Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and the United Kingdom

Name: United Kingdom
Address: GB

For one person, living costs are similar in Australia and in the United Kingdom: $2,542 and $2,453 a month, rent and utilities included.

124

Cost of Living Index in Australia
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Australia Living Index
119

Cost of Living Index in the United Kingdom
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United Kingdom Living Index

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🇦🇺 Australia

$2,542

/mo nomad

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,453

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Australia and in the United Kingdom

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

A single person spends $2,542 per month in Australia vs $2,453 in the United Kingdom, rent included.

Australia $2,542
United Kingdom $2,453

A couple spends around $3,717 per month in Australia vs $3,548 in the United Kingdom, rent included.

Australia $3,717
United Kingdom $3,548

A family of three spends $4,893 per month in Australia vs $4,643 in the United Kingdom, rent included.

Australia $4,893
United Kingdom $4,643

The regional cost range is wider in the United Kingdom ($1,131–$3,986) than in Australia ($1,646–$3,152), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Australia is about 4% higher than in the United Kingdom on average.

Both Australia and the United Kingdom are pricier than the global median – Australia by 88%, the United Kingdom by 82%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.16 A$24.69

$20.82 £15.62

-17.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.9 A$121

$86.3 £64.7

-2.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.20 A$16.12

$10.76 £8.07

4.09%

Cappuccino

$3.92 A$5.64

$4.87 £3.65

-19.51%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 A$4.07

$2.55 £1.91

10.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 A$3.31

$1.85 £1.39

24.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.68 A$11.06

$6.75 £5.06

13.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.25 A$11.87

$6.49 £4.87

27.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 A$2.53

$1.64 £1.23

7.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 A$3.99

$1.66 £1.24

66.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 A$3.16

$2.17 £1.63

0.92%

Eggs

$4.99 A$7.18

$4.02 £3.01

24.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 A$14.31

$9.40 £7.05

5.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.03 A$12.99

$8.99 £6.74

0.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.25 A$21.94

$14.55 £10.92

4.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.67 A$5.28

$2.90 £2.17

26.55%

Banana (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.39

$1.60 £1.20

90.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 A$4.50

$2.78 £2.08

12.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.56 A$6.56

$3.39 £2.54

34.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 A$4.04

$1.78 £1.34

57.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 A$3.44

$1.62 £1.21

47.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 A$3.39

$1.23 £0.92

91.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 A$2.36

$1.66 £1.24

-1.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.42 A$55.3

$23.67 £17.76

62.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.77 A$19.82

$10.67 £8.00

29.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.69 A$6.75

$3.06 £2.30

53.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.08 A$7.31

$3.33 £2.50

52.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.72 A$3.91

$3.34 £2.51

-18.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.8 A$138

$103 £77.1

-6.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 A$5.10

$5.44 £4.08

-34.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 A$2.23

$2.36 £1.77

-34.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.00 A$57.6

$26.17 £19.63

52.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 A$1.87

$1.95 £1.46

-33.33%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$28.2K A$40.5K

$38.0K £28.5K

-25.79%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$28.5K A$40.9K

$40.6K £30.5K

-29.96%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$198 A$285

$315 £236

-37.00%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$28.75 A$41.37

$17.88 £13.41

60.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 A$84.4

$42.77 £32.09

37.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.7 A$81.6

$44.93 £33.71

26.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.08 A$27.46

$17.98 £13.49

6.12%

Cinema Ticket

$15.02 A$21.62

$13.06 £9.80

15.01%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$2,154 A$3,099

$1,753 £1,315

22.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.9K A$25.8K

$22.5K £16.9K

-20.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.0 A$112

$90.4 £67.8

-13.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 A$78.8

$45.49 £34.13

20.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 A$161

$101 £75.9

10.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 A$179

$102 £76.4

22.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,540 A$2,215

$1,339 £1,005

14.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 A$1,758

$1,096 £822

11.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,478 A$3,566

$2,152 £1,615

15.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,930 A$2,778

$1,699 £1,275

13.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,153 A$11.7K

$5,551 £4,165

46.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,053 A$8,711

$4,374 £3,282

38.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,944 A$5,676

$3,324 £2,494

18.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.93

5.32

11.47%

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

Last update for Australia: October 13, 2026

Last update for the United Kingdom: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Australia

$1.2K 48.1%

United Kingdom

$1.1K 44.7% 10.3% $125

Groceries & Markets

Australia

$370 14.6%

United Kingdom

$303 12.4% 18.1% $67

Eating Out

Australia

$293 11.5%

United Kingdom

$322 13.1% 9.6% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Australia

$286 11.2%

United Kingdom

$375 15.3% 31.4% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Australia

$166 6.5%

United Kingdom

$153 6.2% 8.2% $14

Getting Around

Australia

$118 4.6%

United Kingdom

$133 5.4% 13% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Australia

$87 3.4%

United Kingdom

$71 2.9% 18.1% $16

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,366 in Australia vs $1,252 in the United Kingdom. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,716 in Canberra and $2,869 in London.

Average salary: $3,849 in Australia vs $3,228 in the United Kingdom. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 9% higher in Australia.

Public transport is 16% more expensive in the United Kingdom.

Salaries are 19% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Australia

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

🕒 Local time

08:46 8:46 AM

22:46 10:46 PM

10 h behind Australia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,473,055

67,326,569

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Australia United Kingdom 16,980 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Australia
United Kingdom

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

Australia vs United Kingdom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

The United Kingdom is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 4% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Australia: a central one-bedroom averages $1,366 versus $1,252 in the United Kingdom.

$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in the United Kingdom, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

The United Kingdom is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.