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: $3,892 in London versus $2,937 in Brighton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,638 in London versus $4,342 in Brighton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,385 in London versus $5,748 in Brighton.

Living in London is roughly 33% more expensive than Brighton, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: London 190% above, Brighton 119% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.92 £20.01

$20.14 £14.97

33.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 £81.5

$96.7 £71.9

13.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 £8.05

$9.66 £7.18

12.11%

Cappuccino

$5.10 £3.79

$4.55 £3.38

12.09%

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

$2.77 £2.06

$2.12 £1.57

30.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 £1.33

$1.63 £1.21

9.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.93 £6.64

$8.59 £6.38

3.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 £5.97

$6.68 £4.96

20.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 £1.32

$1.85 £1.38

-4.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.08 £1.55

$2.09 £1.55

-0.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 £1.91

$2.12 £1.58

21.23%

Eggs

$4.75 £3.53

$5.06 £3.76

-6.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.16 £8.30

$11.97 £8.89

-6.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.00 £6.69

$8.98 £6.68

0.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.83 £11.02

$17.90 £13.31

-17.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 £2.47

$3.26 £2.42

2.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 £1.46

$2.01 £1.50

-2.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 £2.42

$3.21 £2.38

1.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.60 £2.67

$3.37 £2.50

6.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 £1.25

$2.29 £1.70

-26.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 £1.39

$2.04 £1.52

-8.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 £0.98

$1.12 £0.84

17.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 £1.45

$1.45 £1.08

34.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.81 £16.96

$21.41 £15.92

6.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.71 £10.19

$11.17 £8.30

22.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.31 £2.46

$2.79 £2.08

18.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 £2.92

$2.59 £1.92

51.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.95 £2.94

$3.32 £2.47

18.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$240 £179

$129 £95.7

86.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.04 £4.49

$4.53 £3.37

33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.31 £2.46

$2.20 £1.63

50.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.84 £30.36

$41.41 £30.78

-1.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 £1.40

$1.97 £1.46

-4.57%

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

$38.9K £28.9K

$37.8K £28.1K

2.98%

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

$40.0K £29.8K

$42.0K £31.2K

-4.61%

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

$326 £243

$290 £216

12.55%

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

$20.23 £15.04

$18.36 £13.65

10.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.59 £31.66

$40.81 £30.34

4.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.4 £47.86

$53.9 £40.09

19.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.34 £16.61

$18.80 £13.97

18.83%

Cinema Ticket

$20.19 £15.00

$17.52 £13.02

15.24%

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

$2,525 £1,876

$1,783 £1,325

41.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.0K £20.8K

$19.1K £14.2K

46.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$119 £88.6

$92.5 £68.8

28.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.83 £37.04

$42.92 £31.90

16.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 £94.4

$108 £80.5

17.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 £118

$79.1 £58.8

101.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,019 £2,244

$1,828 £1,359

65.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,274 £1,690

$1,564 £1,162

45.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,543 £4,120

$3,247 £2,413

70.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,737 £2,778

$2,608 £1,939

43.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.4K £14.4K

$8,819 £6,555

119.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,516 £7,073

$6,240 £4,638

52.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,820 £3,583

$3,476 £2,583

38.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.05

5.63

-10.30%

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

Last update for London: May 31, 2026

Last update for Brighton: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,019 in London and $1,828 in Brighton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

London pays 39% 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 $97.0 in Brighton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $335 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 33% in total monthly costs ($3,892 vs $2,937 including rent). Brighton is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

London pays 39% more on average, 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: $3,019 in London versus $1,828 in Brighton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,525 in London versus $1,783 in Brighton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% 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 33% less than in London. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.