Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Buckingham Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Buckingham

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,916 in London versus $2,268 in Buckingham.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,631 in London versus $3,455 in Buckingham.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,345 in London versus $4,643 in Buckingham.

Living in London is roughly 73% more expensive than in Buckingham, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: London 193% above, Buckingham 70% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.47 £20.45

$20.10 £14.96

36.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$111 £82.4

$82.4 £61.4

34.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.67 £7.95

$10.94 £8.14

-2.47%

Cappuccino

$5.30 £3.94

$4.61 £3.43

14.97%

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

$2.74 £2.04

$1.98 £1.48

38.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 £1.33

$1.34 £0.99

33.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.00 £6.70

$5.57 £4.15

61.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.12 £6.04

$5.36 £3.99

51.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 £1.28

$1.18 £0.88

45.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 £1.57

$1.54 £1.15

37.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.47 £1.84

$2.12 £1.58

16.51%

Eggs

$4.98 £3.71

$4.24 £3.16

17.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.11 £8.27

$10.08 £7.51

10.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.13 £6.80

$7.22 £5.38

26.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 £10.73

$15.57 £11.59

-7.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 £2.50

$3.28 £2.44

2.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 £1.51

$1.71 £1.27

18.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 £2.44

$2.80 £2.08

16.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.63 £2.70

$2.56 £1.91

41.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 £1.25

$0.99 £0.74

69.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 £1.32

$1.75 £1.30

1.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 £0.99

$1.09 £0.81

22.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 £1.42

$1.59 £1.18

20.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.79 £16.97

$16.39 £12.20

39.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.62 £10.14

$10.99 £8.18

23.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.20 £2.38

$2.62 £1.95

22.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.07 £3.03

$1.99 £1.48

104.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.82 £2.85

$2.65 £1.97

44.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$249 £185

$89.5 £66.7

177.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.89 £4.39

$4.18 £3.11

40.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.32 £2.47

$1.34 £1.00

147.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.47 £30.13

$25.18 £18.74

60.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 £1.42

$1.97 £1.47

-3.55%

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

$38.9K £29.0K

$38.4K £28.6K

1.46%

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

$39.4K £29.3K

$42.3K £31.5K

-6.84%

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

$328 £244

$260 £194

26.17%

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

$19.61 £14.60

$17.71 £13.19

10.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.68 £31.78

$35.37 £26.33

20.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.2 £47.08

$13.41 £9.98

371.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.39 £16.67

Cinema Ticket

$20.69 £15.40

$12.18 £9.07

69.87%

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

$2,474 £1,842

$1,410 £1,049

75.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K £20.8K

$13.5K £10.0K

107.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$119 £88.9

$75.5 £56.2

58.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 £37.29

$36.25 £26.99

38.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 £97.4

$70.7 £52.6

85.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 £118

$90.5 £67.4

75.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,937 £2,186

$1,481 £1,102

98.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,229 £1,660

$1,060 £789

110.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,569 £4,146

$3,422 £2,548

62.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,707 £2,760

$2,060 £1,534

79.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$20.1K £15.0K

$5,701 £4,244

252.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,485 £6,317

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,247 £3,162

$4,514 £3,360

-5.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.05

5.79

-12.78%

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

Last update for London: July 12, 2026

Last update for Buckingham: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,937 in London and $1,481 in Buckingham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buckingham pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $111 in London vs $82.0 in Buckingham for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $339 vs $285 per month, with Buckingham 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 Buckingham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

London and Buckingham differ by about 73% in total monthly costs ($3,916 vs $2,268 including rent). Buckingham is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 6% lower in Buckingham. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,937 in London versus $1,481 in Buckingham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,916 per month in London versus $2,268 in Buckingham – a 73% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Buckingham runs roughly 178% less than in London. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,268 in Buckingham versus $3,916 in London, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Buckingham but tight or insufficient in London. The gap between the two cities makes Buckingham the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Buckingham gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in London. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.