Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belfast and London

For one person, living is cheaper in Belfast: $2,346 a month against $4,086 in London, rent and utilities included – about $20,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

114

Cost of Living Index in Belfast
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Belfast Living Index
195

Cost of Living Index in London
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London Living Index

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Belfast

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,346

/mo nomad

London

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$4,086

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,346 in Belfast versus $4,086 in London.

Belfast $2,346
London $4,086

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,435 in Belfast versus $5,891 in London.

Belfast $3,435
London $5,891

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,524 in Belfast versus $7,696 in London.

Belfast $4,524
London $7,696

Living in Belfast costs roughly 43% less than in London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Belfast 72% above, London 200% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.29 £18.88

$26.55 £19.82

-4.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.5 £68.4

$107 £79.9

-14.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.80 £8.06

$10.78 £8.05

0.19%

Cappuccino

$4.92 £3.67

$5.71 £4.27

-13.84%

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

$3.04 £2.27

$3.01 £2.25

1.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 £1.54

$2.29 £1.71

-10.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 £6.02

$9.08 £6.78

-11.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.05 £6.01

$8.07 £6.02

-0.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 £1.36

$1.90 £1.42

-4.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 £1.72

$2.03 £1.51

13.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 £2.02

$2.45 £1.83

10.61%

Eggs

$4.62 £3.45

$5.07 £3.79

-8.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.69 £7.98

$12.71 £9.49

-15.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.04 £8.24

$10.61 £7.92

4.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.80 £11.79

$17.68 £13.20

-10.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 £2.35

$3.17 £2.37

-0.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 £1.49

$1.45 £1.08

37.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.36 £2.51

$3.13 £2.34

7.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 £3.00

$3.41 £2.55

17.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.28 £1.70

$1.67 £1.25

36.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 £1.18

$1.77 £1.32

-10.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 £1.01

$1.43 £1.07

-5.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 £1.40

$1.87 £1.39

0.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.61 £17.63

$23.91 £17.85

-1.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.41 £9.26

$13.48 £10.06

-7.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.73 £2.04

$3.08 £2.30

-11.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 £2.31

$4.39 £3.28

-29.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.16 £2.36

$4.08 £3.04

-22.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.0 £73.9

$252 £188

-60.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 £3.39

$5.74 £4.29

-21.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 £1.13

$3.35 £2.50

-54.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.68 £14.70

$57.2 £42.73

-65.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 £1.57

$2.08 £1.56

0.96%

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

$38.2K £28.5K

$38.0K £28.4K

0.56%

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

$40.8K £30.4K

$40.4K £30.2K

0.87%

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

$272 £203

$387 £289

-29.63%

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

$24.30 £18.14

$18.57 £13.87

30.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.23 £34.52

$40.69 £30.38

13.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.92 £32.80

$57.6 £42.99

-23.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.54 £7.87

$19.75 £14.75

-46.63%

Cinema Ticket

$14.14 £10.56

$18.33 £13.68

-22.86%

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

$1,566 £1,169

$2,957 £2,208

-47.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K £13.3K

$35.9K £26.8K

-50.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.9 £61.2

$119 £88.7

-31.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.61 £34.80

$56.3 £42.01

-17.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 £80.7

$131 £97.7

-17.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 £77.4

$165 £123

-37.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,229 £917

$2,811 £2,099

-56.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$935 £698

$2,291 £1,711

-59.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,880 £1,404

$5,185 £3,871

-63.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,393 £1,040

$3,805 £2,841

-63.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,107 £3,066

$17.7K £13.2K

-76.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,541 £1,897

$8,405 £6,275

-69.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,295 £2,461

$5,070 £3,786

-35.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.91

4.79

2.51%

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

Last update for Belfast: October 24, 2026

Last update for London: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Belfast

$935 39.8%

London

$2.3K 56.1% 145% $1.4K

Eating Out

Belfast

$371 15.8%

London

$396 9.7% 6.9% $26

Groceries & Markets

Belfast

$349 14.9%

London

$356 8.7% 1.8% $6.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belfast

$343 14.6%

London

$446 10.9% 30.2% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Belfast

$153 6.5%

London

$212 5.2% 38.3% $59

Getting Around

Belfast

$124 5.3%

London

$291 7.1% 135% $167

Sport & Entertainment

Belfast

$72 3.1%

London

$94 2.3% 30.5% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,229 in Belfast and $2,811 in London. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

London pays 54% 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: $92 in Belfast vs $107 in London for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $349 vs $356 per month, with Belfast cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Belfast

🇬🇧 London

🕒 Local time

12:45 12:45 PM

Same time as Belfast

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

348,000

8,908,083 Capital

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Belfast London 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Belfast
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

Belfast vs London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Belfast is about 43% cheaper overall, especially in transport, clothing, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 35% lower in Belfast. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,229 in Belfast versus $2,811 in London. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,566 in Belfast versus $2,957 in London. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Belfast – a meal for two runs $92 versus $107 in London. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

For families, Belfast is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in London, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

It comes down to priorities – Belfast wins on affordability, London on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.