Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Duisburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Duisburg: $2,029 a month against $4,086 in London, rent and utilities included – about $24,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

London
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$4,086
/mo nomad
Duisburg
🇩🇪 Germany
$2,029
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Duisburg

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,086 in London versus $2,029 in Duisburg.

  • London $4,086
  • Duisburg $2,029

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,816 in London versus $3,010 in Duisburg.

  • London $5,816
  • Duisburg $3,010

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,546 in London versus $3,992 in Duisburg.

  • London $7,546
  • Duisburg $3,992

Living in London is roughly 101% more expensive than in Duisburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: London 205% above, Duisburg 51% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
London
Duisburg
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$26.62 £20.11
$13.20 €11.78
101.67%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$108 £81.3
$71.6 €63.9
50.31%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.39 £7.85
$12.97 €11.57
-19.89%
Cappuccino
$5.79 £4.38
$4.30 €3.84
34.65%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.01 £2.27
$3.97 €3.54
-24.18%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.15 £1.63
$3.16 €2.82
-31.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.35 £7.06
$5.58 €4.98
67.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.84 £5.93
$5.51 €4.92
42.29%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
London
Duisburg
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.79 £1.35
$1.34 €1.19
33.58%
White Bread (500g)
$2.06 £1.56
$2.13 €1.90
-3.29%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.31 £1.74
$3.74 €3.34
-38.24%
Eggs
$5.05 £3.82
$3.58 €3.20
41.06%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.57 £9.50
$14.45 €12.90
-13.01%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.66 £8.05
$10.70 €9.55
-0.37%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.13 £12.94
$25.71 €22.95
-33.37%
Apples (1kg)
$3.03 £2.29
$3.28 €2.93
-7.62%
Banana (1kg)
$1.41 £1.07
$2.27 €2.03
-37.89%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.05 £2.31
$2.40 €2.14
27.08%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.38 £2.56
$4.28 €3.82
-21.03%
Potato (1kg)
$1.67 £1.26
$1.48 €1.32
12.84%
Onion (1kg)
$1.73 £1.31
$1.16 €1.03
49.14%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.41 £1.07
$1.71 €1.53
-17.54%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.79 £1.35
$1.06 €0.94
68.87%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.22 £17.55
$10.28 €9.18
125.88%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.99 £9.82
$6.56 €5.86
98.02%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.18 £2.40
$1.12 €1.00
183.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.41 £3.33
$1.35 €1.20
226.67%
🚌 Getting Around
London
Duisburg
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.87 £2.93
$4.63 €4.13
-16.41%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$250 £189
$67.7 €60.4
269.46%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.71 £4.31
$5.13 €4.58
11.31%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.33 £2.51
$2.27 €2.02
46.70%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$57.9 £43.76
$33.20 €29.63
74.43%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.04 £1.54
$2.31 €2.06
-11.69%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.5K £28.4K
$33.3K €29.7K
12.91%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.9K £30.9K
$38.9K €34.7K
5.19%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
Duisburg
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$376 £284
$466 €415
-19.22%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.88 £13.51
$25.76 €22.99
-30.59%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.01 £30.24
$40.69 €36.31
-1.67%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
London
Duisburg
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$61.2 £46.22
$31.83 €28.40
92.15%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.07 £15.93
$29.28 €26.13
-28.04%
Cinema Ticket
$17.95 £13.57
$13.57 €12.11
32.28%
🧸 Childcare & Education
London
Duisburg
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,865 £2,165
$171 €152
1579.64%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$35.3K £26.7K
$25.6K €22.9K
37.85%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
London
Duisburg
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$116 £87.7
$96.3 €85.9
20.48%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.1 £40.87
$49.02 €43.75
10.32%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$127 £95.7
$114 €102
10.65%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$159 £120
$197 €176
-19.02%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
London
Duisburg
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,853 £2,156
$704 €628
305.42%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,301 £1,739
$530 €473
334.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,201 £3,931
$1,384 €1,235
275.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,723 £2,813
$926 €826
302.07%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$19.0K £14.4K
$6,842 €6,105
177.84%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$7,881 £5,955
$3,392 €3,027
132.30%
💵 Salaries & Financials
London
Duisburg
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,818 £3,641
$2,719 €2,427
77.17%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.65
3.96
17.42%

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

Last update for London: October 4, 2026

Last update for Duisburg: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
London
$2.3K
Duisburg
$530 77% $1.8K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
$434
Duisburg
$532 22.6% $98
Eating Out
London
$397
Duisburg
$264 33.6% $133
Groceries & Markets
London
$349
Duisburg
$347 0.7% $2.6
Getting Around
London
$288
Duisburg
$103 64.3% $185
Clothing & Footwear
London
$205
Duisburg
$205 0.1% $0.2
Sport & Entertainment
London
$97
Duisburg
$59 39.3% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,853 in London and $704 in Duisburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

London pays 77% 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: $108 in London vs $72.0 in Duisburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $349 vs $347 per month, with Duisburg cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇧 London
🇩🇪 Duisburg
🕒 Local time
13:17 1:17 PM
14:17 2:17 PM
1 h ahead of London
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,908,083 Capital
486,855
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.756 GBP (1 GBP = 1.32 USD). 1 EUR = 0.847 GBP (1 GBP = 1.18 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • London Duisburg 480 km
From you
  • London
  • Duisburg

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 Duisburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, London or Duisburg?
Duisburg wins on cost – living expenses run 101% lower than in London. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Duisburg the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in London or in Duisburg?
Average pay runs 77% higher in London, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in London compared to Duisburg?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,853 in London versus $704 in Duisburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in London and in Duisburg?
Childcare runs $2,865 in London versus $171 in Duisburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Are groceries more expensive in London or in Duisburg?
Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in London. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Can you live on $2,000/month in London or in Duisburg?
At $2,029 in Duisburg versus $4,086 in London, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Duisburg but tight or insufficient in London. The gap between the two cities makes Duisburg the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, London or Duisburg?
Both work as nomad bases, but Duisburg delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,029 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Duisburg hard to pass up.
How safe is London compared to Duisburg?
Safety-wise, London and Duisburg are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Duisburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 101% less than in London. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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