Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dusseldorf and London

For one person, living is cheaper in Dusseldorf: $2,318 a month against $4,086 in London, rent and utilities included – about $21,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Dusseldorf
🇩🇪 Germany
$2,318
/mo nomad
London
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$4,086
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,318 in Dusseldorf versus $4,086 in London.

  • Dusseldorf $2,318
  • London $4,086

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,503 in Dusseldorf versus $5,816 in London.

  • Dusseldorf $3,503
  • London $5,816

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,688 in Dusseldorf versus $7,546 in London.

  • Dusseldorf $4,688
  • London $7,546

Living in Dusseldorf costs roughly 43% less than in London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dusseldorf 73% above, London 205% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Dusseldorf
London
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.75 €14.95
$26.62 £20.11
-37.08%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$72.2 €64.5
$108 £81.3
-32.87%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.50 €12.05
$10.39 £7.85
29.93%
Cappuccino
$4.30 €3.84
$5.79 £4.38
-25.73%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.13 €2.79
$3.01 £2.27
3.99%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.03 €2.70
$2.15 £1.63
40.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.20 €4.64
$9.35 £7.06
-44.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.59 €4.09
$7.84 £5.93
-41.45%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Dusseldorf
London
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.38 €1.23
$1.79 £1.35
-22.91%
White Bread (500g)
$2.51 €2.24
$2.06 £1.56
21.84%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.85 €2.55
$2.31 £1.74
23.38%
Eggs
$4.17 €3.72
$5.05 £3.82
-17.43%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.11 €13.48
$12.57 £9.50
20.21%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.73 €11.36
$10.66 £8.05
19.42%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$22.77 €20.32
$17.13 £12.94
32.92%
Apples (1kg)
$3.13 €2.79
$3.03 £2.29
3.30%
Banana (1kg)
$2.28 €2.04
$1.41 £1.07
61.70%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 €1.95
$3.05 £2.31
-28.20%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.17 €3.72
$3.38 £2.56
23.37%
Potato (1kg)
$1.23 €1.10
$1.67 £1.26
-26.35%
Onion (1kg)
$1.16 €1.04
$1.73 £1.31
-32.95%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.65 €1.48
$1.41 £1.07
17.02%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.22 €1.09
$1.79 £1.35
-31.84%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.58 €8.55
$23.22 £17.55
-58.74%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.69 €5.97
$12.99 £9.82
-48.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.11 €0.99
$3.18 £2.40
-65.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.79 €1.60
$4.41 £3.33
-59.41%
🚌 Getting Around
Dusseldorf
London
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.26 €3.80
$3.87 £2.93
10.08%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$69.7 €62.2
$250 £189
-72.12%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.55 €4.95
$5.71 £4.31
-2.80%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.01 €2.68
$3.33 £2.51
-9.61%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$48.93 €43.66
$57.9 £43.76
-15.51%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.33 €2.08
$2.04 £1.54
14.22%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.8K €29.2K
$37.5K £28.4K
-12.72%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.0K €34.8K
$40.9K £30.9K
-4.58%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dusseldorf
London
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$342 €305
$376 £284
-9.04%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.49 €17.39
$17.88 £13.51
9.00%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$41.91 €37.40
$40.01 £30.24
4.75%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Dusseldorf
London
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.39 €38.72
$61.2 £46.22
-29.05%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.61 €31.77
$21.07 £15.93
69.01%
Cinema Ticket
$16.44 €14.67
$17.95 £13.57
-8.41%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Dusseldorf
London
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,070 €955
$2,865 £2,165
-62.67%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.3K €18.1K
$35.3K £26.7K
-42.70%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Dusseldorf
London
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$101 €90.1
$116 £87.7
-12.96%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.08 €36.66
$54.1 £40.87
-24.04%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$114 €102
$127 £95.7
-10.01%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$168 €150
$159 £120
5.49%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Dusseldorf
London
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,063 €948
$2,853 £2,156
-62.76%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$904 €807
$2,301 £1,739
-60.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,382 €2,126
$5,201 £3,931
-54.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,637 €1,461
$3,723 £2,813
-56.03%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$9,028 €8,056
$19.0K £14.4K
-52.51%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,922 €4,393
$7,881 £5,955
-37.54%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Dusseldorf
London
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,735 €3,333
$4,818 £3,641
-22.47%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.91
4.65
-15.91%

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

Last update for Dusseldorf: October 5, 2026

Last update for London: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Dusseldorf
$904
London
$2.3K 155% $1.4K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dusseldorf
$403
London
$434 7.6% $31
Groceries & Markets
Dusseldorf
$353
London
$349 1% $3.6
Eating Out
Dusseldorf
$286
London
$397 38.7% $111
Clothing & Footwear
Dusseldorf
$191
London
$205 7.5% $14
Getting Around
Dusseldorf
$107
London
$288 168% $181
Sport & Entertainment
Dusseldorf
$76
London
$97 27.3% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Dusseldorf and $2,853 in London. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

London pays 29% 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: $72.0 in Dusseldorf vs $108 in London. Groceries flip the comparison at $353 vs $349, with London cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇩🇪 Dusseldorf
🇬🇧 London
🕒 Local time
09:40 9:40 AM
08:40 8:40 AM
1 h behind Dusseldorf
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
618,128
8,908,083 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.756 GBP (1 GBP = 1.32 USD). 1 EUR = 0.848 GBP (1 GBP = 1.18 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Dusseldorf London 480 km
From you
  • Dusseldorf
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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
Dusseldorf vs London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is London cheaper than Dusseldorf?
Dusseldorf is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and transport. The 76% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Dusseldorf or London?
On paper, salaries run 29% 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.
What is the rent difference between Dusseldorf and London?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,063 in Dusseldorf versus $2,853 in London. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in Dusseldorf or in London?
Dining out is cheaper in Dusseldorf – a meal for two runs $72.0 versus $108 in London. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
What are total monthly expenses in Dusseldorf and in London?
All in, you'll spend $2,318 per month in Dusseldorf versus $4,086 in London – a 76% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Dusseldorf or in London?
At $2,318 in Dusseldorf versus $4,086 in London, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Dusseldorf but tight or insufficient in London. The gap between the two cities makes Dusseldorf the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Dusseldorf or London more family-friendly?
For families, Dusseldorf is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in London, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Dusseldorf or London?
Safety-wise, Dusseldorf 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Dusseldorf gentler on the wallet – expenses run 76% less than in London. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Dusseldorf vs other spots: cost of living compared

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