Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Harrow Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Harrow

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,000 in London versus $3,120 in Harrow.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,771 in London versus $4,566 in Harrow.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,542 in London versus $6,013 in Harrow.

Living in London is roughly 28% more expensive than Harrow, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: London 197% above, Harrow 132% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.00 £20.00

$20.72 £15.35

30.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 £79.7

$96.1 £71.2

11.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.76 £7.97

$9.48 £7.02

13.50%

Cappuccino

$5.12 £3.79

$4.77 £3.54

7.34%

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

$2.75 £2.04

$2.94 £2.18

-6.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 £1.32

$2.17 £1.61

-17.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.84 £6.55

$6.42 £4.76

37.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.08 £5.99

$6.76 £5.01

19.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 £1.30

$1.58 £1.17

10.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.18 £1.61

$1.74 £1.29

25.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 £1.88

$4.27 £3.16

-40.75%

Eggs

$4.78 £3.54

$6.25 £4.63

-23.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.46 £8.49

$9.62 £7.13

19.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.96 £6.64

$9.28 £6.87

-3.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.45 £10.71

$17.45 £12.93

-17.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.45 £2.55

$3.49 £2.58

-1.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 £1.51

$1.20 £0.89

70.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 £2.37

$2.72 £2.02

17.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.59 £2.66

$5.34 £3.95

-32.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 £1.30

$1.39 £1.03

25.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 £1.32

$3.97 £2.94

-55.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 £0.98

$1.19 £0.88

10.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 £1.40

$1.29 £0.95

46.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.64 £16.78

$21.62 £16.02

4.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.27 £9.83

$10.60 £7.85

25.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.23 £2.40

$2.03 £1.50

59.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 £2.89

$1.34 £0.99

191.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.00 £2.96

$2.93 £2.17

36.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$244 £181

$87.1 £64.6

179.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.03 £4.47

$5.49 £4.06

9.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.24 £2.40

$2.20 £1.63

47.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.25 £29.82

$23.32 £17.28

72.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.45

$2.00 £1.48

-2.00%

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

$38.2K £28.3K

$37.9K £28.1K

0.96%

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

$39.2K £29.1K

$41.1K £30.5K

-4.72%

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

$328 £243

$186 £138

76.59%

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

$20.14 £14.92

$15.18 £11.25

32.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.96 £31.83

$43.35 £32.12

-0.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.4 £48.48

$53.4 £39.57

22.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.39 £16.59

$20.19 £14.96

10.90%

Cinema Ticket

$20.19 £14.96

$16.86 £12.50

19.75%

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

$2,552 £1,891

$1,186 £879

115.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K £20.6K

$18.5K £13.7K

50.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$119 £88.4

$88.9 £65.9

34.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.55 £36.71

$68.8 £51.0

-27.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 £94.7

$109 £81.0

16.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 £114

$202 £150

-23.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,993 £2,218

$2,492 £1,847

20.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,221 £1,646

$1,776 £1,316

25.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,642 £4,181

$3,752 £2,780

50.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,634 £2,693

$2,874 £2,129

26.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.2K £14.2K

$7,479 £5,542

156.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.2K £7,572

$7,303 £5,411

39.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,067 £3,755

$5,201 £3,854

-2.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.05

5.77

-12.48%

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

Last update for London: April 13, 2026

Last update for Harrow: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,993 in London and $2,492 in Harrow. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Harrow pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $108 in London vs $96 in Harrow for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $339 vs $331 per month, with Harrow 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 Harrow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

London and Harrow differ by about 28% in total monthly costs ($4,000 vs $3,120 including rent). Harrow is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Harrow earns 3% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,993 in London versus $2,492 in Harrow. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Harrow runs roughly 180% less than in London. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,552 in London versus $1,186 in Harrow. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Harrow 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.

Safety-wise, London and Harrow are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Harrow gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in London. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.