Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Durham

For one person, living is cheaper in Durham: $2,092 a month against $4,049 in London, rent and utilities included – about $23,500 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
101

Cost of Living Index in Durham
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Durham Living Index

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London

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$4,049

/mo nomad

Durham

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,092

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Durham

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,049 in London versus $2,092 in Durham.

London $4,049
Durham $2,092

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,827 in London versus $3,368 in Durham.

London $5,827
Durham $3,368

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,605 in London versus $4,644 in Durham.

London $7,605
Durham $4,644

Living in London is roughly 94% more expensive than in Durham, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: London 199% above, Durham 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.09 £20.33

$19.90 £14.93

36.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$104 £78.3

$91.8 £68.9

13.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.86 £8.15

$11.53 £8.65

-5.81%

Cappuccino

$5.60 £4.20

$4.77 £3.58

17.40%

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

$3.05 £2.29

$2.52 £1.89

21.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 £1.71

$2.13 £1.60

7.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.23 £6.92

$6.16 £4.62

49.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.95 £5.96

$5.27 £3.95

50.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 £1.37

$2.02 £1.51

-9.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 £1.54

$1.57 £1.18

30.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.47 £1.86

$3.01 £2.26

-17.94%

Eggs

$5.12 £3.84

$4.38 £3.29

16.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.89 £9.67

$10.06 £7.55

28.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.84 £8.14

$9.08 £6.81

19.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.03 £12.78

$22.07 £16.56

-22.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 £2.30

$2.96 £2.22

3.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 £1.03

$2.54 £1.91

-45.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 £2.24

$2.87 £2.15

4.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.39 £2.54

$5.14 £3.85

-34.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 £1.20

$1.49 £1.12

7.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 £1.35

$1.67 £1.25

7.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 £1.06

$1.12 £0.84

25.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 £1.36

$1.86 £1.39

-2.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.92 £17.94

$23.57 £17.68

1.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.54 £10.16

$10.83 £8.13

25.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.23 £2.42

$3.22 £2.41

0.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 £3.29

$3.33 £2.50

31.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.92 £2.94

$3.13 £2.35

25.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$243 £182

$86.8 £65.1

179.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.58 £4.18

$6.67 £5.00

-16.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.27 £2.46

$1.96 £1.47

66.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$58.4 £43.81

$24.21 £18.16

141.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 £1.56

$1.90 £1.42

9.47%

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

$38.8K £29.1K

$38.3K £28.7K

1.35%

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

$40.6K £30.5K

$40.7K £30.5K

-0.11%

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

$380 £285

$263 £197

44.40%

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

$18.62 £13.97

$15.07 £11.30

23.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.45 £30.35

$44.02 £33.03

-8.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 £45.95

$45.87 £34.41

33.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.41 £16.07

Cinema Ticket

$18.09 £13.57

$12.77 £9.58

41.66%

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

$2,905 £2,180

$1,344 £1,009

116.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.5K £26.6K

$25.7K £19.3K

38.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$116 £87.3

$107 £80.6

8.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.5 £40.89

$70.6 £53.0

-22.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 £95.8

$113 £84.7

13.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$167 £125

$96.5 £72.4

72.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,852 £2,140

$1,567 £1,176

81.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,269 £1,702

$743 £558

205.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,250 £3,939

$2,721 £2,041

92.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,752 £2,815

$1,631 £1,223

130.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.5K £13.9K

$5,198 £3,900

256.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,100 £6,077

$3,791 £2,844

113.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,109 £3,833

$2,080 £1,561

145.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.74

5.18

-8.49%

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

Last update for London: October 19, 2026

Last update for Durham: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

London

$2.3K 56%

Durham

$743 35.5% 67.2% $1.5K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

London

$439 10.9%

Durham

$322 15.4% 26.6% $117

Eating Out

London

$400 9.9%

Durham

$311 14.9% 22.2% $89

Groceries & Markets

London

$353 8.7%

Durham

$353 16.9% 0% $0

Getting Around

London

$280 6.9%

Durham

$116 5.5% 58.7% $165

Clothing & Footwear

London

$209 5.2%

Durham

$174 8.3% 16.8% $35

Sport & Entertainment

London

$97 2.4%

Durham

$71 3.4% 26.7% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,852 in London and $1,567 in Durham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

London pays 146% 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: $104 in London vs $92.0 in Durham. Groceries flip the comparison at $353 vs $353, with London cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇬🇧 London

🇬🇧 Durham

🕒 Local time

14:19 2:19 PM

Same time as London

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,908,083 Capital

42,100

💱 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

On the map

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Between locations

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From you

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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 Durham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

London and Durham differ by about 94% in total monthly costs ($4,049 vs $2,092 including rent). Durham is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 146% 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: $2,852 in London versus $1,567 in Durham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $4,049 per month in London versus $2,092 in Durham – a 94% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Durham runs roughly 180% less than in London. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Durham is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Safety-wise, London and Durham 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 Durham gentler on the wallet – expenses run 94% less than in London. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.