Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Durham and London

For one person, living is cheaper in Durham: $2,052 a month against $3,986 in London, rent and utilities included – about $23,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in Durham
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Durham Living Index
194

Cost of Living Index in London
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London Living Index

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Durham

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,052

/mo nomad

London

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$3,986

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,052 in Durham versus $3,986 in London.

Durham $2,052
London $3,986

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,328 in Durham versus $5,791 in London.

Durham $3,328
London $5,791

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,604 in Durham versus $7,595 in London.

Durham $4,604
London $7,595

Living in Durham costs roughly 49% less than in London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Durham 52% above, London 195% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.54 £14.66

$25.93 £19.45

-24.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.8 £70.4

$107 £79.9

-11.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.27 £8.46

$10.71 £8.03

5.23%

Cappuccino

$4.58 £3.44

$5.47 £4.11

-16.27%

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

$2.43 £1.83

$2.97 £2.23

-18.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 £1.55

$2.20 £1.65

-5.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.06 £4.54

$9.13 £6.85

-33.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.21 £3.91

$7.94 £5.96

-34.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.46

$1.86 £1.40

4.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 £1.16

$2.07 £1.55

-25.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 £2.20

$2.42 £1.81

21.49%

Eggs

$4.43 £3.32

$5.09 £3.82

-12.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 £7.52

$12.87 £9.66

-22.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.84 £6.63

$10.43 £7.82

-15.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.52 £16.15

$16.87 £12.66

27.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 £2.12

$3.11 £2.33

-9.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 £1.86

$1.40 £1.05

77.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 £2.05

$3.08 £2.31

-11.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.21 £3.91

$3.27 £2.45

59.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 £1.17

$1.58 £1.19

-1.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 £1.24

$1.74 £1.31

-5.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 £0.83

$1.40 £1.05

-20.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 £1.43

$1.80 £1.35

6.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.03 £17.28

$23.28 £17.46

-1.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.59 £7.95

$13.03 £9.77

-18.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.31 £2.48

$3.17 £2.38

4.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 £2.38

$4.42 £3.32

-28.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.08 £2.31

$4.07 £3.05

-24.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.6 £65.7

$247 £185

-64.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.30 £4.72

$5.58 £4.18

12.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 £1.44

$3.36 £2.52

-42.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.06 £18.05

$56.8 £42.58

-57.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 £1.41

$2.13 £1.60

-11.74%

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

$38.3K £28.7K

$38.2K £28.6K

0.17%

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

$40.9K £30.7K

0.12%

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

$259 £195

$372 £279

-30.31%

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

$15.03 £11.27

$17.82 £13.37

-15.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.60 £32.71

$40.37 £30.29

8.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.79 £35.10

$60.0 £44.99

-21.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.29 £15.97

Cinema Ticket

$12.40 £9.30

$17.74 £13.31

-30.10%

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

$1,314 £986

$2,864 £2,149

-54.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.8K £18.6K

$35.3K £26.5K

-29.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 £79.3

$114 £85.5

-7.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.9 £52.5

$54.3 £40.71

28.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 £84.4

$124 £93.2

-9.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.2 £72.9

$163 £122

-40.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 £1,174

$2,869 £2,152

-45.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$720 £541

$2,233 £1,675

-67.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,730 £2,048

$5,266 £3,951

-48.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 £1,211

$3,778 £2,835

-57.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,063 £3,798

$18.3K £13.8K

-72.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,845 £2,885

$8,024 £6,020

-52.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,090 £1,568

$5,037 £3,779

-58.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.18

4.74

9.28%

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

Last update for Durham: October 10, 2026

Last update for London: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Durham

$720 35.1%

London

$2.2K 56% 210% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Durham

$349 17%

London

$349 8.8% 0.3% $0.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Durham

$318 15.5%

London

$430 10.8% 35.3% $112

Eating Out

Durham

$304 14.8%

London

$388 9.7% 27.6% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Durham

$173 8.5%

London

$205 5.1% 18.2% $32

Getting Around

Durham

$116 5.6%

London

$285 7.2% 147% $170

Sport & Entertainment

Durham

$72 3.5%

London

$95 2.4% 33.3% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,565 in Durham and $2,869 in London. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

London pays 141% 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: $94.0 in Durham vs $107 in London for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $349 vs $349 per month, with Durham cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Durham

🇬🇧 London

🕒 Local time

08:38 8:38 AM

Same time as Durham

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

42,100

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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Durham London 380 km

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Durham
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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 vs London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Durham and London differ by about 94% in total monthly costs ($2,052 vs $3,986 including rent). Durham is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 141% lower in London. 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: $1,565 in Durham versus $2,869 in London. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,052 per month in Durham versus $3,986 in London – a 94% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Durham runs roughly 182% less than in London. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Durham is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Safety-wise, Durham 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 Durham gentler on the wallet – expenses run 94% less than in London. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.