Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingston upon Thames and London Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingston upon Thames and London

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,449 in Kingston upon Thames versus $4,221 in London.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,925 in Kingston upon Thames versus $5,971 in London.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,400 in Kingston upon Thames versus $7,721 in London.

Living in Kingston upon Thames costs roughly 18% less than in London, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kingston upon Thames 151% above, London 207% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.44 £16.64

$27.14 £20.13

-17.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.1 £64.6

$110 £81.5

-20.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.01 £8.17

$11.05 £8.19

-0.36%

Cappuccino

$5.61 £4.16

$5.84 £4.33

-3.94%

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

$3.06 £2.27

$3.02 £2.24

1.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 £1.35

$2.24 £1.66

-18.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.62 £7.13

$9.33 £6.92

3.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.86 £6.57

$8.92 £6.62

-0.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 £1.30

$1.88 £1.40

-6.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 £1.28

$2.05 £1.52

-15.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 £1.80

$2.46 £1.82

-1.63%

Eggs

$5.06 £3.76

$5.21 £3.86

-2.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.85 £6.56

$12.72 £9.44

-30.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.77 £6.50

$10.97 £8.14

-20.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.23 £9.81

$18.29 £13.57

-27.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 £2.49

$3.17 £2.35

5.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 £1.06

$1.50 £1.11

-5.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 £1.91

$2.80 £2.08

-8.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 £2.09

$3.50 £2.59

-19.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 £1.26

$1.65 £1.23

3.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 £1.36

$1.85 £1.37

-0.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 £0.95

$1.53 £1.14

-16.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 £1.34

$1.83 £1.36

-1.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.17 £17.93

$24.20 £17.95

-0.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.51 £7.06

$13.40 £9.94

-29.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.21 £2.38

$3.27 £2.42

-1.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 £3.36

$4.67 £3.47

-3.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 £1.72

$4.18 £3.10

-44.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.12 £32.72

$272 £202

-83.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 £3.65

$5.75 £4.27

-14.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 £1.08

$3.32 £2.47

-56.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.58 £18.23

$58.0 £43.00

-57.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 £1.47

$2.06 £1.53

-3.88%

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

$39.8K £29.5K

$39.5K £29.3K

0.81%

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

$41.8K £31.0K

$42.6K £31.6K

-1.90%

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

$365 £271

$373 £277

-2.00%

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

$15.96 £11.84

$18.28 £13.56

-12.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.50 £31.53

$42.44 £31.47

0.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$104 £77.4

$63.7 £47.24

63.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.93 £8.11

$22.74 £16.87

-51.93%

Cinema Ticket

$20.72 £15.37

$18.46 £13.69

12.24%

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

$2,729 £2,024

$2,922 £2,167

-6.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.6K £16.8K

$37.1K £27.5K

-38.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$116 £85.7

$115 £85.1

0.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 £40.12

$54.6 £40.50

-0.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 £59.4

$129 £95.4

-37.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 £79.4

$153 £113

-29.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,066 £1,532

$3,001 £2,226

-31.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,879 £1,394

$2,363 £1,752

-20.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,730 £2,766

$5,471 £4,058

-31.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,235 £2,399

$3,809 £2,825

-15.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.4K £13.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,891 £5,853

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,416 £4,017

$4,580 £3,397

18.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.84

4.61

4.99%

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

Last update for Kingston upon Thames: August 31, 2026

Last update for London: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,066 in Kingston upon Thames and $3,001 in London. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kingston upon Thames pays 18% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $87.0 in Kingston upon Thames vs $110 in London for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $304 vs $361 per month, with Kingston upon Thames cheaper across the board.

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

Kingston upon Thames vs London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kingston upon Thames and London differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($3,449 vs $4,221 including rent). Kingston upon Thames is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 18% higher in Kingston upon Thames, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,066 in Kingston upon Thames versus $3,001 in London. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kingston upon Thames runs roughly 517% less than in London. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,729 in Kingston upon Thames versus $2,922 in London. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Kingston upon Thames 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, Kingston upon Thames 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.

Expats usually find Kingston upon Thames gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in London. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.