Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Farnborough Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Farnborough

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,892 in London versus $2,532 in Farnborough.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,638 in London versus $3,748 in Farnborough.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,385 in London versus $4,964 in Farnborough.

Living in London is roughly 54% more expensive than Farnborough, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: London 190% above, Farnborough 89% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.92 £20.05

$20.25 £15.09

32.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 £81.7

$78.3 £58.3

40.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 £8.07

$8.72 £6.49

24.20%

Cappuccino

$5.10 £3.80

$5.09 £3.80

0.20%

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

$2.77 £2.06

$2.60 £1.94

6.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 £1.33

$1.92 £1.43

-7.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.93 £6.65

$6.94 £5.17

28.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 £5.98

$6.87 £5.12

16.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 £1.32

$1.52 £1.13

16.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.08 £1.55

$1.36 £1.02

52.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 £1.92

$3.57 £2.66

-28.01%

Eggs

$4.75 £3.54

$5.18 £3.86

-8.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.16 £8.31

$8.81 £6.57

26.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.00 £6.71

$9.24 £6.88

-2.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.83 £11.05

$14.41 £10.74

2.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 £2.48

$1.46 £1.09

128.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 £1.46

$1.57 £1.17

24.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 £2.42

$2.46 £1.83

32.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.60 £2.68

$3.12 £2.33

15.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 £1.25

$1.83 £1.36

-8.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 £1.40

$1.17 £0.88

59.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 £0.99

$0.93 £0.69

41.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 £1.45

$0.78 £0.58

150.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.81 £17.00

$17.64 £13.14

29.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.71 £10.21

$10.99 £8.19

24.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.31 £2.47

$3.10 £2.31

6.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 £2.93

$3.46 £2.58

13.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.95 £2.95

$2.80 £2.08

41.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$240 £179

$87.2 £64.9

175.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.04 £4.50

$3.08 £2.30

96.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.31 £2.46

$1.88 £1.40

76.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.84 £30.43

$12.45 £9.27

228.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 £1.40

$1.87 £1.39

0.53%

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

$38.9K £29.0K

$39.1K £29.2K

-0.65%

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

$40.0K £29.8K

$37.6K £28.0K

6.56%

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

$326 £243

$136 £102

139.51%

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

$20.23 £15.07

$16.48 £12.28

22.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.59 £31.73

$41.31 £30.77

3.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.4 £47.97

$60.2 £44.85

6.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.34 £16.64

$24.23 £18.05

-7.80%

Cinema Ticket

$20.19 £15.04

$7.98 £5.94

153.01%

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

$2,525 £1,881

$1,522 £1,134

65.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.0K £20.9K

$18.1K £13.5K

54.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$119 £88.8

$113 £84.5

5.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.83 £37.12

$52.1 £38.85

-4.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 £94.6

$116 £86.4

9.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 £119

$144 £107

10.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,019 £2,249

$1,700 £1,267

77.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,274 £1,694

$1,300 £969

74.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,543 £4,130

$2,414 £1,798

129.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,737 £2,784

$2,170 £1,617

72.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.4K £14.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,516 £7,089

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,820 £3,591

$4,174 £3,110

15.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.05

5.62

-10.14%

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

Last update for London: May 31, 2026

Last update for Farnborough: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,019 in London and $1,700 in Farnborough. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

London pays 15% 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 $78.0 in Farnborough for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $287 per month, with Farnborough 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 Farnborough: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

London and Farnborough differ by about 54% in total monthly costs ($3,892 vs $2,532 including rent). Farnborough is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

London pays 15% 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 $1,700 in Farnborough. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Farnborough – a meal for two runs $78.0 versus $110 in London. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,892 per month in London versus $2,532 in Farnborough – a 54% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Farnborough 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.

Expats usually find Farnborough gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in London. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.