Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Basildon

For one person, living is cheaper in Basildon: $2,374 a month against $4,086 in London, rent and utilities included – about $20,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

195

Cost of Living Index in London
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London Living Index
115

Cost of Living Index in Basildon
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Basildon Living Index

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London

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$4,086

/mo nomad

Basildon

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,374

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Basildon

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

A single person spends $4,086 per month in London vs $2,374 in Basildon, rent included.

London $4,086
Basildon $2,374

A couple spends around $5,891 per month in London vs $3,407 in Basildon, rent included.

London $5,891
Basildon $3,407

A family of three spends $7,696 per month in London vs $4,441 in Basildon, rent included.

London $7,696
Basildon $4,441

London costs about 72% more than Basildon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both London and Basildon sit above the global median – London by 200%, Basildon by 74%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.55 £19.98

$20.45 £15.39

29.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 £80.5

$59.5 £44.78

79.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.78 £8.12

$9.14 £6.88

17.94%

Cappuccino

$5.71 £4.30

$4.76 £3.59

19.96%

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

$3.01 £2.26

$3.21 £2.41

-6.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 £1.72

$1.57 £1.18

45.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.08 £6.84

$6.78 £5.10

33.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.07 £6.07

$3.92 £2.95

105.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 £1.43

$1.32 £0.99

43.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 £1.53

$2.10 £1.58

-3.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 £1.84

$1.52 £1.14

61.18%

Eggs

$5.07 £3.82

$4.05 £3.04

25.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.71 £9.56

$8.53 £6.42

49.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.61 £7.99

$4.63 £3.48

129.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.68 £13.31

$11.84 £8.91

49.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 £2.39

$3.14 £2.36

0.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 £1.09

$1.30 £0.98

11.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 £2.36

$1.99 £1.50

57.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.41 £2.57

$3.26 £2.45

4.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 £1.26

$1.56 £1.17

7.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 £1.33

$1.85 £1.39

-4.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 £1.08

$1.06 £0.80

34.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 £1.41

$1.18 £0.89

58.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.91 £17.99

$20.22 £15.22

18.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.48 £10.14

$10.71 £8.06

25.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 £2.32

$2.34 £1.76

31.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 £3.31

$1.63 £1.22

169.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.08 £3.07

$2.68 £2.02

52.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$252 £190

$67.6 £50.9

272.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.74 £4.32

$5.30 £3.99

8.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.35 £2.52

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$57.2 £43.07

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 £1.57

$1.93 £1.45

7.77%

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

$38.0K £28.6K

$38.2K £28.7K

-0.55%

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

$40.4K £30.4K

$40.3K £30.3K

0.22%

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

$387 £291

$284 £214

36.33%

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

$18.57 £13.98

$13.36 £10.05

39.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.69 £30.62

$35.04 £26.37

16.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 £43.33

$44.46 £33.46

29.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 £14.87

$27.04 £20.35

-26.96%

Cinema Ticket

$18.33 £13.79

$14.08 £10.60

30.18%

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

$2,957 £2,225

$2,229 £1,678

32.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.9K £27.0K

$29.2K £22.0K

22.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$119 £89.4

$75.6 £56.9

57.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.3 £42.35

$52.4 £39.44

7.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 £98.5

$54.3 £40.87

141.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 £124

$52.8 £39.73

211.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,811 £2,116

$1,677 £1,262

67.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,291 £1,724

$1,219 £918

87.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,185 £3,902

$2,358 £1,775

119.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,805 £2,864

$2,012 £1,514

89.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.7K £13.3K

$5,273 £3,968

235.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,405 £6,325

$3,358 £2,527

150.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,070 £3,816

$2,893 £2,178

75.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.79

5.4

-11.30%

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

Last update for London: October 26, 2026

Last update for Basildon: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

London

$2.3K 56.1%

Basildon

$1.2K 51.4% 46.8% $1.1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

London

$446 10.9%

Basildon

$332 14% 25.5% $114

Eating Out

London

$396 9.7%

Basildon

$309 13% 22% $87

Groceries & Markets

London

$356 8.7%

Basildon

$252 10.6% 29.2% $104

Getting Around

London

$291 7.1%

Basildon

$84 * 3.5% 71.2% $207

Clothing & Footwear

London

$212 5.2%

Basildon

$106 4.5% 50% $106

Sport & Entertainment

London

$94 2.3%

Basildon

$73 3.1% 22.9% $22

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,811 in London versus $1,677 in Basildon. 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 75% higher in London. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $107 in London versus $59 in Basildon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $356 vs $252 – making Basildon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 London

🇬🇧 Basildon

🕒 Local time

22:54 10:54 PM

Same time as London

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,908,083 Capital

184,479

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Basildon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

London costs about 72% more than Basildon, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,129 per month in London and $3,561 in Basildon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Basildon, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,677 there versus $2,811 in London.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,086 in London and $2,374 in Basildon. That makes Basildon about 42% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 73% less in Basildon. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,086 in London and $2,374 in Basildon. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Basildon – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Basildon. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, London makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.