Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Canterbury Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Canterbury

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,892 in London versus $2,642 in Canterbury.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,638 in London versus $3,812 in Canterbury.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,385 in London versus $4,982 in Canterbury.

Living in London is roughly 47% more expensive than Canterbury, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: London 190% above, Canterbury 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.92 £20.05

$26.42 £19.69

1.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 £81.7

$80.4 £59.9

36.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 £8.07

$10.38 £7.73

4.34%

Cappuccino

$5.10 £3.80

$4.45 £3.32

14.61%

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

$2.77 £2.06

$1.77 £1.32

56.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 £1.33

$1.70 £1.27

4.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.93 £6.65

$6.83 £5.09

30.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 £5.98

$6.08 £4.53

32.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 £1.32

$1.43 £1.06

23.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.08 £1.55

$1.35 £1.01

54.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 £1.92

$1.92 £1.43

33.85%

Eggs

$4.75 £3.54

$3.63 £2.70

30.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.16 £8.31

$10.18 £7.58

9.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.00 £6.71

$8.05 £6.00

11.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.83 £11.05

$13.00 £9.69

14.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 £2.48

$2.66 £1.98

25.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 £1.46

$1.49 £1.11

31.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 £2.42

$2.68 £2.00

21.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.60 £2.68

$2.71 £2.02

32.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 £1.25

$1.48 £1.10

13.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 £1.40

$1.45 £1.08

28.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 £0.99

$0.72 £0.53

83.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 £1.45

$1.56 £1.17

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.81 £17.00

$20.76 £15.46

9.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.71 £10.21

$15.94 £11.88

-13.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.31 £2.47

$2.34 £1.74

41.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 £2.93

$4.46 £3.32

-11.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.95 £2.95

$3.44 £2.56

14.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$240 £179

$225 £168

6.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.04 £4.50

$5.24 £3.90

15.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.31 £2.46

$1.60 £1.19

106.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.84 £30.43

$15.19 £11.31

168.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 £1.40

$1.94 £1.45

-3.09%

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

$38.9K £29.0K

$37.8K £28.1K

2.97%

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

$40.0K £29.8K

$41.1K £30.6K

-2.48%

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

$326 £243

$229 £170

42.74%

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

$20.23 £15.07

$19.48 £14.51

3.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.59 £31.73

$43.21 £32.19

-1.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.4 £47.97

$46.02 £34.29

39.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.34 £16.64

$37.44 £27.89

-40.33%

Cinema Ticket

$20.19 £15.04

$13.33 £9.93

51.46%

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

$2,525 £1,881

$1,132 £843

123.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.0K £20.9K

$16.4K £12.2K

71.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$119 £88.8

$83.0 £61.8

43.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.83 £37.12

$50.1 £37.34

-0.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 £94.6

$111 £82.9

14.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 £119

$98.5 £73.4

61.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,019 £2,249

$1,357 £1,011

122.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,274 £1,694

$1,170 £871

94.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,543 £4,130

$2,191 £1,633

152.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,737 £2,784

$1,853 £1,380

101.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.4K £14.4K

$5,210 £3,881

272.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,516 £7,089

$4,419 £3,292

115.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,820 £3,591

$3,101 £2,310

55.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.05

5.53

-8.68%

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

Last update for London: May 31, 2026

Last update for Canterbury: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,019 in London and $1,357 in Canterbury. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

London pays 55% 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 $80.0 in Canterbury for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $288 per month, with Canterbury 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 Canterbury: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Canterbury wins on cost – living expenses run 47% lower than in London. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Canterbury the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

London pays 55% 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 $1,357 in Canterbury. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,525 in London versus $1,132 in Canterbury. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in London. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Canterbury is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Canterbury delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,642 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Canterbury hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, London and Canterbury 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 Canterbury gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in London. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.