Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Friedrichshafen

For one person, living is cheaper in Friedrichshafen: $2,494 a month against $3,986 in London, rent and utilities included – about $17,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

London
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$3,986
/mo nomad
Friedrichshafen
🇩🇪 Germany
$2,494
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Friedrichshafen

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,986 in London versus $2,494 in Friedrichshafen.

  • London $3,986
  • Friedrichshafen $2,494

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,791 in London versus $3,091 in Friedrichshafen.

  • London $5,791
  • Friedrichshafen $3,091

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,595 in London versus $3,688 in Friedrichshafen.

  • London $7,595
  • Friedrichshafen $3,688

Living in London is roughly 60% more expensive than in Friedrichshafen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: London 195% above, Friedrichshafen 85% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
London
Friedrichshafen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$25.93 £19.45
$16.92 €15.05
53.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$107 £79.9
$72.2 €64.2
47.55%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.71 £8.03
$11.20 €9.96
-4.37%
Cappuccino
$5.47 £4.11
$4.00 €3.56
36.75%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 £2.23
$3.87 €3.44
-23.26%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.20 £1.65
$2.79 €2.48
-21.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.13 £6.85
$5.16 €4.59
76.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.94 £5.96
$5.15 €4.59
54.17%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
London
Friedrichshafen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.86 £1.40
$1.28 €1.14
45.31%
White Bread (500g)
$2.07 £1.55
$2.15 €1.91
-3.72%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.42 £1.81
$2.59 €2.30
-6.56%
Eggs
$5.09 £3.82
$3.53 €3.14
44.19%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.87 £9.66
$14.14 €12.57
-8.98%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.43 £7.82
$11.18 €9.94
-6.71%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.87 £12.66
$17.23 €15.33
-2.09%
Apples (1kg)
$3.11 £2.33
$3.04 €2.71
2.30%
Banana (1kg)
$1.40 £1.05
$1.78 €1.58
-21.35%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.08 £2.31
$2.09 €1.86
47.37%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.27 £2.45
$4.28 €3.80
-23.60%
Potato (1kg)
$1.58 £1.19
$1.41 €1.25
12.06%
Onion (1kg)
$1.74 £1.31
$1.18 €1.05
47.46%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.40 £1.05
$1.46 €1.30
-4.11%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.80 £1.35
$0.84 €0.75
114.29%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.28 £17.46
$9.96 €8.86
133.73%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.03 £9.77
$6.23 €5.54
109.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.17 £2.38
$1.08 €0.96
193.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.42 £3.32
$1.57 €1.40
181.53%
🚌 Getting Around
London
Friedrichshafen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.07 £3.05
$2.63 €2.34
54.75%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$247 £185
$70.2 €62.4
251.56%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.58 £4.18
$6.65 €5.92
-16.09%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.36 £2.52
$2.93 €2.61
14.68%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$56.8 £42.58
$44.07 €39.20
28.77%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.13 £1.60
$2.07 €1.84
2.90%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.2K £28.6K
$33.0K €29.4K
15.69%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.9K £30.7K
$36.8K €32.7K
11.12%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
Friedrichshafen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$372 £279
$216 €192
72.03%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.82 £13.37
$18.52 €16.48
-3.78%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.37 £30.29
$38.86 €34.57
3.89%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
London
Friedrichshafen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$60.0 £44.99
$36.15 €32.16
65.89%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.29 £15.97
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$17.74 £13.31
$15.68 €13.95
13.14%
🧸 Childcare & Education
London
Friedrichshafen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,864 £2,149
$833 €741
243.93%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$35.3K £26.5K
$16.1K €14.3K
119.14%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
London
Friedrichshafen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$114 £85.5
$85.9 €76.4
32.74%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.3 £40.71
$41.68 €37.07
30.21%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$124 £93.2
$102 €91.0
21.39%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$163 £122
$112 €99.9
45.25%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
London
Friedrichshafen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,869 £2,152
$1,413 €1,257
103.03%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,233 £1,675
$1,309 €1,164
70.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,266 £3,951
$1,878 €1,671
180.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,778 £2,835
$1,061 €944
256.13%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$18.3K £13.8K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$8,024 £6,020
$3,361 €2,989
138.74%
💵 Salaries & Financials
London
Friedrichshafen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,037 £3,779
$3,065 €2,726
64.33%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.74
3.82
24.08%

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

Last update for London: October 10, 2026

Last update for Friedrichshafen: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
London
$2.2K
Friedrichshafen
$1.3K 41.4% $924
Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
$430
Friedrichshafen
$274 36.4% $157
Eating Out
London
$388
Friedrichshafen
$280 27.8% $108
Groceries & Markets
London
$349
Friedrichshafen
$308 11.9% $42
Getting Around
London
$285
Friedrichshafen
$102 64.3% $183
Clothing & Footwear
London
$205
Friedrichshafen
$154 24.9% $51
Sport & Entertainment
London
$95
Friedrichshafen
$68 29.3% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,869 in London and $1,413 in Friedrichshafen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

London pays 64% 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: $107 in London vs $72.0 in Friedrichshafen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $349 vs $308 per month, with Friedrichshafen cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇧 London
🇩🇪 Friedrichshafen
🕒 Local time
04:28 4:28 AM
05:28 5:28 AM
1 h ahead of London
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,908,083 Capital
58,099
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • London Friedrichshafen 810 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • London
  • Friedrichshafen

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 Friedrichshafen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in London and in Friedrichshafen?
London and Friedrichshafen differ by about 60% in total monthly costs ($3,986 vs $2,494 including rent). Friedrichshafen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: London or Friedrichshafen?
Average pay runs 64% higher in London, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in London and in Friedrichshafen?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,869 in London versus $1,413 in Friedrichshafen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in London. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Friedrichshafen – a meal for two runs $72.0 versus $107 in London. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $2,494 in Friedrichshafen versus $3,986 in London, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Friedrichshafen but tight or insufficient in London. The gap between the two cities makes Friedrichshafen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between London and Friedrichshafen?
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.
Is London or Friedrichshafen safer for residents?
Safety-wise, London and Friedrichshafen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: London or Friedrichshafen?
Expats usually find Friedrichshafen 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.

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