Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Belfast Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Belfast

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,094 in London versus $2,365 in Belfast.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,874 in London versus $3,449 in Belfast.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,654 in London versus $4,533 in Belfast.

Living in London is roughly 73% more expensive than in Belfast, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: London 199% above, Belfast 73% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.60 £19.88

$23.31 £17.42

14.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 £80.5

$98.0 £73.2

9.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.94 £8.17

$10.90 £8.15

0.37%

Cappuccino

$5.65 £4.22

$4.75 £3.55

18.95%

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

$2.94 £2.20

$2.80 £2.09

5.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 £1.63

$1.96 £1.46

11.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.22 £6.89

$8.26 £6.17

11.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.56 £6.40

$7.87 £5.88

8.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 £1.37

$1.87 £1.40

-2.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 £1.48

$2.43 £1.82

-18.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.43 £1.81

$2.71 £2.03

-10.33%

Eggs

$5.13 £3.83

$4.58 £3.42

12.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.80 £9.57

$11.10 £8.30

15.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.00 £8.22

$11.21 £8.37

-1.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.37 £13.73

$16.40 £12.26

12.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 £2.33

$3.33 £2.49

-6.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 £1.08

$2.01 £1.50

-27.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 £2.15

$3.40 £2.54

-15.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 £2.52

$4.03 £3.01

-16.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 £1.22

$2.33 £1.74

-29.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 £1.38

$1.57 £1.17

17.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 £1.11

$1.41 £1.05

4.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 £1.39

$1.87 £1.40

-0.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.72 £17.73

$23.90 £17.86

-0.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.23 £9.89

$12.23 £9.14

8.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 £2.39

$2.80 £2.09

13.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 £3.36

$3.13 £2.34

43.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.11 £3.07

$3.07 £2.30

33.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$255 £190

$102 £76.3

149.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.51 £4.12

$4.77 £3.57

15.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.37 £2.52

$1.51 £1.13

123.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.6 £44.52

$19.88 £14.86

199.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 £1.54

$2.05 £1.53

0.49%

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

$39.1K £29.3K

$38.6K £28.9K

1.34%

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

$41.6K £31.1K

$42.2K £31.5K

-1.21%

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

$367 £274

$254 £190

44.76%

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

$18.37 £13.73

$24.85 £18.57

-26.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.97 £31.36

$46.43 £34.70

-9.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.3 £46.52

$48.40 £36.17

28.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.46 £16.79

$10.78 £8.06

108.35%

Cinema Ticket

$18.35 £13.71

$14.70 £10.98

24.83%

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

$2,844 £2,125

$1,407 £1,051

102.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.3K £27.1K

$18.1K £13.5K

100.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 £83.2

$82.6 £61.7

34.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 £41.07

$47.49 £35.49

15.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 £95.7

$107 £79.9

19.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 £117

$104 £77.9

49.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,976 £2,224

$1,181 £882

152.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,312 £1,728

$945 £706

144.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,421 £4,051

$1,942 £1,451

179.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,837 £2,867

$1,431 £1,069

168.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.0K £13.4K

$4,268 £3,190

321.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,845 £5,863

$2,566 £1,918

205.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,744 £3,545

$3,291 £2,459

44.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.67

4.91

-4.89%

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

Last update for London: September 15, 2026

Last update for Belfast: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,976 in London and $1,181 in Belfast. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

London pays 44% 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: $108 in London vs $98.0 in Belfast for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $358 vs $356 per month, with Belfast cheaper across the board.

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 Belfast: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Belfast is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Getting Around, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 73% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 44% 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: $2,976 in London versus $1,181 in Belfast. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,844 in London versus $1,407 in Belfast. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in London. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,365 in Belfast versus $4,094 in London, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Belfast but tight or insufficient in London. The gap between the two cities makes Belfast the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Belfast 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 Belfast 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 Belfast gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in London. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.