Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Bournemouth

For one person, living is cheaper in Bournemouth: $2,509 a month against $3,986 in London, rent and utilities included – about $17,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

194

Cost of Living Index in London
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London Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Bournemouth
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Bournemouth Living Index

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London

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$3,986

/mo nomad

Bournemouth

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,509

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Bournemouth

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

A single person spends $3,986 per month in London vs $2,509 in Bournemouth, rent included.

London $3,986
Bournemouth $2,509

A couple spends around $5,791 per month in London vs $3,689 in Bournemouth, rent included.

London $5,791
Bournemouth $3,689

A family of three spends $7,595 per month in London vs $4,870 in Bournemouth, rent included.

London $7,595
Bournemouth $4,870

London costs about 59% more than Bournemouth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both London and Bournemouth sit above the global median – London by 195%, Bournemouth by 86%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.93 £19.45

$20.33 £15.25

27.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 £79.9

$101 £75.6

5.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.71 £8.03

$11.68 £8.76

-8.30%

Cappuccino

$5.47 £4.11

$4.76 £3.57

14.92%

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

$2.97 £2.23

$3.21 £2.41

-7.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 £1.65

$2.03 £1.53

8.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.13 £6.85

$6.78 £5.09

34.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 £5.96

$7.19 £5.39

10.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 £1.40

$1.61 £1.21

15.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 £1.55

$1.54 £1.16

34.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 £1.81

$1.80 £1.35

34.44%

Eggs

$5.09 £3.82

$4.32 £3.24

17.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.87 £9.66

$6.23 £4.68

106.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 £7.82

$9.28 £6.96

12.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.87 £12.66

$12.68 £9.51

33.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 £2.33

$2.22 £1.67

40.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 £1.05

$1.75 £1.32

-20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 £2.31

$1.94 £1.46

58.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 £2.45

$2.11 £1.58

54.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 £1.19

$2.03 £1.52

-22.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 £1.31

$1.26 £0.95

38.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 £1.05

$1.89 £1.42

-25.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 £1.35

$1.69 £1.27

6.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.28 £17.46

$23.60 £17.71

-1.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 £9.77

$9.36 £7.02

39.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.17 £2.38

$2.80 £2.10

13.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 £3.32

$2.49 £1.87

77.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.07 £3.05

$3.64 £2.73

11.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$247 £185

$90.8 £68.1

171.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.58 £4.18

$3.23 £2.42

72.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.36 £2.52

$2.29 £1.72

46.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$56.8 £42.58

$32.25 £24.20

75.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 £1.60

$1.99 £1.49

7.04%

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

$38.2K £28.6K

0.05%

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

$40.9K £30.7K

$40.0K £30.0K

2.36%

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

$372 £279

$353 £265

5.44%

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

$17.82 £13.37

$16.19 £12.14

10.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.37 £30.29

$42.90 £32.18

-5.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.0 £44.99

$37.33 £28.00

60.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.29 £15.97

$11.71 £8.78

81.81%

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 £13.31

$17.19 £12.90

3.20%

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

$2,864 £2,149

$2,218 £1,664

29.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.3K £26.5K

$33.8K £25.4K

4.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 £85.5

$88.8 £66.6

28.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 £40.71

$43.86 £32.90

23.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 £93.2

$82.6 £62.0

50.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 £122

$143 £107

13.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,869 £2,152

$1,258 £944

128.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,233 £1,675

$1,146 £860

94.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,266 £3,951

$2,670 £2,003

97.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,778 £2,835

$1,898 £1,424

99.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.3K £13.8K

$6,662 £4,998

175.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,024 £6,020

$5,474 £4,107

46.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,037 £3,779

$2,920 £2,191

72.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.74

4.96

-4.44%

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

Last update for London: October 10, 2026

Last update for Bournemouth: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

London

$2.2K 56%

Bournemouth

$1.1K 45.7% 48.7% $1.1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

London

$430 10.8%

Bournemouth

$412 16.4% 4.3% $18

Eating Out

London

$388 9.7%

Bournemouth

$324 12.9% 16.4% $63

Groceries & Markets

London

$349 8.8%

Bournemouth

$273 10.9% 21.8% $76

Getting Around

London

$285 7.2%

Bournemouth

$120 4.8% 57.9% $165

Clothing & Footwear

London

$205 5.1%

Bournemouth

$161 6.4% 21.3% $44

Sport & Entertainment

London

$95 2.4%

Bournemouth

$72 2.9% 24.9% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,869 in London versus $1,258 in Bournemouth. 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 72% 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 $101 in Bournemouth. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $349 vs $273 – making Bournemouth the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 London

🇬🇧 Bournemouth

🕒 Local time

03:50 3:50 AM

Same time as London

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,908,083 Capital

183,491

💱 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

On the map

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From you

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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 Bournemouth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

London costs about 59% more than Bournemouth, 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 $5,979 per month in London and $3,763 in Bournemouth. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bournemouth, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 28% more in London, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $107 in London and $101 in Bournemouth. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bournemouth, where all-in costs run around $2,509, than in London at $3,986. In Bournemouth it covers expenses comfortably, while in London it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bournemouth costs $2,509 versus $3,986 in London. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Bournemouth. 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.