Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Brighton Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Brighton

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,221 in London versus $3,017 in Brighton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,971 in London versus $4,299 in Brighton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,721 in London versus $5,581 in Brighton.

Living in London is roughly 40% more expensive than in Brighton, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: London 207% above, Brighton 120% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.14 £20.07

$25.51 £18.86

6.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 £81.3

$97.7 £72.2

12.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.05 £8.17

$10.21 £7.55

8.23%

Cappuccino

$5.84 £4.31

$5.37 £3.97

8.75%

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

$3.02 £2.23

$4.07 £3.01

-25.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 £1.66

$3.41 £2.52

-34.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.33 £6.90

$8.88 £6.57

5.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.92 £6.60

$9.27 £6.85

-3.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 £1.39

$1.93 £1.42

-2.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 £1.51

$2.14 £1.58

-4.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.46 £1.82

$2.17 £1.61

13.36%

Eggs

$5.21 £3.85

$4.50 £3.33

15.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.72 £9.40

$12.08 £8.93

5.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.97 £8.11

$9.34 £6.91

17.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.29 £13.52

$15.64 £11.56

16.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 £2.34

$2.99 £2.21

6.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 £1.11

$1.95 £1.44

-23.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 £2.07

$3.00 £2.22

-6.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.50 £2.58

$3.82 £2.83

-8.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.65 £1.22

$2.25 £1.67

-26.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 £1.37

$1.92 £1.42

-3.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 £1.13

$1.20 £0.89

27.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 £1.35

$1.74 £1.29

5.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.20 £17.89

$23.63 £17.47

2.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.40 £9.91

$11.45 £8.46

17.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.27 £2.42

$2.97 £2.20

10.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 £3.45

$3.23 £2.39

44.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.18 £3.09

$4.13 £3.06

1.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$272 £201

$131 £97.2

106.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.75 £4.25

$5.17 £3.82

11.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.32 £2.46

$2.76 £2.04

20.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$58.0 £42.85

$40.30 £29.79

43.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 £1.52

$2.13 £1.57

-3.29%

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

$39.5K £29.2K

$39.6K £29.3K

-0.24%

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

$42.6K £31.5K

$40.9K £30.2K

4.36%

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

$373 £276

$290 £215

28.49%

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

$18.28 £13.51

$17.06 £12.61

7.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.44 £31.37

$45.56 £33.68

-6.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.7 £47.08

$51.0 £37.66

25.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 £16.81

$27.99 £20.69

-18.76%

Cinema Ticket

$18.46 £13.65

$17.74 £13.11

4.06%

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

$2,922 £2,160

$2,073 £1,532

40.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.1K £27.4K

$31.4K £23.2K

18.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$115 £84.8

$94.5 £69.9

21.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.6 £40.37

$46.51 £34.38

17.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 £95.1

$104 £77.0

23.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 £113

$91.7 £67.8

66.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,001 £2,218

$1,944 £1,437

54.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,363 £1,746

$1,503 £1,111

57.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,471 £4,044

$2,897 £2,141

88.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,809 £2,816

$2,273 £1,680

67.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.4K £13.6K

$8,617 £6,369

113.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,891 £5,833

$6,437 £4,758

22.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,580 £3,386

$3,415 £2,524

34.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.61

5.12

-9.96%

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

Last update for London: August 30, 2026

Last update for Brighton: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,001 in London and $1,944 in Brighton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

London pays 34% 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: $110 in London vs $98.0 in Brighton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $361 vs $336 per month, with Brighton 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 Brighton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

London and Brighton differ by about 40% in total monthly costs ($4,221 vs $3,017 including rent). Brighton is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 34% 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: $3,001 in London versus $1,944 in Brighton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,922 in London versus $2,073 in Brighton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in London. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Brighton is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, London and Brighton 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 Brighton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in London. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.