Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kollam and London

For one person, living is cheaper in Kollam: $284 a month against $3,986 in London, rent and utilities included – about $44,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Kollam
🇮🇳 India
$284
/mo nomad
London
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$3,986
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $284 per month in Kollam vs $3,986 in London, rent included.

  • Kollam $284
  • London $3,986

A couple spends around $448 per month in Kollam vs $5,791 in London, rent included.

  • Kollam $448
  • London $5,791

A family of three spends $613 per month in Kollam vs $7,595 in London, rent included.

  • Kollam $613
  • London $7,595

Kollam is about 93% cheaper than London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Kollam sits 79% below the global median, while London is 195% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kollam
London
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.04 ₹98.3
$25.93 £19.45
-95.99%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$6.43 ₹610
$107 £79.9
-93.96%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.21 ₹305
$10.71 £8.03
-70.03%
Cappuccino
$1.40 ₹133
$5.47 £4.11
-74.41%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.36 ₹34.41
$2.97 £2.23
-87.88%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.11 ₹10.75
$2.20 £1.65
-95.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.33 ₹126
$9.13 £6.85
-85.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.87 ₹178
$7.94 £5.96
-76.45%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kollam
London
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.60 ₹57.1
$1.86 £1.40
-67.74%
White Bread (500g)
$0.49 ₹46.48
$2.07 £1.55
-76.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.50 ₹47.86
$2.42 £1.81
-79.34%
Eggs
$0.84 ₹79.3
$5.09 £3.82
-83.50%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$3.67 ₹349
$12.87 £9.66
-71.48%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.03 ₹193
$10.43 £7.82
-80.54%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
-
$16.87 £12.66
-
Apples (1kg)
$1.59 ₹151
$3.11 £2.33
-48.87%
Banana (1kg)
$0.56 ₹53.1
$1.40 £1.05
-60.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.73 ₹69.6
$3.08 £2.31
-76.30%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.39 ₹37.32
$3.27 £2.45
-88.07%
Potato (1kg)
$0.35 ₹32.80
$1.58 £1.19
-77.85%
Onion (1kg)
$0.38 ₹36.16
$1.74 £1.31
-78.16%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.63 ₹60.1
$1.40 £1.05
-55.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.25 ₹23.57
$1.80 £1.35
-86.11%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.96 ₹471
$23.28 £17.46
-78.69%
Wine (Bottle)
$2.55 ₹242
$13.03 £9.77
-80.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.00 ₹190
$3.17 £2.38
-36.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 ₹263
$4.42 £3.32
-37.33%
Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)
$3.32 ₹315
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Kollam
London
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.16 ₹15.03
$4.07 £3.05
-96.07%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$7.00 ₹665
$247 £185
-97.16%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.83 ₹78.4
$5.58 £4.18
-85.13%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.30 ₹28.44
$3.36 £2.52
-91.07%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.10 ₹199
$56.8 £42.57
-96.30%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.11 ₹105
$2.13 £1.60
-47.89%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$9,113 ₹865.3K
$38.2K £28.6K
-76.14%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$16.5K ₹1.6M
$40.9K £30.7K
-59.70%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kollam
London
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$32.54 ₹3,089
$372 £279
-91.26%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$3.04 ₹289
$17.82 £13.37
-82.94%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$5.20 ₹494
$40.37 £30.29
-87.12%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kollam
London
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$13.66 ₹1,297
$60.0 £44.99
-77.22%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.25 ₹973
$21.29 £15.97
-51.86%
Cinema Ticket
$1.54 ₹146
$17.74 £13.31
-91.32%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kollam
London
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$20.80 ₹1,975
$2,864 £2,149
-99.27%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,666 ₹253.2K
$35.3K £26.5K
-92.45%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kollam
London
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$16.55 ₹1,571
$114 £85.5
-85.49%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$23.17 ₹2,200
$54.3 £40.71
-57.31%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$25.79 ₹2,449
$124 £93.2
-79.24%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$24.53 ₹2,329
$163 £122
-84.96%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kollam
London
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$83.1 ₹7,893
$2,869 £2,152
-97.10%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$46.94 ₹4,457
$2,233 £1,675
-97.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$183 ₹17.4K
$5,266 £3,950
-96.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$117 ₹11.1K
$3,778 £2,834
-96.91%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$830 ₹78.8K
$18.3K £13.8K
-95.47%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$441 ₹41.9K
$8,024 £6,019
-94.50%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kollam
London
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$513 ₹48.7K
$5,037 £3,778
-89.82%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
9.13
4.74
92.62%

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

Last update for Kollam: October 12, 2026

Last update for London: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Kollam
$82
London
$349 328% $268
Eating Out
Kollam
$47
London
$388 725% $341
Accommodation & Living
Kollam
$47
London
$2.2K 4657% $2.2K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kollam
$41
London
$430 955% $390
Clothing & Footwear
Kollam
$41
London
$205 406% $165
Sport & Entertainment
Kollam
$17
London
$95 471% $79
Getting Around
Kollam
$10
London
$285 2766% $275

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $83.1 in Kollam 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.

Salaries run about 883% higher in London, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $6.00 in Kollam versus $107 in London. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $82.0 vs $349 – making Kollam the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇳 Kollam
🇬🇧 London
🕒 Local time
20:24 8:24 PM
15:54 3:54 PM
4 h 30 min behind Kollam
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
367,107
8,908,083 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 94.95 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kollam London 8,320 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Kollam
  • 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
Kollam vs London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Kollam or London?
London costs about 1306% more than Kollam, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Kollam and in London?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $425 per month in Kollam and $5,979 in London. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Kollam or London?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kollam, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Kollam or in London?
Groceries cost about 328% more in London, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
How do dining costs compare in Kollam and in London?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $6.00 in Kollam and $107 in London. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Kollam or in London?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kollam, where all-in costs run around $284, than in London at $3,986. In Kollam it covers expenses comfortably, while in London it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Kollam or London?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kollam costs $284 versus $3,986 in London. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Kollam compared to London?
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.
Should I move to Kollam or to London?
If budget matters most, go with Kollam. 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.

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