Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Guildford Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Guildford

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,902 per month in London vs $3,178 in Guildford, rent included.

A couple spends around $5,625 per month in London vs $4,442 in Guildford, rent included.

A family of three spends $7,348 per month in London vs $5,706 in Guildford, rent included.

London costs about 23% more than Guildford, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both London and Guildford sit above the global median – London by 193%, Guildford by 139%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.25 £20.38

$20.58 £15.40

32.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 £80.6

$89.3 £66.8

20.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.89 £8.15

$11.26 £8.43

-3.29%

Cappuccino

$5.28 £3.95

$4.65 £3.48

13.55%

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

$2.77 £2.07

$2.66 £1.99

4.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 £1.38

$1.80 £1.35

2.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.82 £6.60

$8.33 £6.23

5.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.88 £5.90

$6.73 £5.03

17.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 £1.33

$1.68 £1.26

5.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 £1.58

$1.07 £0.80

98.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.58 £1.93

$1.74 £1.30

48.28%

Eggs

$4.78 £3.58

$4.42 £3.31

8.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.03 £8.25

$14.96 £11.19

-26.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.11 £6.81

$10.34 £7.74

-11.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.65 £10.96

$16.47 £12.32

-11.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 £2.56

$3.53 £2.64

-3.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 £1.52

$2.22 £1.66

-8.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.20 £2.39

$4.40 £3.29

-27.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.45 £2.58

$4.99 £3.74

-30.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 £1.32

$1.87 £1.40

-5.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 £1.40

$1.39 £1.04

34.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 £1.00

$1.10 £0.82

21.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 £1.47

$1.22 £0.92

61.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.34 £17.46

$20.75 £15.53

12.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.55 £10.13

$13.12 £9.81

3.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.21 £2.40

$2.45 £1.83

31.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 £2.90

$3.40 £2.55

13.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.99 £2.98

$2.78 £2.08

43.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$246 £184

$92.2 £69.0

167.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.92 £4.43

$6.82 £5.10

-13.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.18 £2.38

$1.60 £1.20

98.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.55 £31.09

$22.84 £17.08

81.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 £1.45

$1.92 £1.43

0.52%

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

$39.1K £29.2K

$38.0K £28.4K

2.80%

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

$38.8K £29.1K

$39.9K £29.8K

-2.62%

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

$325 £243

$387 £289

-16.01%

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

$19.95 £14.92

$17.12 £12.81

16.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.49 £31.79

$41.36 £30.94

2.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.5 £48.28

$70.2 £52.5

-8.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.56 £16.88

$16.49 £12.34

36.81%

Cinema Ticket

$20.67 £15.46

$16.96 £12.69

21.88%

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

$2,540 £1,900

$2,148 £1,607

18.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K £21.1K

$24.5K £18.3K

15.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$117 £87.6

$81.6 £61.1

43.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.54 £37.06

$66.9 £50.1

-25.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 £95.9

$94.0 £70.3

36.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 £119

$125 £93.7

27.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,021 £2,260

$1,829 £1,368

65.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,276 £1,703

$1,644 £1,230

38.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,605 £4,193

$2,742 £2,051

104.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,645 £2,727

$2,422 £1,812

50.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$20.2K £15.1K

$7,369 £5,513

174.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,466 £6,334

$6,960 £5,207

21.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,319 £3,231

$3,677 £2,751

17.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.05

6.24

-19.07%

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

Last update for London: July 27, 2026

Last update for Guildford: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,021 in London versus $1,829 in Guildford. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 17% higher in London, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $108 in London versus $89.0 in Guildford. Groceries tell a different story – $339 in London vs $344 in Guildford – so London wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Guildford: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – London is pricier by about 23%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,853 per month in London and $4,767 in Guildford. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in London – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $108 in London and $89.0 in Guildford. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,902 in London and $3,178 in Guildford. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Guildford – 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 Guildford. 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.