Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alicante and London

For one person, living is cheaper in Alicante: $1,803 a month against $4,086 in London, rent and utilities included – about $27,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Alicante
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,803
/mo nomad
London
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$4,086
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Alicante and in London

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,803 in Alicante versus $4,086 in London.

  • Alicante $1,803
  • London $4,086

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,791 in Alicante versus $5,816 in London.

  • Alicante $2,791
  • London $5,816

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,779 in Alicante versus $7,546 in London.

  • Alicante $3,779
  • London $7,546

Living in Alicante costs roughly 56% less than in London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Alicante 35% above, London 205% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Alicante
London
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.46 €17.36
$26.62 £20.11
-26.90%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.2 €60.0
$108 £81.3
-37.56%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.14
$10.39 £7.85
9.34%
Cappuccino
$2.16 €1.93
$5.79 £4.38
-62.69%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
$3.01 £2.27
-28.90%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.32 €1.18
$2.15 £1.63
-38.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.29 €2.94
$9.35 £7.06
-64.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.33 €2.98
$7.84 £5.93
-57.53%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Alicante
London
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.15 €1.03
$1.79 £1.35
-35.75%
White Bread (500g)
$1.69 €1.51
$2.06 £1.56
-17.96%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.69 €1.51
$2.31 £1.74
-26.84%
Eggs
$3.22 €2.87
$5.05 £3.82
-36.24%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.72 €15.82
$12.57 £9.50
40.97%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.50 €8.48
$10.66 £8.05
-10.88%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.16 €14.42
$17.13 £12.94
-5.66%
Apples (1kg)
$2.62 €2.33
$3.03 £2.29
-13.53%
Banana (1kg)
$2.09 €1.86
$1.41 £1.07
48.23%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.83 €1.63
$3.05 £2.31
-40.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.69 €2.40
$3.38 £2.56
-20.41%
Potato (1kg)
$1.84 €1.64
$1.67 £1.26
10.18%
Onion (1kg)
$2.02 €1.80
$1.73 £1.31
16.76%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.25 €1.12
$1.41 £1.07
-11.35%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.65 €0.58
$1.79 £1.35
-63.69%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.73 €6.00
$23.22 £17.55
-71.02%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.70 €5.09
$12.99 £9.82
-56.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.20 €1.07
$3.18 £2.40
-62.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.15 €1.92
$4.41 £3.33
-51.25%
🚌 Getting Around
Alicante
London
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.62 €1.44
$3.87 £2.93
-58.14%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.35 €23.51
$250 £189
-89.46%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.00 €2.68
$5.71 £4.31
-47.46%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.33 €1.19
$3.33 £2.51
-60.06%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.98 €15.15
$57.9 £43.76
-70.68%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.75 €1.56
$2.04 £1.54
-14.22%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.8K €31.1K
$37.5K £28.4K
-7.23%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.9K €25.7K
$40.9K £30.9K
-29.45%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Alicante
London
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$138 €123
$376 £284
-63.21%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.71 €16.70
$17.88 £13.51
4.64%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.82 €26.61
$40.01 £30.24
-25.47%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Alicante
London
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.39 €36.94
$61.2 £46.22
-32.33%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.06 €15.23
$21.07 £15.93
-19.03%
Cinema Ticket
$9.52 €8.50
$17.95 £13.57
-46.96%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Alicante
London
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$709 €633
$2,865 £2,165
-75.25%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,531 €8,505
$35.3K £26.7K
-73.03%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Alicante
London
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$83.9 €74.9
$116 £87.7
-27.68%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.58 €31.75
$54.1 £40.87
-34.21%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.9 €86.5
$127 £95.7
-23.44%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 €94.8
$159 £120
-33.29%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Alicante
London
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,016 €907
$2,853 £2,156
-64.39%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$837 €747
$2,301 £1,739
-63.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,700 €1,517
$5,201 £3,931
-67.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,537 €1,372
$3,723 £2,813
-58.70%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,254 €3,797
$19.0K £14.4K
-77.62%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,066 €1,844
$7,881 £5,955
-73.79%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Alicante
London
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,925 €1,718
$4,818 £3,641
-60.04%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.99
4.65
-35.70%

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

Last update for Alicante: October 4, 2026

Last update for London: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Alicante
$837
London
$2.3K 175% $1.5K
Groceries & Markets
Alicante
$288
London
$349 21.4% $62
Eating Out
Alicante
$253
London
$397 57% $144
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Alicante
$187
London
$434 132% $247
Clothing & Footwear
Alicante
$145
London
$205 41.3% $60
Sport & Entertainment
Alicante
$60
London
$97 60.6% $37
Getting Around
Alicante
$42
London
$288 578% $245

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,016 in Alicante and $2,853 in London. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

London pays 150% 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: $67.0 in Alicante vs $108 in London for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $349 per month, with Alicante cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Alicante
🇬🇧 London
🕒 Local time
12:46 12:46 PM
11:46 11:46 AM
1 h behind Alicante
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
349,282
8,908,083 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.756 GBP (1 GBP = 1.32 USD). 1 EUR = 0.847 GBP (1 GBP = 1.18 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Alicante London 1,460 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Alicante
  • London

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
Alicante vs London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Alicante or London?
Alicante wins on cost – living expenses run 127% lower than in London. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Alicante the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Alicante or in London?
On paper, salaries run 150% lower in London. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Alicante compared to London?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,016 in Alicante versus $2,853 in London. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Alicante and in London?
Childcare runs $709 in Alicante versus $2,865 in London. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Are groceries more expensive in Alicante or in London?
Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in London. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Alicante or in London?
At $1,803 in Alicante versus $4,086 in London, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Alicante but tight or insufficient in London. The gap between the two cities makes Alicante the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Alicante or London?
Both work as nomad bases, but Alicante delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,803 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Alicante hard to pass up.
How safe is Alicante compared to London?
Safety-wise, Alicante and London are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Alicante gentler on the wallet – expenses run 127% less than in London. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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