Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Basildon and London

For one person, living is cheaper in Basildon: $2,374 a month against $4,086 in London, rent and utilities included – about $20,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

115

Cost of Living Index in Basildon
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Basildon Living Index
195

Cost of Living Index in London
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London Living Index

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Basildon

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,374

/mo nomad

London

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$4,086

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Basildon 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 Basildon and in London actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,374 per month in Basildon vs $4,086 in London, rent included.

Basildon $2,374
London $4,086

A couple spends around $3,407 per month in Basildon vs $5,891 in London, rent included.

Basildon $3,407
London $5,891

A family of three spends $4,441 per month in Basildon vs $7,696 in London, rent included.

Basildon $4,441
London $7,696

Basildon is about 42% cheaper than London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Basildon and London sit above the global median – Basildon by 74%, London by 200%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.45 £15.39

$26.55 £19.98

-22.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.5 £44.78

$107 £80.5

-44.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 £6.88

$10.78 £8.12

-15.21%

Cappuccino

$4.76 £3.59

$5.71 £4.30

-16.64%

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

$3.21 £2.41

$3.01 £2.26

6.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 £1.18

$2.29 £1.72

-31.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.78 £5.10

$9.08 £6.84

-25.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 £2.95

$8.07 £6.07

-51.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 £0.99

$1.90 £1.43

-30.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 £1.58

$2.03 £1.53

3.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 £1.14

$2.45 £1.84

-37.96%

Eggs

$4.05 £3.04

$5.07 £3.82

-20.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.53 £6.42

$12.71 £9.56

-32.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.63 £3.48

$10.61 £7.99

-56.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.84 £8.91

$17.68 £13.31

-33.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 £2.36

$3.17 £2.39

-0.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 £0.98

$1.45 £1.09

-10.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 £1.50

$3.13 £2.36

-36.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.26 £2.45

$3.41 £2.57

-4.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 £1.17

$1.67 £1.26

-6.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 £1.39

$1.77 £1.33

4.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 £0.80

$1.43 £1.08

-25.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 £0.89

$1.87 £1.41

-36.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.22 £15.22

$23.91 £17.99

-15.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.71 £8.06

$13.48 £10.14

-20.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 £1.76

$3.08 £2.32

-24.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 £1.22

$4.39 £3.31

-62.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.68 £2.02

$4.08 £3.07

-34.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.6 £50.9

$252 £190

-73.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 £3.99

$5.74 £4.32

-7.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.35 £2.52

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$57.2 £43.07

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 £1.45

$2.08 £1.57

-7.21%

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

$38.2K £28.7K

$38.0K £28.6K

0.55%

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

$40.3K £30.3K

$40.4K £30.4K

-0.22%

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

$284 £214

$387 £291

-26.65%

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

$13.36 £10.05

$18.57 £13.98

-28.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.04 £26.37

$40.69 £30.62

-13.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.46 £33.46

$57.6 £43.33

-22.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.04 £20.35

$19.75 £14.87

36.91%

Cinema Ticket

$14.08 £10.60

$18.33 £13.79

-23.19%

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

$2,229 £1,678

$2,957 £2,225

-24.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.2K £22.0K

$35.9K £27.0K

-18.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 £56.9

$119 £89.4

-36.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.4 £39.44

$56.3 £42.35

-6.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.3 £40.87

$131 £98.5

-58.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.8 £39.73

$165 £124

-67.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 £1,262

$2,811 £2,116

-40.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 £918

$2,291 £1,724

-46.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,358 £1,775

$5,185 £3,902

-54.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 £1,514

$3,805 £2,864

-47.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,273 £3,968

$17.7K £13.3K

-70.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,358 £2,527

$8,405 £6,325

-60.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,893 £2,178

$5,070 £3,816

-42.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.4

4.79

12.73%

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

Last update for Basildon: October 25, 2026

Last update for London: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Basildon

$1.2K 51.4%

London

$2.3K 56.1% 87.9% $1.1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Basildon

$332 14%

London

$446 10.9% 34.3% $114

Eating Out

Basildon

$309 13%

London

$396 9.7% 28.2% $87

Groceries & Markets

Basildon

$252 10.6%

London

$356 8.7% 41.3% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Basildon

$106 4.5%

London

$212 5.2% 100% $106

Getting Around

Basildon

$84 * 3.5%

London

$291 7.1% 248% $207

Sport & Entertainment

Basildon

$73 3.1%

London

$94 2.3% 29.8% $22

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,677 in Basildon versus $2,811 in London. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 75% higher in London. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59 in Basildon versus $107 in London. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $356 – making Basildon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Basildon

🇬🇧 London

🕒 Local time

22:04 10:04 PM

Same time as Basildon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

184,479

8,908,083 Capital

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Basildon vs London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

London costs about 72% more than Basildon, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,561 per month in Basildon and $6,129 in London. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Basildon, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,677 there versus $2,811 in London.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,374 in Basildon and $4,086 in London. That makes Basildon about 42% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 73% less in Basildon. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,374 in Basildon and $4,086 in London. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Basildon – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Basildon. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, London makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.