Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Groningen and London

For one person, living is cheaper in Groningen: $2,285 a month against $4,086 in London, rent and utilities included – about $21,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Groningen
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$2,285
/mo nomad
London
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$4,086
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,285 in Groningen versus $4,086 in London.

  • Groningen $2,285
  • London $4,086

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,459 in Groningen versus $5,816 in London.

  • Groningen $3,459
  • London $5,816

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,632 in Groningen versus $7,546 in London.

  • Groningen $4,632
  • London $7,546

Living in Groningen costs roughly 44% less than in London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Groningen 71% above, London 205% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Groningen
London
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.40 €18.20
$26.62 £20.11
-23.37%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$102 €90.9
$108 £81.3
-5.34%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$16.01 €14.29
$10.39 £7.85
54.09%
Cappuccino
$4.57 €4.08
$5.79 £4.38
-21.07%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.77 €3.37
$3.01 £2.27
25.25%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.14 €2.80
$2.15 £1.63
46.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.67 €5.06
$9.35 £7.06
-39.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.65 €5.04
$7.84 £5.93
-27.93%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Groningen
London
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.42 €1.27
$1.79 £1.35
-20.67%
White Bread (500g)
$2.57 €2.29
$2.06 £1.56
24.76%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.54 €2.27
$2.31 £1.74
9.96%
Eggs
$4.64 €4.14
$5.05 £3.82
-8.12%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.50 €11.16
$12.57 £9.50
-0.56%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.48 €12.03
$10.66 £8.05
26.45%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.02 €16.08
$17.13 £12.94
5.20%
Apples (1kg)
$3.02 €2.70
$3.03 £2.29
-0.33%
Banana (1kg)
$2.39 €2.13
$1.41 £1.07
69.50%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.53 €2.26
$3.05 £2.31
-17.05%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.72 €4.21
$3.38 £2.56
39.64%
Potato (1kg)
$2.04 €1.82
$1.67 £1.26
22.16%
Onion (1kg)
$1.64 €1.47
$1.73 £1.31
-5.20%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.26 €1.13
$1.41 £1.07
-10.64%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 €1.14
$1.79 £1.35
-28.49%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.70 €13.12
$23.22 £17.55
-36.69%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.59 €5.88
$12.99 £9.82
-49.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.45 €1.30
$3.18 £2.40
-54.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.46 €2.20
$4.41 £3.33
-44.22%
🚌 Getting Around
Groningen
London
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.19 €3.74
$3.87 £2.93
8.27%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$68.2 €60.9
$250 £189
-72.72%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.81 €6.08
$5.71 £4.31
19.26%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.76 €2.47
$3.33 £2.51
-17.12%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.10 €25.97
$57.9 £43.76
-49.75%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.62 €2.33
$2.04 £1.54
28.43%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$41.4K €37.0K
$37.5K £28.4K
10.29%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.8K €34.6K
$40.9K £30.9K
-5.24%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Groningen
London
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$234 €209
$376 £284
-37.87%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.80 €18.56
$17.88 £13.51
16.33%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$50.0 €44.63
$40.01 £30.24
24.99%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Groningen
London
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.57 €35.31
$61.2 £46.22
-35.30%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.76 €13.18
$21.07 £15.93
-29.95%
Cinema Ticket
$16.89 €15.07
$17.95 £13.57
-5.91%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Groningen
London
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,799 €1,606
$2,865 £2,165
-37.21%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,677 €6,851
$35.3K £26.7K
-78.28%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Groningen
London
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$105 €93.8
$116 £87.7
-9.36%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.38 €39.60
$54.1 £40.87
-17.94%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$103 €92.3
$127 £95.7
-18.36%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$197 €176
$159 £120
23.95%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Groningen
London
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,310 €1,169
$2,853 £2,156
-54.07%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$925 €825
$2,301 £1,739
-59.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,972 €1,760
$5,201 £3,931
-62.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,458 €1,302
$3,723 £2,813
-60.82%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,263 €4,697
$19.0K £14.4K
-72.31%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,970 €3,543
$7,881 £5,955
-49.63%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Groningen
London
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,025 €2,700
$4,818 £3,641
-37.20%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.43
4.65
-26.24%

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

Last update for Groningen: October 6, 2026

Last update for London: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Groningen
$925
London
$2.3K 149% $1.4K
Groceries & Markets
Groningen
$346
London
$349 1% $3.5
Eating Out
Groningen
$333
London
$397 19% $63
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Groningen
$304
London
$434 42.5% $130
Clothing & Footwear
Groningen
$203
London
$205 1.3% $2.5
Getting Around
Groningen
$106
London
$288 173% $182
Sport & Entertainment
Groningen
$73
London
$97 32.3% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,310 in Groningen and $2,853 in London. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

London pays 59% 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: $102 in Groningen vs $108 in London for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 vs $349 per month, with Groningen cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇳🇱 Groningen
🇬🇧 London
🕒 Local time
09:34 9:34 AM
08:34 8:34 AM
1 h behind Groningen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
201,242
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
  • Groningen London 490 km
From you
  • Groningen
  • 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
Groningen vs London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Groningen or London?
Groningen wins on cost – living expenses run 79% lower than in London. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Groningen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Groningen or in London?
On paper, salaries run 59% 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Groningen compared to London?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,310 in Groningen versus $2,853 in London. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Groningen or in London?
Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in London. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How do dining costs compare in Groningen and in London?
Dining out is cheaper in Groningen – a meal for two runs $102 versus $108 in London. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Groningen or in London?
At $2,285 in Groningen versus $4,086 in London, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Groningen but tight or insufficient in London. The gap between the two cities makes Groningen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Groningen or London?
Both work as nomad bases, but Groningen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,285 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Groningen hard to pass up.
How safe is Groningen compared to London?
Safety-wise, Groningen 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 more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Groningen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 79% less than in London. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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