Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Cheltenham

For one person, living is cheaper in Cheltenham: $2,327 a month against $3,986 in London, rent and utilities included – about $19,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

194

Cost of Living Index in London
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London Living Index
113

Cost of Living Index in Cheltenham
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Cheltenham Living Index

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London

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$3,986

/mo nomad

Cheltenham

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,327

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Cheltenham

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,986 in London versus $2,327 in Cheltenham.

London $3,986
Cheltenham $2,327

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,791 in London versus $3,528 in Cheltenham.

London $5,791
Cheltenham $3,528

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,595 in London versus $4,729 in Cheltenham.

London $7,595
Cheltenham $4,729

Living in London is roughly 71% more expensive than in Cheltenham, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: London 195% above, Cheltenham 72% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.93 £19.45

$23.67 £17.75

9.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 £79.9

$105 £79.1

1.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.71 £8.03

$11.03 £8.28

-2.90%

Cappuccino

$5.47 £4.11

$4.89 £3.67

11.86%

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

$2.97 £2.23

$2.56 £1.92

16.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 £1.65

$1.74 £1.31

26.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.13 £6.85

$7.76 £5.82

17.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 £5.96

$6.54 £4.91

21.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 £1.40

$1.73 £1.30

7.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 £1.55

$1.71 £1.29

21.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 £1.81

$1.99 £1.49

21.61%

Eggs

$5.09 £3.82

$4.43 £3.33

14.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.87 £9.66

$8.19 £6.15

57.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 £7.82

$9.59 £7.19

8.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.87 £12.66

$13.09 £9.82

28.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 £2.33

$3.10 £2.32

0.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 £1.05

$1.43 £1.07

-2.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 £2.31

$1.93 £1.45

59.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 £2.45

$3.49 £2.62

-6.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 £1.19

$1.52 £1.14

3.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 £1.31

$1.51 £1.13

15.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 £1.05

$1.21 £0.91

15.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 £1.35

$1.42 £1.07

26.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.28 £17.46

$23.12 £17.35

0.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 £9.77

$10.63 £7.98

22.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.17 £2.38

$2.86 £2.15

10.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 £3.32

$2.93 £2.20

50.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.07 £3.05

$3.44 £2.58

18.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$247 £185

$92.5 £69.4

166.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.58 £4.18

$3.53 £2.65

58.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.36 £2.52

$1.64 £1.23

104.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$56.8 £42.58

$26.85 £20.14

111.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 £1.60

$1.87 £1.40

13.90%

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

$38.2K £28.6K

$37.1K £27.8K

2.98%

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

$40.9K £30.7K

$41.2K £30.9K

-0.69%

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

$372 £279

$341 £256

9.23%

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

$17.82 £13.37

$17.10 £12.83

4.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.37 £30.29

$51.0 £38.24

-20.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.0 £44.99

$44.28 £33.22

35.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.29 £15.97

$39.01 £29.27

-45.42%

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 £13.31

$14.00 £10.50

26.71%

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

$2,864 £2,149

$2,020 £1,516

41.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.3K £26.5K

$25.2K £18.9K

40.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 £85.5

$98.2 £73.7

16.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 £40.71

$48.22 £36.18

12.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 £93.2

$106 £79.4

17.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 £122

$96.9 £72.7

68.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,869 £2,152

$1,161 £871

147.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,233 £1,675

$929 £697

140.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,266 £3,951

$2,149 £1,613

144.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,778 £2,835

$1,617 £1,213

133.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.3K £13.8K

$5,704 £4,279

221.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,024 £6,020

$5,676 £4,258

41.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,037 £3,779

$4,753 £3,566

5.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.74

5.54

-14.44%

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

Last update for London: October 10, 2026

Last update for Cheltenham: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

London

$2.2K 56%

Cheltenham

$929 39.9% 58.4% $1.3K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

London

$430 10.8%

Cheltenham

$409 17.6% 5% $22

Eating Out

London

$388 9.7%

Cheltenham

$350 15.1% 9.6% $37

Groceries & Markets

London

$349 8.8%

Cheltenham

$292 12.6% 16.4% $57

Getting Around

London

$285 7.2%

Cheltenham

$118 5.1% 58.7% $167

Clothing & Footwear

London

$205 5.1%

Cheltenham

$157 6.8% 23.4% $48

Sport & Entertainment

London

$95 2.4%

Cheltenham

$72 3.1% 24.3% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,869 in London and $1,161 in Cheltenham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

London pays 6% 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 $105 in Cheltenham for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $349 vs $292 per month, with Cheltenham cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇧 London

🇬🇧 Cheltenham

🕒 Local time

15:44 3:44 PM

Same time as London

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,908,083 Capital

115,300

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Cheltenham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cheltenham is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and transport. The 71% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 6% 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: $2,869 in London versus $1,161 in Cheltenham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cheltenham – a meal for two runs $105 versus $107 in London. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,986 per month in London versus $2,327 in Cheltenham – a 71% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,327 in Cheltenham versus $3,986 in London, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Cheltenham but tight or insufficient in London. The gap between the two cities makes Cheltenham the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cheltenham is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in London, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, London and Cheltenham 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 Cheltenham gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in London. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.