Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Bolton

For one person, living is cheaper in Bolton: $2,245 a month against $4,086 in London, rent and utilities included – about $22,100 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
107

Cost of Living Index in Bolton
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Bolton Living Index

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London

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$4,086

/mo nomad

Bolton

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,245

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Bolton

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

A single person spends $4,086 per month in London vs $2,245 in Bolton, rent included.

London $4,086
Bolton $2,245

A couple spends around $5,891 per month in London vs $3,309 in Bolton, rent included.

London $5,891
Bolton $3,309

A family of three spends $7,696 per month in London vs $4,374 in Bolton, rent included.

London $7,696
Bolton $4,374

London costs about 82% more than Bolton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both London and Bolton sit above the global median – London by 200%, Bolton by 65%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.55 £19.83

$20.30 £15.16

30.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 £79.9

$88.4 £66.0

21.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.78 £8.06

$10.81 £8.08

-0.28%

Cappuccino

$5.71 £4.27

$5.10 £3.81

11.96%

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

$3.01 £2.25

$2.44 £1.82

23.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 £1.71

$1.77 £1.32

29.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.08 £6.78

$7.45 £5.56

21.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.07 £6.03

$6.47 £4.84

24.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 £1.42

$1.69 £1.26

12.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 £1.52

$1.51 £1.13

34.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 £1.83

$1.88 £1.40

30.32%

Eggs

$5.07 £3.79

$4.14 £3.10

22.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.71 £9.49

$9.76 £7.29

30.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.61 £7.93

$8.98 £6.71

18.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.68 £13.21

$15.83 £11.82

11.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 £2.37

$3.11 £2.32

1.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 £1.08

$1.94 £1.45

-25.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 £2.34

$3.07 £2.30

1.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.41 £2.55

$3.45 £2.58

-1.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 £1.25

$1.50 £1.12

11.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 £1.32

$1.68 £1.25

5.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 £1.07

$1.21 £0.91

18.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 £1.40

$1.24 £0.93

50.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.91 £17.86

$24.01 £17.93

-0.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.48 £10.07

$10.78 £8.06

25.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 £2.30

$2.48 £1.85

24.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 £3.28

$3.08 £2.30

42.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.08 £3.04

$2.62 £1.96

55.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$252 £188

$49.24 £36.79

412.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.74 £4.29

$3.93 £2.94

46.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.35 £2.50

$2.11 £1.58

58.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$57.2 £42.76

$24.25 £18.12

136.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 £1.56

$2.15 £1.61

-3.26%

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

$38.0K £28.4K

$38.8K £29.0K

-2.17%

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

$40.4K £30.2K

$41.1K £30.7K

-1.74%

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

$387 £289

$248 £185

56.24%

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

$18.57 £13.88

$16.34 £12.21

13.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.69 £30.40

$41.34 £30.89

-1.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 £43.01

$78.1 £58.3

-26.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 £14.76

$6.59 £4.92

199.70%

Cinema Ticket

$18.33 £13.69

$13.28 £9.92

38.03%

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

$2,957 £2,209

$1,444 £1,079

104.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.9K £26.8K

$19.9K £14.9K

80.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$119 £88.7

$83.8 £62.6

41.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.3 £42.03

$42.99 £32.12

30.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 £97.8

$91.5 £68.3

43.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 £123

$88.4 £66.0

86.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,811 £2,100

$1,245 £930

125.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,291 £1,712

$997 £745

129.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,185 £3,874

$1,968 £1,471

163.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,805 £2,843

$1,580 £1,180

140.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.7K £13.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,405 £6,279

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,070 £3,788

$4,135 £3,089

22.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.79

4.99

-4.01%

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

Last update for London: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bolton: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

London

$2.3K 56.1%

Bolton

$998 44.4% 56.5% $1.3K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

London

$446 10.9%

Bolton

$305 13.6% 31.6% $141

Eating Out

London

$396 9.7%

Bolton

$323 14.4% 18.5% $73

Groceries & Markets

London

$356 8.7%

Bolton

$302 13.5% 15% $53

Getting Around

London

$291 7.1%

Bolton

$74 3.3% 74.5% $217

Clothing & Footwear

London

$212 5.2%

Bolton

$138 6.2% 34.9% $74

Sport & Entertainment

London

$94 2.3%

Bolton

$105 4.7% 11% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,811 in London versus $1,245 in Bolton. 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 23% higher in London, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $107 in London versus $88 in Bolton. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $356 vs $302 – making Bolton the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 London

🇬🇧 Bolton

🕒 Local time

04:12 4:12 AM

Same time as London

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,908,083 Capital

139,403

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

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From you

London
Bolton

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 Bolton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – London is pricier by about 82%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,129 per month in London and $3,367 in Bolton. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bolton, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,245 there versus $2,811 in London.

Public transport costs about 80% less in Bolton. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,957 per month in London and $1,444 in Bolton. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Bolton, where all-in costs run around $2,245, than in London at $4,086. In Bolton it covers expenses comfortably, while in London it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bolton – 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 Bolton. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, London makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.