Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Ashford Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Ashford

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,458 in London versus $2,268 in Ashford.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,491 in London versus $3,164 in Ashford.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,525 in London versus $4,060 in Ashford.

Living in London is roughly 8% more expensive than Ashford, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: London 83% above, Ashford 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.12 CA$25.20

$19.98 £14.88

-9.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.1 CA$103

$95.0 £70.8

-22.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.24 CA$14.24

$10.91 £8.13

-6.14%

Cappuccino

$3.50 CA$4.86

$4.01 £2.99

-12.72%

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

$1.94 CA$2.70

$2.86 £2.13

-32.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 CA$2.70

$1.97 £1.47

-1.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.73 CA$7.97

$6.21 £4.62

-7.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.49 CA$9.02

$6.27 £4.67

3.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 CA$2.34

$1.88 £1.40

-10.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 CA$3.19

$1.46 £1.09

57.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 CA$4.69

$2.82 £2.10

19.50%

Eggs

$3.26 CA$4.53

$3.75 £2.79

-13.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.54 CA$13.26

$6.03 £4.50

58.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.09 CA$16.82

$6.83 £5.09

77.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.23 CA$12.84

$13.04 £9.72

-29.22%

Apples (1kg)

$4.47 CA$6.22

$3.31 £2.47

35.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 CA$1.96

$1.97 £1.47

-28.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.56 CA$4.95

$3.72 £2.77

-4.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.86 CA$5.36

$3.54 £2.64

9.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 CA$2.27

$1.97 £1.46

-17.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 CA$2.82

$2.10 £1.57

-3.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 CA$3.03

$1.21 £0.90

80.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 CA$2.10

$1.46 £1.09

3.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.72 CA$17.70

$19.80 £14.75

-35.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.15 CA$18.28

$9.53 £7.10

37.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 CA$2.97

$3.51 £2.62

-39.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 CA$3.60

$4.25 £3.16

-39.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 CA$3.37

$3.34 £2.49

-27.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.3 CA$115

$89.7 £66.9

-8.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 CA$5.68

$6.91 £5.15

-40.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 CA$2.36

$1.56 £1.16

8.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.21 CA$43.40

$53.3 £39.69

-41.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 CA$1.62

$1.95 £1.45

-40.51%

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

$24.5K CA$34.1K

$24.9K £18.6K

-1.59%

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

$20.1K CA$28.0K

$26.3K £19.6K

-23.59%

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

$144 CA$200

$252 £188

-42.80%

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

$47.21 CA$65.7

$15.62 £11.64

202.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.7 CA$78.9

$33.76 £25.15

68.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.05 CA$57.1

$59.4 £44.25

-30.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.35 CA$10.22

Cinema Ticket

$10.84 CA$15.08

$16.51 £12.30

-34.34%

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

$563 CA$783

$2,296 £1,711

-75.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.3K CA$19.8K

$22.8K £17.0K

-37.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 CA$76.5

$88.3 £65.8

-37.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.55 CA$64.7

$29.50 £21.98

57.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.0 CA$117

$85.7 £63.9

-2.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.2 CA$113

$91.6 £68.2

-11.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,433 CA$1,993

$1,293 £963

10.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 CA$1,799

$995 £741

30.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,644 CA$3,677

$1,866 £1,390

41.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,977 CA$2,749

$1,283 £956

54.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,473 CA$4,830

$6,583 £4,905

-47.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,698 CA$5,142

$4,754 £3,542

-22.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,993 CA$4,162

$2,481 £1,849

20.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.21

5.54

12.09%

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

Last update for London: June 1, 2026

Last update for Ashford: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,433 in London and $1,293 in Ashford. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

London pays 21% 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: $74.0 in London vs $95.0 in Ashford. Groceries flip the comparison at $325 vs $290, with Ashford 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

London vs Ashford: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ashford is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

London pays 21% more on average, 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: $1,433 in London versus $1,293 in Ashford. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Ashford – a meal for two runs $95.0 versus $74.0 in London. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,458 per month in London versus $2,268 in Ashford – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,268 in Ashford versus $2,458 in London, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Ashford but tight or insufficient in London. The gap between the two cities makes Ashford the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ashford is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in London, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, London and Ashford 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 Ashford gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in London. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.