Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Bristol

For one person, living is cheaper in Bristol: $2,883 a month against $4,086 in London, rent and utilities included – about $14,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

195

Cost of Living Index in London
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London Living Index
140

Cost of Living Index in Bristol
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Bristol Living Index

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London

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$4,086

/mo nomad

Bristol

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,883

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Bristol

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,086 in London versus $2,883 in Bristol.

London $4,086
Bristol $2,883

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,891 in London versus $4,161 in Bristol.

London $5,891
Bristol $4,161

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,696 in London versus $5,440 in Bristol.

London $7,696
Bristol $5,440

Living in London is roughly 42% more expensive than in Bristol, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: London 200% above, Bristol 112% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.55 £19.82

$23.78 £17.76

11.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 £79.9

$114 £85.0

-6.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.78 £8.05

$10.82 £8.08

-0.37%

Cappuccino

$5.71 £4.27

$5.14 £3.84

11.09%

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

$3.01 £2.25

$2.69 £2.01

11.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 £1.71

$1.84 £1.38

24.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.08 £6.78

$7.83 £5.84

15.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.07 £6.02

$6.74 £5.04

19.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 £1.42

$1.52 £1.14

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 £1.51

$1.71 £1.28

18.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 £1.83

$2.10 £1.57

16.67%

Eggs

$5.07 £3.79

$4.25 £3.18

19.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.71 £9.49

$8.15 £6.09

55.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.61 £7.92

$9.82 £7.34

8.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.68 £13.20

$12.88 £9.62

37.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 £2.37

$3.22 £2.40

-1.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 £1.08

$1.76 £1.31

-17.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 £2.34

$2.70 £2.02

15.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.41 £2.55

$4.13 £3.08

-17.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 £1.25

$2.07 £1.55

-19.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 £1.32

$1.45 £1.08

22.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 £1.07

$1.23 £0.92

16.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 £1.39

$2.02 £1.50

-7.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.91 £17.85

$23.31 £17.40

2.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.48 £10.06

$10.57 £7.90

27.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 £2.30

$2.89 £2.15

6.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 £3.28

$3.65 £2.73

20.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.08 £3.04

$3.40 £2.54

20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$252 £188

$125 £93.1

102.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.74 £4.29

$3.50 £2.61

64.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.35 £2.50

$1.62 £1.21

106.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$57.2 £42.73

$26.41 £19.72

116.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 £1.56

$2.17 £1.62

-4.15%

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

$38.0K £28.4K

$38.0K £28.3K

0.08%

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

$40.4K £30.2K

$40.0K £29.9K

1.00%

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

$387 £289

$326 £244

18.55%

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

$18.57 £13.87

$17.56 £13.11

5.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.69 £30.38

$38.06 £28.42

6.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 £42.99

$41.92 £31.30

37.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 £14.75

$11.75 £8.77

68.09%

Cinema Ticket

$18.33 £13.68

$15.58 £11.63

17.65%

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

$2,957 £2,208

$2,366 £1,766

25.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.9K £26.8K

$25.2K £18.8K

42.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$119 £88.7

$100 £74.8

18.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.3 £42.01

$47.78 £35.67

17.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 £97.7

$108 £80.3

21.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 £123

$96.6 £72.1

70.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,811 £2,099

$1,963 £1,466

43.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,291 £1,711

$1,455 £1,086

57.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,185 £3,871

$3,048 £2,276

70.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,805 £2,841

$2,225 £1,661

71.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.7K £13.2K

$7,040 £5,256

150.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,405 £6,275

$5,142 £3,839

63.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,070 £3,786

$3,801 £2,838

33.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.79

4.87

-1.64%

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

Last update for London: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bristol: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

London

$2.3K 56.1%

Bristol

$1.5K 50.5% 36.5% $836

Monthly Utilities & Internet

London

$446 10.9%

Bristol

$382 13.3% 14.4% $64

Eating Out

London

$396 9.7%

Bristol

$355 12.3% 10.3% $41

Groceries & Markets

London

$356 8.7%

Bristol

$309 10.7% 13.1% $46

Getting Around

London

$291 7.1%

Bristol

$150 5.2% 48.5% $141

Clothing & Footwear

London

$212 5.2%

Bristol

$158 5.5% 25.2% $53

Sport & Entertainment

London

$94 2.3%

Bristol

$73 2.5% 22.4% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,811 in London and $1,963 in Bristol. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

London pays 33% 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: $107 in London vs $114 in Bristol. Groceries flip the comparison at $356 vs $309, with Bristol cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇬🇧 London

🇬🇧 Bristol

🕒 Local time

09:22 9:22 AM

Same time as London

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,908,083 Capital

463,400

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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 Bristol: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $4,086 in London and $2,883 in Bristol, so Bristol is about 29% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 33% 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: $2,811 in London versus $1,963 in Bristol. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in London. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in London – a meal for two runs $107 versus $114 in Bristol. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Bristol wins on affordability, London on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.