Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Braintree

For one person, living is cheaper in Braintree: $2,191 a month against $3,986 in London, rent and utilities included – about $21,500 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
107

Cost of Living Index in Braintree
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Braintree Living Index

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London

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$3,986

/mo nomad

Braintree

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,191

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Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Braintree

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

A single person spends $3,986 per month in London vs $2,191 in Braintree, rent included.

London $3,986
Braintree $2,191

A couple spends around $5,791 per month in London vs $3,260 in Braintree, rent included.

London $5,791
Braintree $3,260

A family of three spends $7,595 per month in London vs $4,329 in Braintree, rent included.

London $7,595
Braintree $4,329

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

Both London and Braintree sit above the global median – London by 195%, Braintree by 62%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.93 £19.45

$20.01 £15.01

29.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 £79.9

$91.5 £68.6

16.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.71 £8.03

$10.44 £7.83

2.59%

Cappuccino

$5.47 £4.11

$4.61 £3.46

18.66%

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

$2.97 £2.23

$1.82 £1.36

63.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 £1.65

$1.13 £0.85

94.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.13 £6.85

$6.71 £5.03

36.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 £5.96

$5.90 £4.42

34.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 £1.40

$1.43 £1.07

30.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 £1.55

$1.38 £1.03

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 £1.81

$1.64 £1.23

47.56%

Eggs

$5.09 £3.82

$2.95 £2.21

72.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.87 £9.66

$8.65 £6.49

48.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 £7.82

$7.74 £5.81

34.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.87 £12.66

$12.97 £9.73

30.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 £2.33

$3.15 £2.36

-1.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 £1.05

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 £2.31

$2.58 £1.94

19.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 £2.45

$2.78 £2.08

17.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 £1.19

$1.65 £1.24

-4.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 £1.31

$1.41 £1.06

23.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 £1.05

$1.19 £0.89

17.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 £1.35

$1.36 £1.02

32.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.28 £17.46

$23.37 £17.53

-0.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 £9.77

$9.00 £6.75

44.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.17 £2.38

$2.69 £2.02

17.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 £3.32

$2.34 £1.75

88.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.07 £3.05

$3.42 £2.56

19.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$247 £185

$94.4 £70.9

161.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.58 £4.18

$4.77 £3.58

16.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.36 £2.52

$1.29 £0.97

160.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$56.8 £42.58

$21.52 £16.14

163.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 £1.60

$2.09 £1.57

1.91%

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

$38.2K £28.6K

$37.4K £28.0K

2.14%

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

$40.9K £30.7K

$40.0K £30.0K

2.21%

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

$372 £279

$249 £186

49.76%

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

$17.82 £13.37

$14.35 £10.77

24.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.37 £30.29

$40.48 £30.37

-0.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.0 £44.99

$45.52 £34.15

31.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.29 £15.97

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 £13.31

$21.07 £15.81

-15.80%

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

$2,864 £2,149

$1,070 £802

167.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.3K £26.5K

$19.9K £14.9K

77.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 £85.5

$69.7 £52.3

63.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 £40.71

$31.23 £23.43

73.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 £93.2

$77.9 £58.4

59.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 £122

$49.97 £37.49

226.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,869 £2,152

$1,220 £915

135.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,233 £1,675

$1,010 £758

121.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,266 £3,951

$2,060 £1,545

155.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,778 £2,835

$1,682 £1,262

124.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.3K £13.8K

$5,118 £3,839

258.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,024 £6,020

$3,798 £2,850

111.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,037 £3,779

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.74

4.67

1.50%

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

Last update for London: October 10, 2026

Last update for Braintree: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

London

$2.2K 56%

Braintree

$1K 46.1% 54.8% $1.2K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

London

$430 10.8%

Braintree

$303 13.9% 29.5% $127

Eating Out

London

$388 9.7%

Braintree

$304 13.9% 21.6% $84

Groceries & Markets

London

$349 8.8%

Braintree

$263 12% 24.7% $86

Getting Around

London

$285 7.2%

Braintree

$119 5.5% 58.2% $166

Clothing & Footwear

London

$205 5.1%

Braintree

$103 4.7% 49.8% $102

Sport & Entertainment

London

$95 2.4%

Braintree

$88 4% 8.2% $7.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,869 in London versus $1,220 in Braintree. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $107 in London versus $91.0 in Braintree. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $349 vs $263 – making Braintree the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 London

🇬🇧 Braintree

🕒 Local time

09:58 9:58 AM

Same time as London

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,908,083 Capital

151,677

💱 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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Between locations

London Braintree 62 km

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London
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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 Braintree: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,986 in London, $2,191 in Braintree – roughly 82% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,979 per month in London and $3,286 in Braintree. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 33% 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 $91.0 in Braintree. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Braintree, where all-in costs run around $2,191, than in London at $3,986. In Braintree it covers expenses comfortably, while in London it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. London has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,191 in Braintree to $3,986 in London. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Braintree. 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.