Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guildford and London

For one person, living is cheaper in Guildford: $3,168 a month against $4,086 in London, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Guildford, United Kingdom
London, United Kingdom
Guildford
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$3,168
/mo nomad
London
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$4,086
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,168 per month in Guildford vs $4,086 in London, rent included.

  • Guildford $3,168
  • London $4,086

A couple spends around $4,474 per month in Guildford vs $5,891 in London, rent included.

  • Guildford $4,474
  • London $5,891

A family of three spends $5,779 per month in Guildford vs $7,696 in London, rent included.

  • Guildford $5,779
  • London $7,696

Guildford is about 22% cheaper than London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Guildford and London sit above the global median – Guildford by 133%, London by 200%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Guildford
London
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$29.72 £22.37
$26.55 £19.98
11.94%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$93.3 £70.2
$107 £80.5
-12.81%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.23 £8.45
$10.78 £8.12
4.17%
Cappuccino
$5.04 £3.79
$5.71 £4.30
-11.73%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 £2.04
$3.01 £2.26
-9.97%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.56 £1.17
$2.29 £1.72
-31.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.56 £6.44
$9.08 £6.84
-5.73%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.84 £5.14
$8.07 £6.07
-15.24%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Guildford
London
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.55 £1.16
$1.90 £1.43
-18.42%
White Bread (500g)
$1.33 £1.00
$2.03 £1.53
-34.48%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.97 £1.48
$2.45 £1.84
-19.59%
Eggs
$4.36 £3.28
$5.07 £3.82
-14.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.56 £10.20
$12.71 £9.56
6.69%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.24 £7.71
$10.61 £7.99
-3.49%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.16 £12.16
$17.68 £13.31
-8.60%
Apples (1kg)
$3.54 £2.66
$3.17 £2.39
11.67%
Banana (1kg)
$2.12 £1.60
$1.45 £1.09
46.21%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.73 £2.81
$3.13 £2.36
19.17%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.43 £4.08
$3.41 £2.57
59.24%
Potato (1kg)
$1.93 £1.45
$1.67 £1.26
15.57%
Onion (1kg)
$1.44 £1.08
$1.77 £1.33
-18.64%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 £0.86
$1.43 £1.08
-19.58%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.48 £1.12
$1.87 £1.41
-20.86%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$24.07 £18.12
$23.91 £17.99
0.67%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.95 £9.00
$13.48 £10.14
-11.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.50 £1.88
$3.08 £2.32
-18.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.06 £2.30
$4.39 £3.31
-30.30%
🚌 Getting Around
Guildford
London
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.13 £2.36
$4.08 £3.07
-23.28%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$94.2 £70.9
$252 £190
-62.66%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.60 £3.47
$5.74 £4.32
-19.86%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.02 £1.52
$3.35 £2.52
-39.70%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$40.80 £30.70
$57.2 £43.07
-28.71%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.04 £1.53
$2.08 £1.57
-1.92%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$39.2K £29.5K
$38.0K £28.6K
3.09%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$41.1K £30.9K
$40.4K £30.4K
1.75%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Guildford
London
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$398 £299
$387 £291
2.78%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.59 £15.50
$18.57 £13.98
10.88%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$46.34 £34.88
$40.69 £30.62
13.89%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Guildford
London
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.7 £38.91
$57.6 £43.33
-10.20%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.05 £17.35
$19.75 £14.87
16.71%
Cinema Ticket
$10.51 £7.91
$18.33 £13.79
-42.66%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Guildford
London
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,390 £1,799
$2,957 £2,225
-19.16%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$24.5K £18.4K
$35.9K £27.0K
-31.79%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Guildford
London
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$111 £83.4
$119 £89.4
-6.69%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$66.8 £50.3
$56.3 £42.35
18.70%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$118 £88.8
$131 £98.5
-9.86%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$127 £95.7
$165 £124
-22.75%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Guildford
London
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,946 £1,465
$2,811 £2,116
-30.78%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,573 £1,184
$2,291 £1,724
-31.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,908 £2,189
$5,185 £3,902
-43.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,363 £1,778
$3,805 £2,864
-37.90%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,969 £5,998
$17.7K £13.3K
-54.89%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,803 £5,120
$8,405 £6,325
-19.05%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Guildford
London
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,678 £2,768
$5,070 £3,816
-27.45%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.13
4.79
7.10%

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

Last update for Guildford: October 27, 2026

Last update for London: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Guildford
$1.6K
London
$2.3K 45.6% $718
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Guildford
$465
London
$446 4% $18
Eating Out
Guildford
$405
London
$396 2.3% $9.4
Groceries & Markets
Guildford
$340
London
$356 4.4% $15
Clothing & Footwear
Guildford
$190
London
$212 11.3% $22
Getting Around
Guildford
$121
London
$291 140% $170
Sport & Entertainment
Guildford
$73
London
$94 29.6% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,946 in Guildford versus $2,811 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 38% higher in London. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $93 in Guildford versus $107 in London. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $340 vs $356 – making Guildford the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Guildford
🇬🇧 London
🕒 Local time
20:28 8:28 PM
20:28 8:28 PM
Same time as Guildford
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
66,773
8,908,083 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.753 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.838 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Guildford London 43 km
From you
  • Guildford
  • 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
Guildford vs London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Guildford cheaper than London?
Yes – London is pricier by about 29%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,752 per month in Guildford and $6,129 in London. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Guildford, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,946 there versus $2,811 in London.
How do food prices compare in Guildford and in London?
Groceries cost about 4% more in London, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is eating out cheaper in Guildford or in London?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $93 in Guildford and $107 in London. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $2,500 enough to cover costs in Guildford or in London?
$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,168 in Guildford and $4,086 in London. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is Guildford or London more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Guildford – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Guildford. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, London makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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