Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Alton

For one person, living is cheaper in Alton: $2,607 a month against $4,086 in London, rent and utilities included – about $17,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

London, United Kingdom
Alton, United Kingdom
London
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$4,086
/mo nomad
Alton
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,607
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Alton

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 Alton actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,086 per month in London vs $2,607 in Alton, rent included.

  • London $4,086
  • Alton $2,607

A couple spends around $5,891 per month in London vs $3,875 in Alton, rent included.

  • London $5,891
  • Alton $3,875

A family of three spends $7,696 per month in London vs $5,143 in Alton, rent included.

  • London $7,696
  • Alton $5,143

London costs about 57% more than Alton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both London and Alton sit above the global median – London by 200%, Alton by 92%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
London
Alton
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$26.55 £19.98
$27.13 £20.42
-2.14%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$107 £80.5
$105 £78.7
2.34%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.78 £8.12
$10.75 £8.09
0.28%
Cappuccino
$5.71 £4.30
$5.69 £4.28
0.35%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.01 £2.26
$3.03 £2.28
-0.66%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 £1.72
$2.20 £1.66
4.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.08 £6.84
$9.07 £6.83
0.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.07 £6.07
$7.96 £5.99
1.38%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
London
Alton
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.90 £1.43
$1.81 £1.37
4.97%
White Bread (500g)
$2.03 £1.53
$2.02 £1.52
0.50%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.45 £1.84
$2.51 £1.89
-2.39%
Eggs
$5.07 £3.82
$3.39 £2.55
49.56%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.71 £9.56
$12.77 £9.61
-0.47%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.61 £7.99
$10.86 £8.18
-2.30%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.68 £13.31
$17.24 £12.98
2.55%
Apples (1kg)
$3.17 £2.39
$3.14 £2.36
0.96%
Banana (1kg)
$1.45 £1.09
$1.42 £1.07
2.11%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.13 £2.36
$2.99 £2.25
4.68%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.41 £2.57
$3.40 £2.56
0.29%
Potato (1kg)
$1.67 £1.26
$1.68 £1.26
-0.60%
Onion (1kg)
$1.77 £1.33
$1.81 £1.36
-2.21%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.43 £1.08
$1.47 £1.11
-2.72%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.87 £1.41
$1.85 £1.39
1.08%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.91 £17.99
$23.77 £17.89
0.59%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.48 £10.14
$10.50 £7.90
28.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.08 £2.32
$2.35 £1.77
31.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.39 £3.31
$2.74 £2.06
60.22%
🚌 Getting Around
London
Alton
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.08 £3.07
$3.49 £2.62
16.91%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$252 £190
$98.0 £73.8
157.39%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.74 £4.32
$5.46 £4.11
5.13%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.35 £2.52
$3.39 £2.55
-1.18%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$57.2 £43.07
$25.69 £19.33
122.77%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.08 £1.57
$2.10 £1.58
-0.95%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.0K £28.6K
$38.2K £28.8K
-0.66%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.4K £30.4K
$40.2K £30.2K
0.60%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
Alton
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$387 £291
$369 £278
4.74%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.57 £13.98
$18.30 £13.77
1.48%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.69 £30.62
$40.58 £30.54
0.27%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
London
Alton
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.6 £43.33
$46.16 £34.74
24.72%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.75 £14.87
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$18.33 £13.79
$17.88 £13.45
2.52%
🧸 Childcare & Education
London
Alton
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,957 £2,225
$2,877 £2,165
2.79%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$35.9K £27.0K
$35.7K £26.9K
0.47%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
London
Alton
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$119 £89.4
$117 £87.9
1.68%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.3 £42.35
$54.5 £41.04
3.17%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$131 £98.5
$128 £96.6
1.98%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$165 £124
$165 £124
-0.21%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
London
Alton
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,811 £2,116
$1,246 £938
125.56%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,291 £1,724
$1,019 £767
124.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,185 £3,902
$2,098 £1,579
147.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,805 £2,864
$1,683 £1,267
126.10%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$17.7K £13.3K
$5,091 £3,832
246.97%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$8,405 £6,325
$3,807 £2,865
120.79%
💵 Salaries & Financials
London
Alton
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,070 £3,816
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.79
4.74
1.05%

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

Last update for London: October 26, 2026

Last update for Alton: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
London
$2.3K
Alton
$1K 55.5% $1.3K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
$446
Alton
$428 4% $18
Eating Out
London
$396
Alton
$400 0.9% $3.7
Groceries & Markets
London
$356
Alton
$334 5.9% $21
Getting Around
London
$291
Alton
$134 53.8% $157
Clothing & Footwear
London
$212
Alton
$209 1.3% $2.7
Sport & Entertainment
London
$94
Alton
$82 13.1% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,811 in London versus $1,246 in Alton. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $107 in London versus $105 in Alton. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $356 vs $334 – making Alton the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 London
🇬🇧 Alton
🕒 Local time
17:45 5:45 PM
17:45 5:45 PM
Same time as London
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,908,083 Capital
17,816
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.753 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.838 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • London Alton 71 km
From you
  • London
  • Alton

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 Alton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in London and in Alton compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $4,086 in London, $2,607 in Alton – roughly 57% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in London compared to Alton?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,129 per month in London and $3,911 in Alton. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between London and Alton?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Alton, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,246 there versus $2,811 in London.
Which city is more expensive overall: London or Alton?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,086 in London and $2,607 in Alton. That’s a gap of about 57%.
What is the difference in childcare costs between London and Alton?
Kindergarten costs $2,957 per month in London and $2,877 in Alton. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Alton, where all-in costs run around $2,607, than in London at $4,086. In Alton it covers expenses comfortably, while in London it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: London or Alton?
Families tend to lean toward Alton – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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