Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Essen and London

For one person, living is cheaper in Essen: $1,973 a month against $4,086 in London, rent and utilities included – about $25,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

97

Cost of Living Index in Essen
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Essen Living Index
196

Cost of Living Index in London
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London Living Index

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Essen

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,973

/mo nomad

London

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$4,086

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,973 per month in Essen vs $4,086 in London, rent included.

Essen $1,973
London $4,086

A couple spends around $3,106 per month in Essen vs $5,816 in London, rent included.

Essen $3,106
London $5,816

A family of three spends $4,239 per month in Essen vs $7,546 in London, rent included.

Essen $4,239
London $7,546

Essen is about 52% cheaper than London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Essen and London sit above the global median – Essen by 47%, London by 205%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.82 €17.69

$26.62 £20.11

-25.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.1 €76.8

$108 £81.3

-20.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.62 €12.15

$10.39 £7.85

31.09%

Cappuccino

$3.90 €3.48

$5.79 £4.38

-32.64%

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

$3.17 €2.83

$3.01 £2.27

5.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 €2.35

$2.15 £1.63

22.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.10 €5.44

$9.35 £7.06

-34.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.63 €5.02

$7.84 £5.93

-28.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.09

$1.79 £1.35

-31.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 €1.88

$2.06 £1.56

1.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 €2.96

$2.31 £1.74

43.72%

Eggs

$3.80 €3.39

$5.05 £3.82

-24.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.79 €14.98

$12.57 £9.50

33.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.28 €9.18

$10.66 £8.05

-3.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.58 €21.94

$17.13 £12.94

43.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 €2.98

$3.03 £2.29

10.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.87

$1.41 £1.07

48.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 €1.92

$3.05 £2.31

-29.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.93 €3.51

$3.38 £2.56

16.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.67 £1.26

-18.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 €1.12

$1.73 £1.31

-27.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 €1.38

$1.41 £1.07

9.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.05

$1.79 £1.35

-34.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.65 €8.61

$23.22 £17.55

-58.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.53 €4.94

$12.99 £9.82

-57.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 €0.98

$3.18 £2.40

-65.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.35

$4.41 £3.33

-65.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.07 €3.63

$3.87 £2.93

5.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 €58.4

$250 £189

-73.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.99 €4.46

$5.71 £4.31

-12.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.46 €3.09

$3.33 £2.51

3.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.97 €35.67

$57.9 £43.76

-30.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.96

$2.04 £1.54

7.84%

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

$33.4K €29.8K

$37.5K £28.4K

-11.16%

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

$38.9K €34.7K

$40.9K £30.9K

-4.94%

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

$389 €347

$376 £284

3.32%

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

$38.24 €34.13

$17.88 £13.51

113.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.91 €37.40

$40.01 £30.24

4.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.22 €36.78

$61.2 £46.22

-32.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.96 €32.98

$21.07 £15.93

75.42%

Cinema Ticket

$15.36 €13.71

$17.95 £13.57

-14.43%

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

$465 €415

$2,865 £2,165

-83.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,333 €8,329

$35.3K £26.7K

-73.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.4 €84.3

$116 £87.7

-18.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$83.9 €74.8

$54.1 £40.87

55.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €99.5

$127 £95.7

-11.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 €142

$159 £120

-0.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$641 €572

$2,853 £2,156

-77.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$487 €435

$2,301 £1,739

-78.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,423 €1,270

$5,201 £3,931

-72.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$950 €848

$3,723 £2,813

-74.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,666 €4,164

$19.0K £14.4K

-75.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,040 €2,713

$7,881 £5,955

-61.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,050 €2,722

$4,818 £3,641

-36.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.95

4.65

-15.05%

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

Last update for Essen: October 4, 2026

Last update for London: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Essen

$487 24.5%

London

$2.3K 56.5% 372% $1.8K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Essen

$469 23.6%

London

$434 10.7% 7.4% $35

Groceries & Markets

Essen

$341 17.2%

London

$349 8.6% 2.4% $8.2

Eating Out

Essen

$311 15.7%

London

$397 9.7% 27.4% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Essen

$202 10.2%

London

$205 5% 1.6% $3.3

Getting Around

Essen

$104 5.2%

London

$288 7.1% 177% $184

Sport & Entertainment

Essen

$72 3.6%

London

$97 2.4% 34.9% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $641 in Essen versus $2,853 in London. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 58% higher in London, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $86.0 in Essen versus $108 in London. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $341 vs $349 – making Essen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Essen

🇬🇧 London

🕒 Local time

05:58 5:58 AM

04:58 4:58 AM

1 h behind Essen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

569,884

8,908,083 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 GBP = 1.32 USD

1 GBP = 1.18 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Essen vs London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,973 in Essen, $4,086 in London – roughly 107% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,959 per month in Essen and $6,129 in London. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Essen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 282% less in Essen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $465 per month in Essen and $2,865 in London. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Essen, where all-in costs run around $1,973, than in London at $4,086. In Essen it covers expenses comfortably, while in London it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. London has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,973 in Essen to $4,086 in London. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Essen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, London makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.