Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Arak

For one person, living is cheaper in Arak: $482 a month against $3,986 in London, rent and utilities included – about $42,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

194

Cost of Living Index in London
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London Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Arak
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Arak Living Index

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London

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$3,986

/mo nomad

Arak

🇮🇷 Iran

$482

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Arak

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,986 in London versus $482 in Arak.

London $3,986
Arak $482

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,791 in London versus $758 in Arak.

London $5,791
Arak $758

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,595 in London versus $1,034 in Arak.

London $7,595
Arak $1,034

Living in London is roughly 727% more expensive than in Arak, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: London is 195% above, Arak is 64% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.93 £19.44

$3.71 $3.71

598.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 £79.9

$12.65 $12.65

741.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.71 £8.03

$4.09 $4.09

161.86%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.68 $0.68

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 $0.56

Cappuccino

$5.47 £4.11

$1.36 $1.36

302.21%

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

$2.97 £2.23

$0.48 $0.48

518.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 £1.65

$1.73 $1.73

27.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.13 £6.85

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 £5.96

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 £1.40

$0.55 $0.55

238.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 £1.55

$0.57 $0.57

263.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 £1.81

$1.90 $1.90

27.37%

Eggs

$5.09 £3.81

$1.22 $1.22

317.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.87 £9.65

$2.16 $2.16

495.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 £7.82

$2.56 $2.56

307.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.87 £12.65

$10.32 $10.32

63.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 £2.33

$0.79 $0.79

293.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 £1.05

$1.02 $1.02

37.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 £2.31

$0.63 $0.63

388.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 £2.45

$0.51 $0.51

541.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 £1.19

$0.44 $0.44

259.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 £1.31

$0.41 $0.41

324.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 £1.05

$0.48 $0.48

191.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 £1.35

$0.30 $0.30

500.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.83 $0.83

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 $0.52

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.28 £17.45

$2.54 $2.54

816.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 £9.77

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.17 £2.38

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 £3.32

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.07 £3.05

$0.10 $0.10

3970.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$247 £185

$9.52 $9.52

2492.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.58 £4.18

$0.25 $0.25

2132.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.36 £2.52

$0.12 $0.12

2700.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$56.8 £42.55

$1.03 $1.03

5409.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 £1.60

$0.09 $0.09

2266.67%

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

$38.2K £28.6K

$49.8K $49.8K

-23.31%

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

$40.9K £30.7K

$34.4K $34.4K

19.05%

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

$372 £279

$9.84 $9.84

3682.11%

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

$17.82 £13.36

$1.49 $1.49

1095.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.37 £30.27

$3.75 $3.75

976.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.0 £44.97

$9.87 $9.87

507.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.29 £15.96

$24.01 $24.01

-11.33%

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 £13.30

$1.12 $1.12

1483.93%

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

$2,864 £2,148

$83.5 $83.5

3331.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.3K £26.5K

$2,319 $2,319

1423.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 £85.5

$13.43 $13.43

748.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 £40.69

$8.95 $8.95

506.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 £93.2

$80.9 $80.9

53.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 £122

$51.4 $51.4

217.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,869 £2,151

$295 $295

872.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,233 £1,674

$211 $211

959.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,266 £3,948

$806 $806

553.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,778 £2,833

$359 $359

953.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.3K £13.7K

$1,354 $1,354

1253.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,024 £6,016

$656 $656

1123.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,037 £3,776

$368 $368

1268.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.74

18.5

-74.38%

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

Last update for London: October 10, 2026

Last update for Arak: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

London

$2.2K 56%

Arak

$211 43.7% 90.6% $2K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

London

$430 10.8%

Arak

$15 3.1% 96.5% $415

Eating Out

London

$388 9.7%

Arak

$67 13.9% 82.7% $320

Groceries & Markets

London

$349 8.8%

Arak

$97 20.1% 72.3% $253

Getting Around

London

$285 7.2%

Arak

$11 2.2% 96.2% $275

Clothing & Footwear

London

$205 5.1%

Arak

$70 14.4% 66% $135

Sport & Entertainment

London

$95 2.4%

Arak

$12 2.5% 87.3% $83

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,869 in London and $295 in Arak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

London pays 1269% 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: $107 in London vs $13.00 in Arak for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $349 vs $97.0 per month, with Arak cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇧 London

🇮🇷 Arak

🕒 Local time

05:35 5:35 AM

08:05 8:05 AM

2 h 30 min ahead of London

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,908,083 Capital

526,200

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.18 EUR

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇧 British Pound (£)

British Pound exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.844 GBP (1 GBP = 1.18 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

USD to GBP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

London Arak 4,400 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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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 Arak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arak is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and transport. The 727% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1269% higher in London, 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: $2,869 in London versus $295 in Arak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,986 per month in London versus $482 in Arak – a 727% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Arak runs roughly 2492% less than in London. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $482 in Arak versus $3,986 in London, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Arak but tight or insufficient in London. The gap between the two cities makes Arak the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Arak 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 Arak 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 Arak gentler on the wallet – expenses run 727% less than in London. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.