Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Durham and Poole

For one person, living is cheaper in Durham: $2,073 a month against $2,654 in Poole, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 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
127

Cost of Living Index in Poole
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Poole Living Index

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Durham

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,073

/mo nomad

Poole

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,654

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Durham and in Poole

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 Poole actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,073 in Durham versus $2,654 in Poole.

Durham $2,073
Poole $2,654

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,286 in Durham versus $3,904 in Poole.

Durham $3,286
Poole $3,904

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,498 in Durham versus $5,154 in Poole.

Durham $4,498
Poole $5,154

Living in Durham costs roughly 22% less than in Poole, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Durham 55% above, Poole 98% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.57 £14.79

$23.17 £17.51

-15.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.4 £70.6

$98.9 £74.7

-5.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.40 £8.61

$10.51 £7.94

8.47%

Cappuccino

$4.56 £3.44

$4.70 £3.55

-2.98%

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

$2.54 £1.92

$3.21 £2.42

-20.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 £1.54

$2.03 £1.53

0.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.08 £4.59

$6.44 £4.87

-5.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 £4.03

$7.04 £5.32

-24.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.47

$1.64 £1.24

18.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 £1.17

$1.49 £1.12

3.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 £2.29

$2.21 £1.67

37.10%

Eggs

$4.37 £3.30

$4.27 £3.23

2.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 £7.57

$6.40 £4.84

56.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 £6.69

$10.54 £7.97

-15.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.35 £16.13

$12.72 £9.61

67.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 £2.21

$2.32 £1.75

26.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 £1.91

$1.71 £1.29

47.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 £2.08

$1.96 £1.48

40.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.08 £3.84

$2.19 £1.66

131.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 £1.18

$2.00 £1.51

-22.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.70 £1.29

$1.43 £1.08

18.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 £0.80

$1.86 £1.41

-43.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 £1.42

$1.95 £1.48

-3.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.61 £17.84

$23.28 £17.59

1.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 £8.04

$9.62 £7.27

10.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.31 £2.50

$2.98 £2.25

11.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 £2.38

$2.44 £1.84

29.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.23 £2.44

$4.00 £3.02

-19.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.9 £65.7

$75.6 £57.1

14.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.39 £4.83

$3.40 £2.57

87.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.93 £1.46

$2.32 £1.76

-16.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.68 £17.89

$21.83 £16.50

8.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 £1.42

$2.02 £1.52

-6.93%

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

$37.8K £28.6K

$37.6K £28.4K

0.59%

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

$41.1K £31.1K

$40.9K £30.9K

0.44%

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

$265 £200

$356 £269

-25.74%

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

$15.21 £11.49

$19.48 £14.72

-21.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.95 £32.45

$43.65 £32.98

-1.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.78 £35.35

$81.0 £61.2

-42.26%

Cinema Ticket

$12.51 £9.45

$20.89 £15.78

-40.11%

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

$1,300 £982

$1,603 £1,212

-18.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.2K £19.1K

$33.1K £25.0K

-23.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 £80.3

$87.2 £65.9

21.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$71.4 £53.9

$40.27 £30.43

77.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 £86.1

$98.9 £74.8

15.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.2 £73.5

$84.4 £63.8

15.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,539 £1,163

$1,180 £892

30.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$743 £562

$1,206 £911

-38.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,661 £2,011

$2,266 £1,712

17.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 £1,183

$2,137 £1,615

-26.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,034 £3,804

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,862 £2,919

$2,071 £1,565

86.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,064 £1,559

$3,244 £2,452

-36.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.18

4.96

4.44%

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

Last update for Durham: October 4, 2026

Last update for Poole: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Durham

$743 35.7%

Poole

$1.2K 46% 62.2% $462

Groceries & Markets

Durham

$348 16.7%

Poole

$287 10.9% 17.7% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Durham

$323 15.5%

Poole

$419 16% 30% $97

Eating Out

Durham

$305 14.6%

Poole

$340 13% 11.7% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Durham

$175 8.4%

Poole

$140 5.3% 20.1% $35

Getting Around

Durham

$116 5.6%

Poole

$107 4.1% 8% $9.3

Sport & Entertainment

Durham

$72 3.5%

Poole

$123 4.7% 71% $51

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,539 in Durham and $1,180 in Poole. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Poole pays 57% 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: $93.0 in Durham vs $99.0 in Poole. Groceries flip the comparison at $348 vs $287, with Poole cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Durham

🇬🇧 Poole

🕒 Local time

09:30 9:30 AM

Same time as Durham

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

42,100

154,718

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.32 USD

1 GBP = 1.18 EUR

1 GBP = 1.32 USD

1 GBP = 1.18 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Poole: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Durham and Poole differ by about 28% in total monthly costs ($2,073 vs $2,654 including rent). Durham is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 57% lower in Poole. 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: $1,539 in Durham versus $1,180 in Poole. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,073 per month in Durham versus $2,654 in Poole – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Durham runs roughly 15% less than in Poole. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,073 in Durham versus $2,654 in Poole, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Durham but tight or insufficient in Poole. The gap between the two cities makes Durham the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Poole 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 28% less than in Poole. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.