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: $4,221 in London versus $2,389 in Farnborough.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,971 in London versus $3,654 in Farnborough.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,721 in London versus $4,918 in Farnborough.

Living in London is roughly 77% more expensive than in Farnborough, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: London 207% above, Farnborough 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.14 £20.07

$19.65 £14.52

38.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 £81.3

$89.1 £65.9

23.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.05 £8.17

$9.61 £7.10

14.98%

Cappuccino

$5.84 £4.31

$4.73 £3.50

23.47%

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

$3.02 £2.23

$2.73 £2.02

10.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 £1.66

$2.10 £1.55

6.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.33 £6.90

$7.44 £5.50

25.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.92 £6.60

$6.72 £4.97

32.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 £1.39

$1.42 £1.05

32.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 £1.51

$1.64 £1.22

25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.46 £1.82

$3.72 £2.75

-33.87%

Eggs

$5.21 £3.85

$3.41 £2.52

52.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.72 £9.40

$9.07 £6.71

40.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.97 £8.11

$8.32 £6.15

31.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.29 £13.52

$13.60 £10.05

34.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 £2.34

$1.72 £1.27

84.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 £1.11

$1.86 £1.38

-19.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 £2.07

$2.94 £2.18

-4.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.50 £2.58

$2.97 £2.20

17.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.65 £1.22

$1.63 £1.21

1.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 £1.37

$1.61 £1.19

14.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 £1.13

$1.01 £0.74

51.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 £1.35

$0.60 £0.44

205.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.20 £17.89

$23.46 £17.34

3.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.40 £9.91

$11.61 £8.59

15.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.27 £2.42

$2.54 £1.88

28.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 £3.45

$2.13 £1.57

119.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.18 £3.09

$2.67 £1.98

56.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$272 £201

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.75 £4.25

$3.04 £2.25

89.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.32 £2.46

$1.57 £1.16

111.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$58.0 £42.85

$12.15 £8.98

377.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 £1.52

$1.96 £1.45

5.10%

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

$39.5K £29.2K

$38.6K £28.5K

2.37%

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

$42.6K £31.5K

$41.5K £30.7K

2.77%

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

$373 £276

$165 £122

125.78%

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

$18.28 £13.51

$15.09 £11.16

21.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.44 £31.37

$43.83 £32.40

-3.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.7 £47.08

$58.4 £43.19

9.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 £16.81

$24.55 £18.15

-7.37%

Cinema Ticket

$18.46 £13.65

$9.75 £7.20

89.33%

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

$2,922 £2,160

$1,303 £963

124.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.1K £27.4K

$20.1K £14.9K

84.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$115 £84.8

$92.6 £68.4

23.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.6 £40.37

$41.11 £30.39

32.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 £95.1

$103 £76.3

24.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 £113

$125 £92.3

22.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,001 £2,218

$1,688 £1,248

77.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,363 £1,746

$1,302 £962

81.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,471 £4,044

$2,558 £1,891

113.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,809 £2,816

$2,433 £1,799

56.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.4K £13.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,891 £5,833

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,580 £3,386

$4,174 £3,085

9.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.61

5.16

-10.66%

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

Last update for London: August 30, 2026

Last update for Farnborough: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,001 in London and $1,688 in Farnborough. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

London pays 10% 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 $89.0 in Farnborough for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $361 vs $275 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 77% in total monthly costs ($4,221 vs $2,389 including rent). Farnborough is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 10% 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: $3,001 in London versus $1,688 in Farnborough. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,922 in London versus $1,303 in Farnborough. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Farnborough – a meal for two runs $89.0 versus $110 in London. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 77% less than in London. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.