Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Arbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Arbon: $3,464 a month against $3,986 in London, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in London outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

London
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$3,986
/mo nomad
Arbon
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$3,464
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Arbon

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

A single person spends $3,986 per month in London vs $3,464 in Arbon, rent included.

  • London $3,986
  • Arbon $3,464

A couple spends around $5,791 per month in London vs $5,192 in Arbon, rent included.

  • London $5,791
  • Arbon $5,192

A family of three spends $7,595 per month in London vs $6,920 in Arbon, rent included.

  • London $7,595
  • Arbon $6,920

London costs about 15% more than Arbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both London and Arbon sit above the global median – London by 195%, Arbon by 157%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
London
Arbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$25.93 £19.45
$29.53 CHF 24.33
-12.19%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$107 £79.9
$144 CHF 118
-25.81%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.71 £8.03
$18.95 CHF 15.61
-43.48%
Cappuccino
$5.47 £4.11
$6.11 CHF 5.03
-10.47%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 £2.23
$5.74 CHF 4.73
-48.26%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.20 £1.65
$5.09 CHF 4.19
-56.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.13 £6.85
$9.00 CHF 7.42
1.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.94 £5.96
$6.17 CHF 5.08
28.69%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
London
Arbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.86 £1.40
$2.16 CHF 1.78
-13.89%
White Bread (500g)
$2.07 £1.55
$3.15 CHF 2.60
-34.29%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.42 £1.81
$3.79 CHF 3.12
-36.15%
Eggs
$5.09 £3.82
$7.88 CHF 6.49
-35.41%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.87 £9.66
$25.14 CHF 20.71
-48.81%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.43 £7.82
$28.42 CHF 23.41
-63.30%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.87 £12.66
$41.09 CHF 33.84
-58.94%
Apples (1kg)
$3.11 £2.33
$3.42 CHF 2.82
-9.06%
Banana (1kg)
$1.40 £1.05
$2.00 CHF 1.65
-30.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.08 £2.31
$2.39 CHF 1.97
28.87%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.27 £2.45
$5.28 CHF 4.35
-38.07%
Potato (1kg)
$1.58 £1.19
$2.04 CHF 1.68
-22.55%
Onion (1kg)
$1.74 £1.31
$2.19 CHF 1.80
-20.55%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.40 £1.05
$2.28 CHF 1.88
-38.60%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.80 £1.35
$1.22 CHF 1.01
47.54%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.28 £17.46
$10.64 CHF 8.77
118.80%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.03 £9.77
$16.47 CHF 13.57
-20.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.17 £2.38
$2.12 CHF 1.75
49.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.42 £3.32
$2.25 CHF 1.85
96.44%
🚌 Getting Around
London
Arbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.07 £3.05
$4.81 CHF 3.96
-15.38%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$247 £185
$96.0 CHF 79.1
156.93%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.58 £4.18
$6.50 CHF 5.35
-14.15%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.36 £2.52
$4.73 CHF 3.89
-28.96%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$56.8 £42.58
$36.17 CHF 29.79
56.90%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.13 £1.60
$2.29 CHF 1.89
-6.99%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.2K £28.6K
$34.5K CHF 28.4K
10.84%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.9K £30.7K
$39.3K CHF 32.4K
4.10%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
Arbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$372 £279
$275 CHF 227
35.14%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.82 £13.37
$38.11 CHF 31.39
-53.24%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.37 £30.29
$54.4 CHF 44.78
-25.75%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
London
Arbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$60.0 £44.99
$90.0 CHF 74.1
-33.37%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.29 £15.97
$39.06 CHF 32.17
-45.49%
Cinema Ticket
$17.74 £13.31
$23.43 CHF 19.29
-24.29%
🧸 Childcare & Education
London
Arbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,864 £2,149
$2,250 CHF 1,853
27.33%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$35.3K £26.5K
$31.3K CHF 25.8K
12.77%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
London
Arbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$114 £85.5
$143 CHF 118
-20.34%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.3 £40.71
$65.1 CHF 53.6
-16.58%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$124 £93.2
$143 CHF 118
-13.32%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$163 £122
$177 CHF 146
-8.07%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
London
Arbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,869 £2,152
$1,561 CHF 1,286
83.81%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,233 £1,675
$1,521 CHF 1,253
46.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,266 £3,951
$2,904 CHF 2,392
81.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,778 £2,835
$2,322 CHF 1,912
62.73%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$18.3K £13.8K
$13.9K CHF 11.5K
31.53%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$8,024 £6,020
$13.6K CHF 11.2K
-41.20%
💵 Salaries & Financials
London
Arbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,037 £3,779
$11.1K CHF 9,124
-54.53%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.74
1.9
149.47%

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

Last update for London: October 10, 2026

Last update for Arbon: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
London
$2.2K
Arbon
$1.5K 31.9% $712
Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
$430
Arbon
$368 14.5% $62
Eating Out
London
$388
Arbon
$467 20.5% $80
Groceries & Markets
London
$349
Arbon
$588 68.3% $239
Getting Around
London
$285
Arbon
$145 49.1% $140
Clothing & Footwear
London
$205
Arbon
$238 16.1% $33
Sport & Entertainment
London
$95
Arbon
$137 43.4% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,869 in London versus $1,561 in Arbon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 120% higher in Arbon, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $107 in London versus $144 in Arbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $349 vs $588 – making London the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 London
🇨🇭 Arbon
🕒 Local time
11:42 11:42 AM
12:42 12:42 PM
1 h ahead of London
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,908,083 Capital
15,853
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 19, 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 19, 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 Arbon 820 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • London
  • Arbon

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 Arbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in London and in Arbon compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $3,986 in London, $3,464 in Arbon – roughly 15% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in London compared to Arbon?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,979 per month in London and $5,197 in Arbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between London and Arbon?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Arbon, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: London or Arbon?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,986 in London and $3,464 in Arbon. That's a gap of about 15%.
How do commuting costs compare in London and in Arbon?
Public transport costs about 157% less in Arbon. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city is feasible on a $3,000 budget?
$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,986 in London and $3,464 in Arbon. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
How does quality of life compare between London and Arbon?
It depends on your priorities. London has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,464 in Arbon to $3,986 in London. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is London or Arbon safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between London and Arbon?
If budget matters most, go with Arbon. 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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