Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Grays

For one person, living is cheaper in Grays: $2,369 a month against $3,986 in London, rent and utilities included – about $19,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

194

Cost of Living Index in London
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London Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Grays
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Grays Living Index

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London

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$3,986

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Grays

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,369

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Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Grays

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

A single person spends $3,986 per month in London vs $2,369 in Grays, rent included.

London $3,986
Grays $2,369

A couple spends around $5,791 per month in London vs $3,403 in Grays, rent included.

London $5,791
Grays $3,403

A family of three spends $7,595 per month in London vs $4,437 in Grays, rent included.

London $7,595
Grays $4,437

London costs about 68% more than Grays, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both London and Grays sit above the global median – London by 195%, Grays by 75%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.93 £19.45

$24.94 £18.71

3.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 £79.9

$52.3 £39.24

103.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.71 £8.03

$9.98 £7.49

7.31%

Cappuccino

$5.47 £4.11

$4.64 £3.48

17.89%

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

$2.97 £2.23

$3.86 £2.90

-23.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 £1.65

$3.32 £2.49

-33.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.13 £6.85

$5.40 £4.05

69.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 £5.96

$7.88 £5.91

0.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 £1.40

$1.55 £1.16

20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 £1.55

$1.47 £1.10

40.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 £1.81

$1.64 £1.23

47.56%

Eggs

$5.09 £3.82

$4.41 £3.31

15.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.87 £9.66

$12.06 £9.05

6.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 £7.82

$9.17 £6.88

13.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.87 £12.66

$15.11 £11.33

11.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 £2.33

$2.95 £2.21

5.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 £1.05

$1.89 £1.42

-25.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 £2.31

$2.82 £2.11

9.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 £2.45

$3.77 £2.83

-13.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 £1.19

$2.20 £1.65

-28.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 £1.31

$1.79 £1.35

-2.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 £1.05

$1.18 £0.88

18.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 £1.35

$1.43 £1.07

25.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.28 £17.46

$17.07 £12.80

36.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 £9.77

$10.87 £8.16

19.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.17 £2.38

$3.04 £2.28

4.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 £3.32

$3.23 £2.42

36.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.07 £3.05

$3.54 £2.66

14.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$247 £185

$97.5 £73.1

153.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.58 £4.18

$4.88 £3.66

14.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.36 £2.52

$2.69 £2.02

24.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$56.8 £42.58

$39.12 £29.35

45.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 £1.60

$2.06 £1.54

3.40%

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

$38.2K £28.6K

$38.6K £29.0K

-1.09%

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

$40.9K £30.7K

-0.04%

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

$372 £279

$280 £210

33.15%

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

$17.82 £13.37

$16.46 £12.35

8.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.37 £30.29

$44.70 £33.53

-9.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.0 £44.99

$46.48 £34.87

29.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.29 £15.97

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 £13.31

$11.16 £8.37

58.96%

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

$2,864 £2,149

$2,079 £1,559

37.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.3K £26.5K

$30.6K £23.0K

15.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 £85.5

$90.9 £68.2

25.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 £40.71

$44.44 £33.34

22.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 £93.2

$105 £78.4

18.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 £122

$88.0 £66.0

85.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,869 £2,152

$1,235 £926

132.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,233 £1,675

$1,012 £759

120.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,266 £3,951

$2,126 £1,595

147.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,778 £2,835

$1,634 £1,226

131.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.3K £13.8K

$5,052 £3,790

262.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,024 £6,020

$3,847 £2,886

108.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,037 £3,779

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.74

5.12

-7.42%

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

Last update for London: October 10, 2026

Last update for Grays: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

London

$2.2K 56%

Grays

$1K 42.7% 54.7% $1.2K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

London

$430 10.8%

Grays

$341 14.4% 20.8% $90

Eating Out

London

$388 9.7%

Grays

$357 15.1% 7.9% $31

Groceries & Markets

London

$349 8.8%

Grays

$313 13.2% 10.3% $36

Getting Around

London

$285 7.2%

Grays

$130 5.5% 54.5% $155

Clothing & Footwear

London

$205 5.1%

Grays

$148 6.2% 28.1% $58

Sport & Entertainment

London

$95 2.4%

Grays

$69 2.9% 27.9% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,869 in London versus $1,235 in Grays. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $107 in London versus $52.0 in Grays. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $349 vs $313 – making Grays the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 London

🇬🇧 Grays

🕒 Local time

06:30 6:30 AM

Same time as London

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,908,083 Capital

36,601

💱 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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

London Grays 31 km

From you

London
Grays

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 Grays: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – London is pricier by about 68%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,979 per month in London and $3,553 in Grays. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Grays, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,986 in London and $2,369 in Grays. That's a gap of about 68%.

Public transport costs about 153% less in Grays. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Grays, where all-in costs run around $2,369, than in London at $3,986. In Grays it covers expenses comfortably, while in London it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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