Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Ely, Cambridgeshire

For one person, living is cheaper in Ely, Cambridgeshire: $2,366 a month against $4,086 in London, rent and utilities included – about $20,600 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
114

Cost of Living Index in Ely, Cambridgeshire
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Ely, Cambridgeshire Living Index

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London

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$4,086

/mo nomad

Ely, Cambridgeshire

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,366

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Ely, Cambridgeshire

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

A single person spends $4,086 per month in London vs $2,366 in Ely, Cambridgeshire, rent included.

London $4,086
Ely, Cambridgeshire $2,366

A couple spends around $5,891 per month in London vs $3,574 in Ely, Cambridgeshire, rent included.

London $5,891
Ely, Cambridgeshire $3,574

A family of three spends $7,696 per month in London vs $4,782 in Ely, Cambridgeshire, rent included.

London $7,696
Ely, Cambridgeshire $4,782

London costs about 73% more than Ely, Cambridgeshire, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both London and Ely, Cambridgeshire sit above the global median – London by 200%, Ely, Cambridgeshire by 74%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.55 £19.98

$24.41 £18.37

8.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 £80.5

$94.5 £71.2

13.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.78 £8.12

$13.42 £10.10

-19.67%

Cappuccino

$5.71 £4.30

$5.30 £3.99

7.74%

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

$3.01 £2.26

$2.44 £1.84

23.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 £1.72

$1.78 £1.34

28.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.08 £6.84

$5.25 £3.95

72.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.07 £6.07

$3.40 £2.56

137.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 £1.43

$1.20 £0.90

58.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 £1.53

$1.63 £1.23

24.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 £1.84

$2.64 £1.98

-7.20%

Eggs

$5.07 £3.82

$3.57 £2.69

42.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.71 £9.56

$10.53 £7.93

20.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.61 £7.99

$11.26 £8.47

-5.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.68 £13.31

$17.01 £12.80

3.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 £2.39

$4.01 £3.02

-20.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 £1.09

$1.36 £1.02

6.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 £2.36

$2.55 £1.92

22.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.41 £2.57

$4.23 £3.18

-19.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 £1.26

$1.58 £1.19

5.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 £1.33

$1.57 £1.18

12.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 £1.08

$1.16 £0.87

23.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 £1.41

$1.50 £1.13

24.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.91 £17.99

$21.48 £16.17

11.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.48 £10.14

$10.47 £7.88

28.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 £2.32

$2.10 £1.58

46.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 £3.31

$2.92 £2.20

50.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.08 £3.07

$5.78 £4.35

-29.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$252 £190

$57.0 £42.87

342.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.74 £4.32

$4.26 £3.21

34.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.35 £2.52

$2.26 £1.70

48.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$57.2 £43.07

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 £1.57

$2.09 £1.57

-0.48%

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

$38.0K £28.6K

$40.3K £30.3K

-5.72%

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

$40.4K £30.4K

$41.3K £31.1K

-2.27%

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

$387 £291

$277 £208

39.82%

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

$18.57 £13.98

$16.37 £12.32

13.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.69 £30.62

$32.76 £24.65

24.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 £43.33

$43.33 £32.61

32.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 £14.87

$15.99 £12.04

23.51%

Cinema Ticket

$18.33 £13.79

$16.06 £12.09

14.13%

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

$2,957 £2,225

$1,727 £1,300

71.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.9K £27.0K

$14.6K £11.0K

145.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$119 £89.4

$97.9 £73.7

21.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.3 £42.35

$55.6 £41.84

1.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 £98.5

$122 £92.1

6.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 £124

$103 £77.8

59.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,811 £2,116

$1,162 £875

141.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,291 £1,724

$1,030 £775

122.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,185 £3,902

$1,876 £1,412

176.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,805 £2,864

$1,763 £1,327

115.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.7K £13.3K

$5,761 £4,335

206.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,405 £6,325

$5,185 £3,902

62.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,070 £3,816

$3,306 £2,488

53.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.79

4.62

3.68%

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

Last update for London: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ely, Cambridgeshire: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

London

$2.3K 56.1%

Ely, Cambridgeshire

$1K 43.5% 55% $1.3K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

London

$446 10.9%

Ely, Cambridgeshire

$326 13.8% 27% $120

Eating Out

London

$396 9.7%

Ely, Cambridgeshire

$349 14.8% 11.9% $47

Groceries & Markets

London

$356 8.7%

Ely, Cambridgeshire

$319 13.5% 10.1% $36

Getting Around

London

$291 7.1%

Ely, Cambridgeshire

$96 4% 67.1% $195

Clothing & Footwear

London

$212 5.2%

Ely, Cambridgeshire

$171 7.2% 19.4% $41

Sport & Entertainment

London

$94 2.3%

Ely, Cambridgeshire

$75 3.2% 19.9% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,811 in London versus $1,162 in Ely, Cambridgeshire. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 53% higher in London, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $107 in London versus $95 in Ely, Cambridgeshire. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $356 vs $319 – making Ely, Cambridgeshire the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 London

🇬🇧 Ely, Cambridgeshire

🕒 Local time

00:14 12:14 AM

Same time as London

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,908,083 Capital

20,574

💱 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)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

London vs Ely, Cambridgeshire: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – London is pricier by about 73%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,129 per month in London and $3,549 in Ely, Cambridgeshire. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ely, Cambridgeshire, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,162 there versus $2,811 in London.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,086 in London and $2,366 in Ely, Cambridgeshire. That makes Ely, Cambridgeshire about 42% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 77% less in Ely, Cambridgeshire. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Families tend to lean toward Ely, Cambridgeshire – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Ely, Cambridgeshire. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, London makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.