Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Durham, NC and London

For one person, living is cheaper in London: $2,300 a month against $2,554 in Durham, NC, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Durham, NC
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Durham, NC Living Index
112

Cost of Living Index in London
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London Living Index

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Durham, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,554

/mo nomad

London

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,300

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,554 in Durham, NC versus $2,300 in London.

Durham, NC $2,554
London $2,300

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,914 in Durham, NC versus $3,321 in London.

Durham, NC $3,914
London $3,321

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,274 in Durham, NC versus $4,341 in London.

Durham, NC $5,274
London $4,341

Living in Durham, NC is roughly 11% more expensive than in London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Durham, NC 89% above, London 70% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.60 $15.60

$20.81 CA$29.42

-25.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 $103

$62.0 CA$87.7

66.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.06 $10.06

$12.35 CA$17.47

-18.54%

Cappuccino

$4.61 $4.61

$3.82 CA$5.41

20.68%

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

$3.15 $3.15

$2.10 CA$2.98

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.15 CA$3.04

-4.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.85 $5.85

$6.39 CA$9.03

-8.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 $6.96

$6.21 CA$8.77

12.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.86 CA$2.63

-36.56%

White Bread (500g)

$4.96 $4.96

$2.57 CA$3.64

93.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$4.00 CA$5.65

11.25%

Eggs

$3.48 $3.48

$3.67 CA$5.19

-5.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.27 $19.27

$10.08 CA$14.25

91.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.78 $16.78

$11.45 CA$16.19

46.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.16 $17.16

$14.74 CA$20.84

16.42%

Apples (1kg)

$5.73 $5.73

$4.31 CA$6.09

32.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.17 CA$1.66

58.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.76 $3.76

$3.77 CA$5.33

-0.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 $4.60

$4.06 CA$5.74

13.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$3.16 CA$4.46

-27.53%

Onion (1kg)

$3.89 $3.89

$3.06 CA$4.33

27.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.71 $2.71

$2.49 CA$3.52

8.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.47 CA$2.08

34.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.98 $7.98

$12.08 CA$17.08

-33.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.09 $15.09

$12.41 CA$17.55

21.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 $1.48

$2.46 CA$3.48

-39.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 $4.00

$2.78 CA$3.93

43.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 $1.52

$2.34 CA$3.30

-35.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.28 $25.28

$79.0 CA$112

-68.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.42 CA$3.42

-19.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 $0.60

$1.67 CA$2.36

-64.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.36 CA$31.61

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.19 CA$1.68

-19.33%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.4K CA$38.7K

27.90%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$22.9K CA$32.4K

8.00%

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

$224 $224

$138 CA$195

62.24%

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

$56.2 $56.2

$39.00 CA$55.1

44.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.9 $70.9

$55.7 CA$78.8

27.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.70 $49.70

$37.53 CA$53.1

32.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 CA$40.87

Cinema Ticket

$13.19 $13.19

$10.40 CA$14.70

26.83%

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

$1,542 $1,542

$410 CA$580

275.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.4K CA$28.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.17 $44.17

$52.8 CA$74.6

-16.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.03 $34.03

$38.41 CA$54.3

-11.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 $92.3

$82.2 CA$116

12.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$88.7 CA$125

52.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,710 $1,710

$1,241 CA$1,754

37.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 $1,220

$1,125 CA$1,590

8.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,543 $2,543

$2,042 CA$2,887

24.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,210 $2,210

$1,700 CA$2,404

29.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,757 $2,757

$3,473 CA$4,910

-20.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,680 $2,680

$3,551 CA$5,020

-24.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,585 $4,585

$2,866 CA$4,051

60.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

4.72

44.28%

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

Last update for Durham, NC: October 12, 2026

Last update for London: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Durham, NC

$1.2K 47.8%

London

$1.1K 48.9% 7.8% $95

Groceries & Markets

Durham, NC

$459 18%

London

$357 15.5% 22.3% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Durham, NC

$351 13.7%

London

$233 10.1% 33.7% $118

Eating Out

Durham, NC

$274 10.7%

London

$311 13.5% 13.3% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Durham, NC

$137 5.4%

London

$118 5.1% 14.2% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Durham, NC

$76 3%

London

$58 2.5% 23.3% $18

Getting Around

Durham, NC

$36 1.4%

London

$99 4.3% 173% $63

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,710 in Durham, NC and $1,241 in London. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Durham, NC pays 60% 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: $103 in Durham, NC vs $62.0 in London for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $459 vs $357 per month, with London cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Durham, NC

🇨🇦 London

🕒 Local time

04:57 4:57 AM

Same time as Durham, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

283,506

383,822

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

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Durham, NC London 800 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

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Durham, NC
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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

Durham, NC vs London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

London wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Durham, NC. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making London the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 60% higher in Durham, NC, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,710 in Durham, NC versus $1,241 in London. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in London runs roughly 213% less than in Durham, NC. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,542 in Durham, NC versus $410 in London. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,300 in London versus $2,554 in Durham, NC, a $2,500 budget is realistic in London but tight or insufficient in Durham, NC. The gap between the two cities makes London the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but London delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,300 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes London hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Durham, NC and London are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find London gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Durham, NC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.