Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Grays and London

For one person, living is cheaper in Grays: $2,369 a month against $3,986 in London, rent and utilities included – about $19,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

116

Cost of Living Index in Grays
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Grays Living Index
194

Cost of Living Index in London
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London Living Index

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Grays

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,369

/mo nomad

London

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$3,986

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,369 per month in Grays vs $3,986 in London, rent included.

Grays $2,369
London $3,986

A couple spends around $3,403 per month in Grays vs $5,791 in London, rent included.

Grays $3,403
London $5,791

A family of three spends $4,437 per month in Grays vs $7,595 in London, rent included.

Grays $4,437
London $7,595

Grays is about 41% cheaper than London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Grays and London sit above the global median – Grays by 75%, London by 195%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.94 £18.71

$25.93 £19.45

-3.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.3 £39.24

$107 £79.9

-50.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.98 £7.49

$10.71 £8.03

-6.82%

Cappuccino

$4.64 £3.48

$5.47 £4.11

-15.17%

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

$3.86 £2.90

$2.97 £2.23

29.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 £2.49

$2.20 £1.65

50.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.40 £4.05

$9.13 £6.85

-40.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.88 £5.91

$7.94 £5.96

-0.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 £1.16

$1.86 £1.40

-16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 £1.10

$2.07 £1.55

-28.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 £1.23

$2.42 £1.81

-32.23%

Eggs

$4.41 £3.31

$5.09 £3.82

-13.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.06 £9.05

$12.87 £9.66

-6.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.17 £6.88

$10.43 £7.82

-12.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.11 £11.33

$16.87 £12.66

-10.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 £2.21

$3.11 £2.33

-5.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 £1.42

$1.40 £1.05

35.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.82 £2.11

$3.08 £2.31

-8.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 £2.83

$3.27 £2.45

15.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 £1.65

$1.58 £1.19

39.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 £1.35

$1.74 £1.31

2.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 £0.88

$1.40 £1.05

-15.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 £1.07

$1.80 £1.35

-20.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.07 £12.80

$23.28 £17.46

-26.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 £8.16

$13.03 £9.77

-16.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.04 £2.28

$3.17 £2.38

-4.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 £2.42

$4.42 £3.32

-26.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.54 £2.66

$4.07 £3.05

-13.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.5 £73.1

$247 £185

-60.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.88 £3.66

$5.58 £4.18

-12.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.69 £2.02

$3.36 £2.52

-19.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.12 £29.35

$56.8 £42.58

-31.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 £1.54

$2.13 £1.60

-3.29%

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

$38.6K £29.0K

$38.2K £28.6K

1.10%

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

$40.9K £30.7K

0.04%

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

$280 £210

$372 £279

-24.90%

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

$16.46 £12.35

$17.82 £13.37

-7.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.70 £33.53

$40.37 £30.29

10.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.48 £34.87

$60.0 £44.99

-22.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.29 £15.97

Cinema Ticket

$11.16 £8.37

$17.74 £13.31

-37.09%

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

$2,079 £1,559

$2,864 £2,149

-27.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K £23.0K

$35.3K £26.5K

-13.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.9 £68.2

$114 £85.5

-20.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.44 £33.34

$54.3 £40.71

-18.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 £78.4

$124 £93.2

-15.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 £66.0

$163 £122

-46.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 £926

$2,869 £2,152

-56.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 £759

$2,233 £1,675

-54.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 £1,595

$5,266 £3,951

-59.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,634 £1,226

$3,778 £2,835

-56.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,052 £3,790

$18.3K £13.8K

-72.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,847 £2,886

$8,024 £6,020

-52.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,037 £3,779

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.12

4.74

8.02%

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

Last update for Grays: October 12, 2026

Last update for London: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Grays

$1K 42.7%

London

$2.2K 56% 121% $1.2K

Eating Out

Grays

$357 15.1%

London

$388 9.7% 8.6% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Grays

$341 14.4%

London

$430 10.8% 26.3% $90

Groceries & Markets

Grays

$313 13.2%

London

$349 8.8% 11.5% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Grays

$148 6.2%

London

$205 5.1% 39% $58

Getting Around

Grays

$130 5.5%

London

$285 7.2% 120% $155

Sport & Entertainment

Grays

$69 2.9%

London

$95 2.4% 38.8% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,235 in Grays versus $2,869 in London. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52.0 in Grays versus $107 in London. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $313 vs $349 – making Grays the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Grays

🇬🇧 London

🕒 Local time

05:26 5:26 AM

Same time as Grays

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,601

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

Lowest

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Between locations

Grays London 31 km

From you

Grays
London

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

Grays vs London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – London is pricier by about 68%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,553 per month in Grays and $5,979 in London. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,369 in Grays and $3,986 in London. That's a gap of about 68%.

Public transport costs about 153% less in Grays. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Grays, where all-in costs run around $2,369, than in London at $3,986. In Grays it covers expenses comfortably, while in London it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Grays – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Grays. 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.