Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London, Canada and Durham, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in London: $2,342 a month against $2,423 in Durham, NC, rent and utilities included – about $970 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

112

Cost of Living Index in London
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London Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Durham, NC
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Durham, NC Living Index

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London

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,342

/mo nomad

Durham, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,423

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Durham, NC

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in London and in Durham, NC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,342 in London versus $2,423 in Durham, NC.

London $2,342
Durham, NC $2,423

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,356 in London versus $3,700 in Durham, NC.

London $3,356
Durham, NC $3,700

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,370 in London versus $4,978 in Durham, NC.

London $4,370
Durham, NC $4,978

Living in London costs roughly 3% less than in Durham, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: London 72% above, Durham, NC 78% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.44 CA$29.96

$15.31 $15.31

40.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.9 CA$90.6

$106 $106

-38.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.45 CA$17.40

$9.96 $9.96

25.00%

Cappuccino

$3.75 CA$5.24

$4.79 $4.79

-21.71%

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

$2.21 CA$3.09

$3.02 $3.02

-26.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 CA$2.98

$2.10 $2.10

1.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.26 CA$8.74

$6.18 $6.18

1.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.40 CA$8.94

$7.12 $7.12

-10.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 CA$2.64

$1.13 $1.13

67.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 CA$3.73

$4.70 $4.70

-43.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.07 CA$5.68

$4.52 $4.52

-9.96%

Eggs

$3.69 CA$5.15

$3.45 $3.45

6.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 CA$14.00

$19.01 $19.01

-47.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.75 CA$16.41

$16.98 $16.98

-30.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.92 CA$20.85

$17.05 $17.05

-12.49%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 CA$6.11

$5.67 $5.67

-22.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 CA$1.68

$1.83 $1.83

-33.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.79 CA$5.29

$3.90 $3.90

-2.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.88

$4.58 $4.58

-8.08%

Potato (1kg)

$3.20 CA$4.47

$2.27 $2.27

40.97%

Onion (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.30

$3.90 $3.90

-21.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 CA$3.53

$2.75 $2.75

-8.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.16

$1.96 $1.96

-21.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.01 CA$16.78

$8.57 $8.57

40.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.68 CA$17.72

$15.23 $15.23

-16.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 CA$3.57

$1.52 $1.52

67.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.07

$4.01 $4.01

-27.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.56

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.3 CA$112

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.45 CA$3.42

$1.96 $1.96

25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 CA$2.29

$0.60 $0.60

173.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.15 CA$30.95

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 CA$1.74

$1.01 $1.01

23.76%

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

$26.8K CA$37.5K

$30.9K $30.9K

-13.26%

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

$23.2K CA$32.4K

$26.0K $26.0K

-11.06%

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

$139 CA$194

$226 $226

-38.58%

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

$39.22 CA$54.8

$56.8 $56.8

-31.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.6 CA$79.1

$71.5 $71.5

-20.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.95 CA$50.2

$51.5 $51.5

-30.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.81 CA$40.25

Cinema Ticket

$10.83 CA$15.14

$12.36 $12.36

-12.38%

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

$419 CA$586

$1,567 $1,567

-73.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.8K CA$29.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 CA$75.7

$45.29 $45.29

19.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.94 CA$54.4

$35.33 $35.33

10.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.1 CA$113

$90.7 $90.7

-10.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 CA$128

$134 $134

-31.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,323 CA$1,849

$1,502 $1,502

-11.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,149 CA$1,606

$1,118 $1,118

2.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,099 CA$2,932

$2,272 $2,272

-7.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 CA$2,349

$1,970 $1,970

-14.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,124 CA$5,762

$3,463 $3,463

19.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,452 CA$4,823

$2,420 $2,420

42.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,052 CA$4,265

$4,786 $4,786

-36.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.72

6.81

-30.69%

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

Last update for London: October 26, 2026

Last update for Durham, NC: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

London

$1.1K 49.1%

Durham, NC

$1.1K 46.2% 2.7% $32

Groceries & Markets

London

$364 15.5%

Durham, NC

$456 18.8% 25.4% $92

Eating Out

London

$315 13.5%

Durham, NC

$276 11.4% 12.6% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

London

$235 10%

Durham, NC

$355 14.6% 51% $120

Clothing & Footwear

London

$119 5.1%

Durham, NC

$137 5.7% 14.8% $18

Getting Around

London

$101 4.3%

Durham, NC

$5 * 0.2% 95.1% $96

Sport & Entertainment

London

$58 2.5%

Durham, NC

$76 3.2% 32.3% $19

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,323 in London and $1,502 in Durham, NC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Durham, NC pays 57% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $65 in London vs $106 in Durham, NC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $364 vs $456 per month, with London cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 London

🇺🇸 Durham, NC

🕒 Local time

23:55 11:55 PM

Same time as London

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

383,822

283,506

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

London Durham, NC 800 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

London
Durham, NC

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

London vs Durham, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

London wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Durham, NC. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making London the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 36% lower in London. 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: $1,323 in London versus $1,502 in Durham, NC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Durham, NC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $2,342 per month in London versus $2,423 in Durham, NC – London is about 3% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both work as nomad bases, but London delivers better value at $2,342 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes London hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, London and Durham, NC are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – London wins on affordability, Durham, NC on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.