Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Altstätten

For one person, living is cheaper in Altstätten: $3,362 a month against $3,986 in London, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in London outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

London
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$3,986
/mo nomad
Altstätten
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$3,362
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Altstätten

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

A single person spends $3,986 per month in London vs $3,362 in Altstätten, rent included.

  • London $3,986
  • Altstätten $3,362

A couple spends around $5,791 per month in London vs $5,134 in Altstätten, rent included.

  • London $5,791
  • Altstätten $5,134

A family of three spends $7,595 per month in London vs $6,905 in Altstätten, rent included.

  • London $7,595
  • Altstätten $6,905

London costs about 19% more than Altstätten, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both London and Altstätten sit above the global median – London by 195%, Altstätten by 149%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
London
Altstätten
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$25.93 £19.45
$29.51 CHF 24.30
-12.13%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$107 £79.9
$118 CHF 97.2
-9.74%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.71 £8.03
$17.80 CHF 14.66
-39.83%
Cappuccino
$5.47 £4.11
$5.94 CHF 4.89
-7.91%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 £2.23
$5.13 CHF 4.22
-42.11%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.20 £1.65
$4.86 CHF 4.01
-54.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.13 £6.85
$9.25 CHF 7.62
-1.30%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.94 £5.96
$7.32 CHF 6.03
8.47%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
London
Altstätten
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.86 £1.40
$2.19 CHF 1.80
-15.07%
White Bread (500g)
$2.07 £1.55
$3.56 CHF 2.93
-41.85%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.42 £1.81
$3.68 CHF 3.03
-34.24%
Eggs
$5.09 £3.82
$7.71 CHF 6.35
-33.98%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.87 £9.66
$25.63 CHF 21.11
-49.79%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.43 £7.82
$28.49 CHF 23.47
-63.39%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.87 £12.66
$40.80 CHF 33.60
-58.65%
Apples (1kg)
$3.11 £2.33
$3.60 CHF 2.96
-13.61%
Banana (1kg)
$1.40 £1.05
$2.03 CHF 1.67
-31.03%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.08 £2.31
$2.68 CHF 2.21
14.93%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.27 £2.45
$4.75 CHF 3.91
-31.16%
Potato (1kg)
$1.58 £1.19
$1.84 CHF 1.52
-14.13%
Onion (1kg)
$1.74 £1.31
$2.10 CHF 1.73
-17.14%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.40 £1.05
$2.22 CHF 1.83
-36.94%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.80 £1.35
$1.29 CHF 1.07
39.53%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.28 £17.46
$10.72 CHF 8.83
117.16%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.03 £9.77
$12.90 CHF 10.63
1.01%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.17 £2.38
$2.82 CHF 2.32
12.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.42 £3.32
$3.11 CHF 2.56
42.12%
🚌 Getting Around
London
Altstätten
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.07 £3.05
$4.63 CHF 3.81
-12.10%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$247 £185
$100 CHF 82.7
145.87%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.58 £4.18
$7.47 CHF 6.15
-25.30%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.36 £2.52
$4.66 CHF 3.84
-27.90%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$56.8 £42.58
$74.3 CHF 61.2
-23.64%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.13 £1.60
$2.24 CHF 1.84
-4.91%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.2K £28.6K
$40.5K CHF 33.4K
-5.76%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.9K £30.7K
$39.6K CHF 32.6K
3.34%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
Altstätten
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$372 £279
$277 CHF 228
34.39%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.82 £13.37
$32.44 CHF 26.72
-45.07%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.37 £30.29
$55.8 CHF 45.95
-27.64%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
London
Altstätten
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$60.0 £44.99
$91.5 CHF 75.4
-34.48%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.29 £15.97
$44.93 CHF 37.01
-52.62%
Cinema Ticket
$17.74 £13.31
$22.65 CHF 18.66
-21.68%
🧸 Childcare & Education
London
Altstätten
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,864 £2,149
$2,646 CHF 2,179
8.27%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$35.3K £26.5K
$34.1K CHF 28.1K
3.62%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
London
Altstätten
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$114 £85.5
$143 CHF 118
-20.33%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.3 £40.71
$57.4 CHF 47.30
-5.52%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$124 £93.2
$149 CHF 123
-16.85%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$163 £122
$185 CHF 152
-11.74%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
London
Altstätten
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,869 £2,152
$1,668 CHF 1,374
71.99%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,233 £1,675
$1,419 CHF 1,168
57.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,266 £3,951
$2,868 CHF 2,362
83.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,778 £2,835
$2,429 CHF 2,000
55.57%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$18.3K £13.8K
$15.7K CHF 12.9K
16.85%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$8,024 £6,020
$12.2K CHF 10.0K
-33.99%
💵 Salaries & Financials
London
Altstätten
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,037 £3,779
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.74
2.07
128.99%

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

Last update for London: October 10, 2026

Last update for Altstätten: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
London
$2.2K
Altstätten
$1.4K 36.5% $814
Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
$430
Altstätten
$365 15.1% $65
Eating Out
London
$388
Altstätten
$462 19.1% $74
Groceries & Markets
London
$349
Altstätten
$590 68.7% $240
Getting Around
London
$285
Altstätten
$150 47.6% $136
Clothing & Footwear
London
$205
Altstätten
$241 17.4% $36
Sport & Entertainment
London
$95
Altstätten
$137 43.4% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,869 in London versus $1,668 in Altstätten. 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 $118 in Altstätten. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $349 vs $590 – making London the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 London
🇨🇭 Altstätten
🕒 Local time
05:22 5:22 AM
06:22 6:22 AM
1 h ahead of London
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,908,083 Capital
11,145
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • London Altstätten 840 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • London
  • Altstätten

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 Altstätten: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Altstätten cheaper than London?
Yes – London is pricier by about 19%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,979 per month in London and $5,043 in Altstätten. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Altstätten, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in London and in Altstätten?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,986 in London and $3,362 in Altstätten. That's a gap of about 19%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 146% less in Altstätten. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $2,500 enough to cover costs in London or in Altstätten?
$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,986 in London and $3,362 in Altstätten. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is London or Altstätten more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Altstätten – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, London or Altstätten?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Altstätten. 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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