Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Bonn

For one person, living is cheaper in Bonn: $2,336 a month against $4,086 in London, rent and utilities included – about $21,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

London
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$4,086
/mo nomad
Bonn
🇩🇪 Germany
$2,336
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Bonn

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,086 in London versus $2,336 in Bonn.

  • London $4,086
  • Bonn $2,336

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,816 in London versus $3,461 in Bonn.

  • London $5,816
  • Bonn $3,461

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,546 in London versus $4,587 in Bonn.

  • London $7,546
  • Bonn $4,587

Living in London is roughly 75% more expensive than in Bonn, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: London 205% above, Bonn 74% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
London
Bonn
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$26.62 £20.11
$17.59 €15.70
51.34%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$108 £81.3
$79.1 €70.6
35.95%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.39 £7.85
$12.36 €11.03
-15.94%
Cappuccino
$5.79 £4.38
$4.35 €3.88
33.10%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.01 £2.27
$3.18 €2.84
-5.35%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.15 £1.63
$2.39 €2.13
-10.04%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.35 £7.06
$5.65 €5.05
65.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.84 £5.93
$4.15 €3.70
88.92%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
London
Bonn
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.79 £1.35
$1.46 €1.31
22.60%
White Bread (500g)
$2.06 £1.56
$2.85 €2.54
-27.72%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.31 £1.74
$3.98 €3.55
-41.96%
Eggs
$5.05 £3.82
$4.10 €3.66
23.17%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.57 £9.50
$13.89 €12.40
-9.50%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.66 £8.05
$10.40 €9.29
2.50%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.13 £12.94
$26.56 €23.70
-35.50%
Apples (1kg)
$3.03 £2.29
$3.51 €3.13
-13.68%
Banana (1kg)
$1.41 £1.07
$2.65 €2.37
-46.79%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.05 £2.31
$2.32 €2.07
31.47%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.38 £2.56
$5.30 €4.73
-36.23%
Potato (1kg)
$1.67 £1.26
$2.18 €1.95
-23.39%
Onion (1kg)
$1.73 £1.31
$1.64 €1.46
5.49%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.41 £1.07
$1.66 €1.48
-15.06%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.79 £1.35
$1.32 €1.18
35.61%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.22 £17.55
$9.93 €8.87
133.84%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.99 £9.82
$6.22 €5.55
108.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.18 £2.40
$1.27 €1.13
150.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.41 £3.33
$1.86 €1.66
137.10%
🚌 Getting Around
London
Bonn
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.87 £2.93
$4.48 €3.99
-13.62%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$250 £189
$70.2 €62.7
255.99%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.71 £4.31
$3.00 €2.68
90.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.33 £2.51
$1.96 €1.75
69.90%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$57.9 £43.76
$31.31 €27.94
84.96%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.04 £1.54
$2.33 €2.08
-12.45%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.5K £28.4K
$33.0K €29.5K
13.67%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.9K £30.9K
$38.1K €34.0K
7.27%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
Bonn
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$376 £284
$332 €296
13.36%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.88 £13.51
$24.96 €22.27
-28.37%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.01 £30.24
$39.45 €35.21
1.42%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
London
Bonn
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$61.2 £46.22
$44.00 €39.26
39.00%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.07 £15.93
$33.12 €29.55
-36.38%
Cinema Ticket
$17.95 £13.57
$15.79 €14.09
13.68%
🧸 Childcare & Education
London
Bonn
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,865 £2,165
$548 €489
422.77%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$35.3K £26.7K
$13.8K €12.3K
155.48%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
London
Bonn
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$116 £87.7
$75.5 €67.4
53.56%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.1 £40.87
$38.26 €34.14
41.35%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$127 £95.7
$106 €94.6
19.48%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$159 £120
$116 €104
36.93%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
London
Bonn
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,853 £2,156
$1,038 €926
174.85%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,301 £1,739
$917 €818
151.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,201 £3,931
$2,152 €1,920
141.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,723 £2,813
$1,645 €1,468
126.35%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$19.0K £14.4K
$6,282 €5,606
202.57%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$7,881 £5,955
$4,528 €4,041
74.03%
💵 Salaries & Financials
London
Bonn
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,818 £3,641
$3,508 €3,130
37.35%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.65
3.96
17.42%

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

Last update for London: October 4, 2026

Last update for Bonn: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
London
$2.3K
Bonn
$917 60.2% $1.4K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
$434
Bonn
$396 8.7% $38
Eating Out
London
$397
Bonn
$289 27.2% $108
Groceries & Markets
London
$349
Bonn
$373 6.7% $24
Getting Around
London
$288
Bonn
$101 64.9% $187
Clothing & Footwear
London
$205
Bonn
$151 26.3% $54
Sport & Entertainment
London
$97
Bonn
$76 22.1% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,853 in London and $1,038 in Bonn. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

London pays 37% 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 $79.0 in Bonn. Groceries flip the comparison at $349 vs $373, with London cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇬🇧 London
🇩🇪 Bonn
🕒 Local time
11:17 11:17 AM
12:17 12:17 PM
1 h ahead of London
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,908,083 Capital
335,913
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.756 GBP (1 GBP = 1.32 USD). 1 EUR = 0.847 GBP (1 GBP = 1.18 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • London Bonn 510 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • London
  • Bonn

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 Bonn: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, London or Bonn?
Bonn wins on cost – living expenses run 75% lower than in London. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bonn the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in London or in Bonn?
Average pay runs 37% higher in London, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in London compared to Bonn?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,853 in London versus $1,038 in Bonn. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in London and in Bonn?
Childcare runs $2,865 in London versus $548 in Bonn. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Are groceries more expensive in London or in Bonn?
Shoppers in London pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Can you live on $2,000/month in London or in Bonn?
At $2,336 in Bonn versus $4,086 in London, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bonn but tight or insufficient in London. The gap between the two cities makes Bonn the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, London or Bonn?
Both work as nomad bases, but Bonn delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,336 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bonn hard to pass up.
How safe is London compared to Bonn?
Safety-wise, London and Bonn are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Bonn gentler on the wallet – expenses run 75% less than in London. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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