Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Fort William Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Fort William

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,892 in London versus $2,437 in Fort William.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,638 in London versus $3,571 in Fort William.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,385 in London versus $4,705 in Fort William.

Living in London is roughly 60% more expensive than Fort William, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: London 190% above, Fort William 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.92 £20.05

$22.05 £16.42

22.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 £81.7

$82.3 £61.3

33.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 £8.07

$10.17 £7.57

6.49%

Cappuccino

$5.10 £3.80

$4.58 £3.41

11.35%

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

$2.77 £2.06

$2.12 £1.58

30.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 £1.33

$1.51 £1.12

17.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.93 £6.65

$6.25 £4.65

42.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 £5.98

$6.77 £5.04

18.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 £1.32

$1.52 £1.13

16.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.08 £1.55

$1.62 £1.21

28.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 £1.92

$1.87 £1.40

37.43%

Eggs

$4.75 £3.54

$3.47 £2.59

36.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.16 £8.31

$8.96 £6.68

24.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.00 £6.71

$10.98 £8.18

-18.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.83 £11.05

$13.62 £10.15

8.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 £2.48

$2.92 £2.17

14.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 £1.46

$1.35 £1.00

45.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 £2.42

$2.05 £1.53

58.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.60 £2.68

$4.19 £3.12

-14.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 £1.25

$1.12 £0.83

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 £1.40

$1.39 £1.04

34.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 £0.99

$1.19 £0.89

10.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 £1.45

$1.40 £1.04

39.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.81 £17.00

$18.87 £14.05

20.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.71 £10.21

$11.03 £8.21

24.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.31 £2.47

$2.22 £1.65

49.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 £2.93

$2.26 £1.69

73.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.95 £2.95

$3.32 £2.47

18.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$240 £179

$89.0 £66.3

170.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.04 £4.50

$4.64 £3.46

30.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.31 £2.46

$1.69 £1.26

95.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.84 £30.43

$34.37 £25.60

18.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 £1.40

$1.94 £1.45

-3.09%

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

$38.9K £29.0K

$37.8K £28.1K

2.92%

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

$40.0K £29.8K

$40.6K £30.2K

-1.33%

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

$326 £243

$393 £293

-16.93%

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

$20.23 £15.07

$23.82 £17.75

-15.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.59 £31.73

$46.19 £34.41

-7.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.4 £47.97

$46.58 £34.70

38.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.34 £16.64

Cinema Ticket

$20.19 £15.04

$8.99 £6.70

124.58%

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

$2,525 £1,881

$1,857 £1,383

35.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.0K £20.9K

$15.5K £11.5K

80.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$119 £88.8

$84.0 £62.6

41.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.83 £37.12

$41.72 £31.08

19.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 £94.6

$95.1 £70.8

33.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 £119

$119 £88.9

33.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,019 £2,249

$1,224 £912

146.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,274 £1,694

$989 £737

130.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,543 £4,130

$2,071 £1,543

167.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,737 £2,784

$1,696 £1,263

120.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.4K £14.4K

$5,188 £3,865

273.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,516 £7,089

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,820 £3,591

$1,992 £1,484

141.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.05

6.2

-18.55%

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

Last update for London: May 31, 2026

Last update for Fort William: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,019 in London and $1,224 in Fort William. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

London pays 142% 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 $82.0 in Fort William for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $293 per month, with Fort William 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 Fort William: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fort William is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Getting Around, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 60% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

London pays 142% 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 $1,224 in Fort William. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in London. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Fort William – a meal for two runs $82.0 versus $110 in London. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,437 in Fort William versus $3,892 in London, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Fort William but tight or insufficient in London. The gap between the two cities makes Fort William the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Fort William is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in London, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Fort William gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in London. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.