Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bolton and London

For one person, living is cheaper in Bolton: $2,226 a month against $3,986 in London, rent and utilities included – about $21,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

108

Cost of Living Index in Bolton
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Bolton Living Index
194

Cost of Living Index in London
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London Living Index

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Bolton

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,226

/mo nomad

London

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$3,986

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,226 per month in Bolton vs $3,986 in London, rent included.

Bolton $2,226
London $3,986

A couple spends around $3,240 per month in Bolton vs $5,791 in London, rent included.

Bolton $3,240
London $5,791

A family of three spends $4,253 per month in Bolton vs $7,595 in London, rent included.

Bolton $4,253
London $7,595

Bolton is about 44% cheaper than London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Bolton and London sit above the global median – Bolton by 65%, London by 195%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.78 £14.84

$25.93 £19.45

-23.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.0 £64.5

$107 £79.9

-19.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.50 £7.88

$10.71 £8.03

-1.96%

Cappuccino

$4.94 £3.71

$5.47 £4.11

-9.69%

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

$2.51 £1.88

$2.97 £2.23

-15.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 £1.34

$2.20 £1.65

-18.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.34 £5.51

$9.13 £6.85

-19.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.46 £4.85

$7.94 £5.96

-18.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 £1.25

$1.86 £1.40

-10.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 £1.12

$2.07 £1.55

-27.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 £1.42

$2.42 £1.81

-21.49%

Eggs

$4.10 £3.08

$5.09 £3.82

-19.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.34 £7.01

$12.87 £9.66

-27.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.95 £6.71

$10.43 £7.82

-14.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.24 £11.43

$16.87 £12.66

-9.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 £2.36

$3.11 £2.33

0.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 £1.41

$1.40 £1.05

34.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 £2.29

$3.08 £2.31

-0.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.48 £2.61

$3.27 £2.45

6.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 £1.13

$1.58 £1.19

-5.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 £1.24

$1.74 £1.31

-4.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 £0.90

$1.40 £1.05

-14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 £0.95

$1.80 £1.35

-29.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.88 £17.92

$23.28 £17.46

2.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 £7.80

$13.03 £9.77

-20.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 £1.81

$3.17 £2.38

-23.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 £2.21

$4.42 £3.32

-33.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 £1.96

$4.07 £3.05

-35.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.28 £36.22

$247 £185

-80.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.05 £3.04

$5.58 £4.18

-27.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.18 £1.64

$3.36 £2.52

-35.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.56 £17.67

$56.8 £42.58

-58.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 £1.61

$2.13 £1.60

0.94%

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

$38.0K £28.5K

$38.2K £28.6K

-0.61%

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

$41.1K £30.8K

$40.9K £30.7K

0.39%

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

$243 £182

$372 £279

-34.76%

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

$16.36 £12.27

$17.82 £13.37

-8.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.64 £31.24

$40.37 £30.29

3.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 £57.9

$60.0 £44.99

28.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.76 £5.07

$21.29 £15.97

-68.25%

Cinema Ticket

$13.43 £10.08

$17.74 £13.31

-24.30%

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

$1,242 £932

$2,864 £2,149

-56.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K £14.6K

$35.3K £26.5K

-44.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.9 £62.2

$114 £85.5

-27.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 £32.07

$54.3 £40.71

-21.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.1 £67.6

$124 £93.2

-27.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.3 £65.5

$163 £122

-46.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 £909

$2,869 £2,152

-57.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$998 £749

$2,233 £1,675

-55.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,884 £1,414

$5,266 £3,951

-64.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,507 £1,131

$3,778 £2,835

-60.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.3K £13.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,024 £6,020

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,056 £3,043

$5,037 £3,779

-19.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.99

4.74

5.27%

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

Last update for Bolton: October 12, 2026

Last update for London: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bolton

$998 44.8%

London

$2.2K 56% 124% $1.2K

Eating Out

Bolton

$316 14.2%

London

$388 9.7% 22.7% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bolton

$301 13.5%

London

$430 10.8% 43.1% $130

Groceries & Markets

Bolton

$297 13.4%

London

$349 8.8% 17.5% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Bolton

$136 6.1%

London

$205 5.1% 50.4% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Bolton

$104 4.7%

London

$95 2.4% 8.2% $8.6

Getting Around

Bolton

$74 3.3%

London

$285 7.2% 288% $212

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,212 in Bolton versus $2,869 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 24% higher in London, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $86.0 in Bolton versus $107 in London. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $349 – making Bolton the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Bolton

🇬🇧 London

🕒 Local time

16:26 4:26 PM

Same time as Bolton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

139,403

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

On the map

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Between locations

Bolton London 280 km

From you

Bolton
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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

Bolton vs London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – London is pricier by about 79%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,339 per month in Bolton and $5,979 in London. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bolton, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 411% less in Bolton. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,242 per month in Bolton and $2,864 in London. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Bolton, where all-in costs run around $2,226, than in London at $3,986. In Bolton it covers expenses comfortably, while in London it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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