23
Beer (0.5L, supermarket)
GBP 2.27
Bread (500g)
GBP 1.61
Local cheese (1kg)
GBP 11.16
Chicken (1kg)
GBP 7.70
Cigarettes (Marlboro)
GBP 16.88
Eggs (12)
GBP 4.41
Milk (1L)
GBP 1.27
Potatoes (1kg)
GBP 1.03
Tomatoes (1kg)
GBP 2.68
Water (1.5L)
GBP 1.29
Wine (mid-range)
GBP 10.75
🍽️

Restaurants

Draft beer (0.5L)
GBP 6.75
Cappuccino
GBP 4.44
McMeal
GBP 9.37
Cheap meal
GBP 17.50
Mid-range dinner (2 people)
GBP 89.50
👗

Clothing & Shoes

Business shoes (leather)
GBP 96.84
Jeans (Levi's 501)
GBP 82.56
Sport shoes (Nike)
GBP 90.55
Summer dress (Zara/H&M)
GBP 41.81
🏋️

Leisure

Cinema ticket
GBP 14.75
Gym membership
GBP 73.15
🚌

Transportation

Gasoline (1L)
GBP 1.36
Taxi start
GBP 4.20
Monthly pass
GBP 197.50

Utilities

Basic utilities (85m²)
GBP 237.29

Prices in local currency, cross-referenced from multiple independent sources. August 2026.

Multi-Source Comparison

★★ Medium Confidence

London has a composite cost index of 90.3 from 4 independent data sources.

90.3
Composite
4
Sources
10.8
Spread

Source Values (NYC = 100)

Numbeo
81.2
Expatistan
92.0
LivingCost
109.2
SIM
80.4
Eurostat Validation (EU27 = 100) Gov. Data
Eurostat
140.4

Based on 117 country PLI x 1.2 city factor

View all 127 cities | Data last updated: 2026-03-18

Cost Indices

Cost of Living
+17.3% Expensive
Rent
+34.5% Very expensive
Groceries
+6.2% Average
Restaurants
+11.9% Expensive
Purchasing Power
-16.2% Weak

Living in London: What to Expect

London is expensive by global standards (ranked #25 of 558 cities). It is 17.3% more expensive than the United Kingdom average, based on 23 cities.

Groceries are average, while dining out is expensive. Groceries offers the best value, while Rent is the priciest.

Local purchasing power is limited — residents can afford fewer goods and services than in most cities.

Workers in United Kingdom earning GBP 42,845 gross take home GBP 2,864/month after tax (19.8% effective rate). See full United Kingdom tax calculator →

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