Cost of Living Comparison Between Guildford and Bristol Cost of Living Comparison Between Guildford and Bristol

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,203 in Guildford versus $2,836 in Bristol.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,398 in Guildford versus $4,096 in Bristol.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,592 in Guildford versus $5,355 in Bristol.

Living in Guildford is roughly 13% more expensive than Bristol, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Guildford 138% above, Bristol 111% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.68 £15.37

$20.57 £15.29

0.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.7 £65.9

$101 £74.9

-11.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.11 £8.26

$10.88 £8.09

2.11%

Cappuccino

$4.63 £3.44

$5.20 £3.86

-10.96%

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

$2.68 £1.99

$2.78 £2.07

-3.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 £1.36

$1.80 £1.34

1.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.19 £6.09

$7.85 £5.84

4.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.72 £5.00

$6.98 £5.19

-3.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 £1.18

$1.57 £1.17

0.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 £0.80

$2.43 £1.81

-55.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 £1.34

$1.87 £1.39

-3.74%

Eggs

$4.37 £3.25

$4.14 £3.08

5.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.64 £10.88

$12.30 £9.15

19.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.23 £7.60

$11.53 £8.57

-11.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.99 £11.89

$12.16 £9.04

31.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 £2.68

$3.43 £2.55

4.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 £1.58

$1.64 £1.22

29.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.34 £3.23

$2.84 £2.11

52.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.78 £3.55

$3.92 £2.92

21.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 £1.32

$2.04 £1.52

-12.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 £1.04

$1.78 £1.32

-21.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 £0.81

$1.19 £0.89

-8.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 £0.90

$1.85 £1.37

-34.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.29 £15.08

$20.52 £15.26

-1.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.41 £9.97

$10.72 £7.97

25.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 £1.88

$2.83 £2.10

-10.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 £2.62

$2.82 £2.10

24.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 £2.17

$3.11 £2.31

-6.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.8 £70.5

$113 £83.7

-15.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.76 £5.02

$5.51 £4.09

22.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 £1.15

$1.61 £1.20

-3.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.46 £17.44

$27.47 £20.43

-14.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.46

$1.88 £1.40

4.26%

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

$39.1K £29.0K

$39.1K £29.1K

-0.11%

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

$41.2K £30.6K

$35.9K £26.7K

14.79%

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

$392 £291

$301 £224

30.00%

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

$17.26 £12.83

$16.72 £12.43

3.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.81 £31.08

$44.22 £32.88

-5.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.9 £53.4

$49.41 £36.74

45.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.49 £12.26

$10.15 £7.54

62.46%

Cinema Ticket

$16.97 £12.62

$13.47 £10.02

25.98%

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

$2,172 £1,615

$2,157 £1,604

0.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.0K £17.8K

$24.3K £18.1K

-1.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.9 £61.6

$96.6 £71.8

-14.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.4 £50.9

$48.62 £36.15

40.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.2 £70.0

$114 £85.0

-17.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 £94.0

$137 £102

-7.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,836 £1,365

$1,833 £1,363

0.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,643 £1,222

$1,403 £1,043

17.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,687 £1,998

$3,077 £2,288

-12.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,492 £1,853

$2,269 £1,687

9.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,629 £5,672

$6,989 £5,196

9.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,134 £5,304

$5,185 £3,855

37.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,648 £2,712

$3,714 £2,761

-1.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.24

5.6

11.43%

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

Last update for Guildford: June 7, 2026

Last update for Bristol: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,836 in Guildford and $1,833 in Bristol. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bristol pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $89.0 in Guildford vs $101 in Bristol. Groceries flip the comparison at $340 vs $331, with Bristol cheaper for home cooking.

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

Guildford vs Bristol: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Guildford and Bristol differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($3,203 vs $2,836 including rent). Bristol is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Bristol earns 2% less. 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: $1,836 in Guildford versus $1,833 in Bristol. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Guildford. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bristol – a meal for two runs $101 versus $89.0 in Guildford. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Bristol is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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, Guildford and Bristol 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 Bristol gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Guildford. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.