Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bristol and London

For one person, living is cheaper in Bristol: $2,883 a month against $4,086 in London, rent and utilities included – about $14,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

140

Cost of Living Index in Bristol
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Bristol Living Index
195

Cost of Living Index in London
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London Living Index

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Bristol

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,883

/mo nomad

London

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$4,086

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,883 in Bristol versus $4,086 in London.

Bristol $2,883
London $4,086

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,161 in Bristol versus $5,891 in London.

Bristol $4,161
London $5,891

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,440 in Bristol versus $7,696 in London.

Bristol $5,440
London $7,696

Living in Bristol costs roughly 29% less than in London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bristol 112% above, London 200% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.78 £17.76

$26.55 £19.82

-10.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$114 £85.0

$107 £79.9

6.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.82 £8.08

$10.78 £8.05

0.37%

Cappuccino

$5.14 £3.84

$5.71 £4.27

-9.98%

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

$2.69 £2.01

$3.01 £2.25

-10.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 £1.38

$2.29 £1.71

-19.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.83 £5.84

$9.08 £6.78

-13.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.74 £5.04

$8.07 £6.02

-16.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 £1.14

$1.90 £1.42

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 £1.28

$2.03 £1.51

-15.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 £1.57

$2.45 £1.83

-14.29%

Eggs

$4.25 £3.18

$5.07 £3.79

-16.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.15 £6.09

$12.71 £9.49

-35.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.82 £7.34

$10.61 £7.92

-7.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.88 £9.62

$17.68 £13.20

-27.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 £2.40

$3.17 £2.37

1.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 £1.31

$1.45 £1.08

21.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 £2.02

$3.13 £2.34

-13.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.13 £3.08

$3.41 £2.55

21.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 £1.55

$1.67 £1.25

23.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 £1.08

$1.77 £1.32

-18.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 £0.92

$1.43 £1.07

-13.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 £1.50

$1.87 £1.39

8.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.31 £17.40

$23.91 £17.85

-2.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.57 £7.90

$13.48 £10.06

-21.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 £2.15

$3.08 £2.30

-6.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 £2.73

$4.39 £3.28

-16.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.40 £2.54

$4.08 £3.04

-16.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$125 £93.1

$252 £188

-50.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 £2.61

$5.74 £4.29

-39.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 £1.21

$3.35 £2.50

-51.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.41 £19.72

$57.2 £42.73

-53.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 £1.62

$2.08 £1.56

4.33%

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

$38.0K £28.3K

$38.0K £28.4K

-0.08%

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

$40.0K £29.9K

$40.4K £30.2K

-0.99%

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

$326 £244

$387 £289

-15.64%

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

$17.56 £13.11

$18.57 £13.87

-5.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.06 £28.42

$40.69 £30.38

-6.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.92 £31.30

$57.6 £42.99

-27.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.75 £8.77

$19.75 £14.75

-40.51%

Cinema Ticket

$15.58 £11.63

$18.33 £13.68

-15.00%

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

$2,366 £1,766

$2,957 £2,208

-20.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.2K £18.8K

$35.9K £26.8K

-29.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$100 £74.8

$119 £88.7

-15.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.78 £35.67

$56.3 £42.01

-15.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 £80.3

$131 £97.7

-17.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 £72.1

$165 £123

-41.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 £1,466

$2,811 £2,099

-30.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,455 £1,086

$2,291 £1,711

-36.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 £2,276

$5,185 £3,871

-41.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,225 £1,661

$3,805 £2,841

-41.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,040 £5,256

$17.7K £13.2K

-60.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,142 £3,839

$8,405 £6,275

-38.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,801 £2,838

$5,070 £3,786

-25.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.87

4.79

1.67%

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

Last update for Bristol: October 26, 2026

Last update for London: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bristol

$1.5K 50.5%

London

$2.3K 56.1% 57.5% $836

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bristol

$382 13.3%

London

$446 10.9% 16.8% $64

Eating Out

Bristol

$355 12.3%

London

$396 9.7% 11.5% $41

Groceries & Markets

Bristol

$309 10.7%

London

$356 8.7% 15% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Bristol

$158 5.5%

London

$212 5.2% 33.6% $53

Getting Around

Bristol

$150 5.2%

London

$291 7.1% 94.1% $141

Sport & Entertainment

Bristol

$73 2.5%

London

$94 2.3% 28.9% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,963 in Bristol and $2,811 in London. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

London pays 33% 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: $114 in Bristol vs $107 in London. Groceries flip the comparison at $309 vs $356, with Bristol cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Bristol

🇬🇧 London

🕒 Local time

18:55 6:55 PM

Same time as Bristol

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

463,400

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

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Between locations

Bristol London 170 km

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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

Bristol vs London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,883 in Bristol and $4,086 in London, so Bristol is about 29% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 25% lower in Bristol. 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: $1,963 in Bristol versus $2,811 in London. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in London. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in London – a meal for two runs $107 versus $114 in Bristol. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

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