Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Sunderland Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Sunderland

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,465 in London versus $1,921 in Sunderland.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in London versus $2,867 in Sunderland.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,631 in London versus $3,812 in Sunderland.

Living in London is roughly 28% more expensive than Sunderland, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: London 83% above, Sunderland 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 CA$25.65

$20.59 £15.25

-9.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.8 CA$101

$80.7 £59.8

-8.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.21 CA$13.98

$10.39 £7.70

-1.73%

Cappuccino

$3.42 CA$4.69

$4.78 £3.54

-28.45%

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

$1.99 CA$2.72

$2.37 £1.76

-16.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 CA$2.68

$1.56 £1.16

25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.87 CA$8.05

$6.75 £5.00

-13.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.45 CA$8.84

$5.55 £4.11

16.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 CA$2.33

$1.60 £1.19

6.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 CA$3.19

$1.66 £1.23

40.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.38 CA$4.63

$2.15 £1.59

57.21%

Eggs

$3.30 CA$4.52

$3.51 £2.60

-5.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.00 CA$13.70

$10.36 £7.68

-3.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.48 CA$17.10

$8.91 £6.61

40.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.14 CA$12.52

$15.39 £11.40

-40.61%

Apples (1kg)

$4.40 CA$6.03

$3.57 £2.64

23.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 CA$1.88

$2.01 £1.49

-31.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.69 CA$5.06

$2.68 £1.99

37.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.70 CA$5.07

$3.83 £2.84

-3.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 CA$2.20

$1.94 £1.44

-17.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 CA$2.91

$1.60 £1.19

33.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.17 CA$2.97

$1.28 £0.95

69.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 CA$1.96

$1.83 £1.36

-21.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.42 CA$17.02

$18.58 £13.77

-33.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.02 CA$17.84

$10.86 £8.05

19.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 CA$2.84

$2.71 £2.01

-23.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 CA$3.55

$2.99 £2.21

-13.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 CA$3.34

$3.08 £2.28

-20.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.1 CA$112

$76.4 £56.6

7.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 CA$5.64

$6.28 £4.65

-34.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 CA$2.34

$1.40 £1.04

22.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.74 CA$43.48

$16.14 £11.96

96.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 CA$1.57

$1.94 £1.44

-40.72%

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

$25.1K CA$34.4K

$37.8K £28.0K

-33.61%

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

$20.5K CA$28.1K

$43.0K £31.8K

-52.24%

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

$144 CA$197

$294 £218

-50.97%

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

$46.71 CA$64.0

$16.82 £12.47

177.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.7 CA$80.5

$42.33 £31.37

38.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.50 CA$58.2

$42.83 £31.73

-0.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.43 CA$10.18

$12.47 £9.24

-40.42%

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 CA$14.81

$13.11 £9.71

-17.54%

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

$561 CA$769

$1,276 £946

-56.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K CA$19.9K

$6,922 £5,129

109.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 CA$76.4

$79.7 £59.1

-30.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.17 CA$64.6

$42.90 £31.79

9.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.3 CA$118

$86.0 £63.7

0.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.1 CA$111

$83.2 £61.7

-2.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,460 CA$2,000

$800 £593

82.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,267 CA$1,736

$599 £444

111.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,636 CA$3,612

$1,359 £1,007

93.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,978 CA$2,710

$985 £730

100.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,575 CA$4,898

$4,084 £3,026

-12.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,752 CA$5,140

$2,164 £1,604

73.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,022 CA$4,140

$3,629 £2,689

-16.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.21

5.6

10.89%

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

Last update for London: April 14, 2026

Last update for Sunderland: April 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,460 in London and $800 in Sunderland. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sunderland pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $74 in London vs $81 in Sunderland. Groceries flip the comparison at $327 vs $314, with Sunderland 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 Sunderland: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sunderland is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Sunderland earns 20% less. 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: $1,460 in London versus $800 in Sunderland. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,465 per month in London versus $1,921 in Sunderland – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Sunderland runs roughly 7% less than in London. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,921 in Sunderland versus $2,465 in London, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Sunderland but tight or insufficient in London. The gap between the two cities makes Sunderland the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sunderland 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 Sunderland 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 Sunderland gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in London. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.