Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Hertfordshire

For one person, living is cheaper in Hertfordshire: $2,499 a month against $4,086 in London, rent and utilities included – about $19,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

195

Cost of Living Index in London
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London Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Hertfordshire
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Hertfordshire Living Index

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London

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$4,086

/mo nomad

Hertfordshire

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,499

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Hertfordshire

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,086 in London versus $2,499 in Hertfordshire.

London $4,086
Hertfordshire $2,499

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,891 in London versus $3,774 in Hertfordshire.

London $5,891
Hertfordshire $3,774

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,696 in London versus $5,049 in Hertfordshire.

London $7,696
Hertfordshire $5,049

Living in London is roughly 64% more expensive than in Hertfordshire, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: London 200% above, Hertfordshire 84% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.55 £19.82

$26.87 £20.07

-1.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 £79.9

$81.1 £60.6

31.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.78 £8.05

$10.61 £7.93

1.60%

Cappuccino

$5.71 £4.27

$5.14 £3.84

11.09%

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

$3.01 £2.25

$2.42 £1.80

24.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 £1.71

$2.08 £1.56

10.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.08 £6.78

$5.50 £4.11

65.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.07 £6.02

$5.62 £4.20

43.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 £1.42

$1.53 £1.14

24.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 £1.51

$1.91 £1.43

6.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 £1.83

$2.78 £2.07

-11.87%

Eggs

$5.07 £3.79

$3.64 £2.71

39.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.71 £9.49

$7.83 £5.85

62.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.61 £7.92

$7.38 £5.51

43.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.68 £13.20

$16.87 £12.59

4.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 £2.37

$3.28 £2.45

-3.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 £1.08

$1.54 £1.15

-5.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 £2.34

$3.03 £2.26

3.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.41 £2.55

$3.40 £2.54

0.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 £1.25

$1.16 £0.87

43.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 £1.32

$1.82 £1.36

-2.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 £1.07

$1.26 £0.94

13.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 £1.39

$1.30 £0.97

43.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.91 £17.85

$20.92 £15.62

14.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.48 £10.06

$10.09 £7.53

33.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 £2.30

$2.01 £1.50

53.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 £3.28

$1.96 £1.46

123.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.08 £3.04

$3.54 £2.64

15.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$252 £188

$85.7 £64.0

194.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.74 £4.29

$4.05 £3.02

41.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.35 £2.50

$3.94 £2.94

-14.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$57.2 £42.73

$32.16 £24.02

77.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 £1.56

$2.00 £1.50

4.00%

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

$38.0K £28.4K

$38.3K £28.6K

-0.91%

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

$40.4K £30.2K

$39.8K £29.7K

1.52%

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

$387 £289

$158 £118

145.56%

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

$18.57 £13.87

$17.19 £12.83

8.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.69 £30.38

$43.88 £32.77

-7.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 £42.99

$46.49 £34.71

23.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 £14.75

Cinema Ticket

$18.33 £13.68

$13.52 £10.10

35.58%

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

$2,957 £2,208

$1,620 £1,210

82.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.9K £26.8K

$22.4K £16.7K

60.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$119 £88.7

$47.28 £35.30

151.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.3 £42.01

$39.28 £29.33

43.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 £97.7

$74.0 £55.3

76.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 £123

$113 £84.0

46.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,811 £2,099

$1,787 £1,334

57.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,291 £1,711

$1,307 £976

75.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,185 £3,871

$2,899 £2,164

78.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,805 £2,841

$2,311 £1,725

64.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.7K £13.2K

$5,001 £3,734

253.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,405 £6,275

$3,819 £2,852

120.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,070 £3,786

$3,256 £2,431

55.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.79

5.21

-8.06%

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

Last update for London: October 26, 2026

Last update for Hertfordshire: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

London

$2.3K 56.1%

Hertfordshire

$1.3K 52.3% 42.9% $984

Monthly Utilities & Internet

London

$446 10.9%

Hertfordshire

$219 8.8% 51% $228

Eating Out

London

$396 9.7%

Hertfordshire

$365 14.6% 7.8% $31

Groceries & Markets

London

$356 8.7%

Hertfordshire

$288 11.5% 19.1% $68

Getting Around

London

$291 7.1%

Hertfordshire

$124 5% 57.5% $167

Clothing & Footwear

London

$212 5.2%

Hertfordshire

$123 4.9% 42% $89

Sport & Entertainment

London

$94 2.3%

Hertfordshire

$74 2.9% 22% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,811 in London and $1,787 in Hertfordshire. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

London pays 56% 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 $81 in Hertfordshire for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $356 vs $288 per month, with Hertfordshire cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇧 London

🇬🇧 Hertfordshire

🕒 Local time

14:55 2:55 PM

Same time as London

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,908,083 Capital

33,990

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

London Hertfordshire 50 km

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London
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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 Hertfordshire: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hertfordshire is about 39% cheaper overall, especially in transport, clothing, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 56% higher in London, 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: $2,811 in London versus $1,787 in Hertfordshire. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Hertfordshire – a meal for two runs $81 versus $107 in London. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $4,086 per month in London versus $2,499 in Hertfordshire – Hertfordshire is about 39% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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.

Expats usually find Hertfordshire gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in London. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.