Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bristol and Guildford

For one person, living is cheaper in Bristol: $2,883 a month against $3,168 in Guildford, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Bristol, United Kingdom
Guildford, United Kingdom
Bristol
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,883
/mo nomad
Guildford
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$3,168
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bristol and in Guildford

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,883 in Bristol versus $3,168 in Guildford.

  • Bristol $2,883
  • Guildford $3,168

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,161 in Bristol versus $4,474 in Guildford.

  • Bristol $4,161
  • Guildford $4,474

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,440 in Bristol versus $5,779 in Guildford.

  • Bristol $5,440
  • Guildford $5,779

Living in Bristol costs roughly 9% less than in Guildford, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bristol 112% above, Guildford 133% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bristol
Guildford
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$23.78 £17.88
$29.72 £22.34
-19.99%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$114 £85.6
$93.3 £70.1
22.05%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.82 £8.13
$11.23 £8.44
-3.65%
Cappuccino
$5.14 £3.87
$5.04 £3.79
1.98%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.69 £2.02
$2.71 £2.04
-0.74%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.84 £1.39
$1.56 £1.17
17.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.83 £5.88
$8.56 £6.43
-8.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.74 £5.07
$6.84 £5.14
-1.46%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bristol
Guildford
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.52 £1.14
$1.55 £1.16
-1.94%
White Bread (500g)
$1.71 £1.29
$1.33 £1.00
28.57%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.10 £1.58
$1.97 £1.48
6.60%
Eggs
$4.25 £3.20
$4.36 £3.27
-2.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.15 £6.13
$13.56 £10.19
-39.90%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.82 £7.38
$10.24 £7.70
-4.10%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.88 £9.68
$16.16 £12.14
-20.30%
Apples (1kg)
$3.22 £2.42
$3.54 £2.66
-9.04%
Banana (1kg)
$1.76 £1.32
$2.12 £1.59
-16.98%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.70 £2.03
$3.73 £2.80
-27.61%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.13 £3.10
$5.43 £4.08
-23.94%
Potato (1kg)
$2.07 £1.56
$1.93 £1.45
7.25%
Onion (1kg)
$1.45 £1.09
$1.44 £1.08
0.69%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.23 £0.92
$1.15 £0.86
6.96%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.02 £1.51
$1.48 £1.12
36.49%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.31 £17.52
$24.07 £18.09
-3.16%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.57 £7.95
$11.95 £8.98
-11.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.89 £2.17
$2.50 £1.88
15.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.65 £2.74
$3.06 £2.30
19.28%
🚌 Getting Around
Bristol
Guildford
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.40 £2.56
$3.13 £2.35
8.63%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$125 £93.7
$94.2 £70.8
32.41%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.50 £2.63
$4.60 £3.46
-23.91%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.62 £1.22
$2.02 £1.52
-19.80%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.41 £19.85
$40.80 £30.66
-35.27%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.17 £1.63
$2.04 £1.53
6.37%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.0K £28.5K
$39.2K £29.4K
-3.08%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.0K £30.1K
$41.1K £30.9K
-2.69%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bristol
Guildford
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$326 £245
$398 £299
-17.92%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.56 £13.20
$20.59 £15.48
-14.72%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$38.06 £28.61
$46.34 £34.83
-17.87%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bristol
Guildford
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.92 £31.50
$51.7 £38.85
-18.92%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.75 £8.83
$23.05 £17.32
-49.02%
Cinema Ticket
$15.58 £11.71
$10.51 £7.90
48.24%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bristol
Guildford
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,366 £1,778
$2,390 £1,796
-1.04%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.2K £19.0K
$24.5K £18.4K
3.03%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bristol
Guildford
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$100 £75.3
$111 £83.3
-9.60%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.78 £35.91
$66.8 £50.2
-28.46%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 £80.9
$118 £88.7
-8.81%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$96.6 £72.6
$127 £95.6
-24.08%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bristol
Guildford
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,963 £1,475
$1,946 £1,462
0.87%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,455 £1,094
$1,573 £1,182
-7.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,048 £2,291
$2,908 £2,186
4.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,225 £1,672
$2,363 £1,776
-5.85%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,040 £5,291
$7,969 £5,989
-11.66%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,142 £3,865
$6,803 £5,113
-24.42%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bristol
Guildford
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,801 £2,856
$3,678 £2,764
3.32%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.87
5.13
-5.07%

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

Last update for Bristol: October 26, 2026

Last update for Guildford: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bristol
$1.5K
Guildford
$1.6K 8.1% $118
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bristol
$382
Guildford
$465 21.6% $83
Eating Out
Bristol
$355
Guildford
$405 14.1% $50
Groceries & Markets
Bristol
$309
Guildford
$340 10.1% $31
Clothing & Footwear
Bristol
$158
Guildford
$190 20.1% $32
Getting Around
Bristol
$150
Guildford
$121 19% $29
Sport & Entertainment
Bristol
$73
Guildford
$73 0.5% $0.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,963 in Bristol and $1,946 in Guildford. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bristol pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $114 in Bristol vs $93 in Guildford. Groceries flip the comparison at $309 vs $340, with Bristol cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Bristol
🇬🇧 Guildford
🕒 Local time
18:47 6:47 PM
18:47 6:47 PM
Same time as Bristol
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
463,400
66,773
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.752 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.837 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bristol Guildford 140 km
From you
  • Bristol
  • Guildford

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
Bristol vs Guildford: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Bristol and in Guildford?
Bristol and Guildford differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($2,883 vs $3,168 including rent). Bristol is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Bristol or Guildford?
Average pay runs 3% higher in Bristol, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Bristol and in Guildford?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,963 in Bristol versus $1,946 in Guildford. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Guildford. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Guildford – a meal for two runs $93 versus $114 in Bristol. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How does quality of life compare between Bristol and Guildford?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Bristol or Guildford safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Bristol and Guildford are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

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