Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Ismailia

For one person, living is cheaper in Ismailia: $313 a month against $4,048 in London, rent and utilities included – about $44,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

London, United Kingdom
Ismailia, Egypt
London
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$4,048
/mo nomad
Ismailia
🇪🇬 Egypt
$313
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Ismailia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,048 in London versus $313 in Ismailia.

  • London $4,048
  • Ismailia $313

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,903 in London versus $522 in Ismailia.

  • London $5,903
  • Ismailia $522

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,758 in London versus $731 in Ismailia.

  • London $7,758
  • Ismailia $731

Living in London is roughly 1191% more expensive than in Ismailia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: London is 199% above, Ismailia is 77% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
London
Ismailia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$26.36 £19.68
$3.12 E£168
744.87%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$109 £81.1
$14.17 E£762
666.20%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.71 £8.00
$3.58 E£192
199.16%
Cappuccino
$5.59 £4.17
$1.01 E£54.3
453.47%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 £2.24
$0.31 E£16.69
867.74%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.22 £1.66
$0.12 E£6.64
1750.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.65 £7.20
$1.29 E£69.5
648.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.26 £6.16
$1.79 E£96.2
361.45%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
London
Ismailia
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.97 £1.47
$0.75 E£40.42
162.67%
White Bread (500g)
$2.09 £1.56
$0.37 E£20.14
464.86%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.59 £1.94
$0.56 E£30.00
362.50%
Eggs
$5.37 £4.01
$1.12 E£60.2
379.46%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.12 £9.79
$3.58 E£192
266.48%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.03 £8.23
$3.83 E£206
187.99%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.73 £13.23
$6.74 E£363
163.06%
Apples (1kg)
$3.17 £2.37
$1.44 E£77.3
120.14%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 £1.03
$0.57 E£30.41
142.11%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.82 £2.11
$0.39 E£21.14
623.08%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.36 £2.51
$0.27 E£14.63
1144.44%
Potato (1kg)
$1.70 £1.27
$0.26 E£14.00
553.85%
Onion (1kg)
$1.78 £1.33
$0.30 E£16.16
493.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.49 £1.11
$0.23 E£12.31
547.83%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 £1.36
$0.16 E£8.60
1037.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.85 £17.80
$1.58 E£85.1
1409.49%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.44 £10.03
$4.49 E£242
199.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.11 £2.32
$1.11 E£59.8
180.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.49 £3.35
$2.17 E£117
106.91%
🚌 Getting Around
London
Ismailia
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.13 £3.08
$0.11 E£5.81
3654.55%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$266 £199
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.98 £4.46
$0.28 E£14.95
2035.71%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.39 £2.53
$0.52 E£27.70
551.92%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$56.6 £42.21
$1.14 E£61.4
4860.53%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.21 £1.65
$0.40 E£21.53
452.50%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.3K £28.6K
$26.8K E£1.4M
42.88%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$41.0K £30.6K
$14.6K E£785.4K
180.85%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
Ismailia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$372 £278
$14.68 E£790
2436.51%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.66 £13.93
$7.00 E£376
166.57%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.53 £30.26
$10.72 E£577
278.08%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
London
Ismailia
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.0 £41.82
$7.91 E£426
608.22%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.10 £12.76
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$17.95 £13.40
$2.64 E£142
579.92%
🧸 Childcare & Education
London
Ismailia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,946 £2,199
$62.7 E£3,373
4595.58%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$47.6K £35.5K
$450 E£24.2K
10475.26%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
London
Ismailia
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$116 £86.8
$15.98 E£859
627.41%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.9 £42.47
$8.86 E£476
542.21%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$128 £95.5
$112 E£5,997
14.70%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$154 £115
$27.34 E£1,470
462.84%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
London
Ismailia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,935 £2,191
$76.0 E£4,088
3760.91%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,258 £1,686
$26.58 E£1,429
8396.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,250 £3,919
$113 E£6,092
4534.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,859 £2,881
$63.3 E£3,402
5999.48%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$17.2K £12.8K
$448 E£24.1K
3736.68%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$8,278 £6,179
$180 E£9,658
4508.58%
💵 Salaries & Financials
London
Ismailia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,621 £4,196
$124 E£6,687
4419.59%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.78
22
-78.27%

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

Last update for London: November 1, 2026

Last update for Ismailia: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
London
$2.3K
Ismailia
$27 98.8% $2.2K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
$432
Ismailia
$32 92.5% $399
Eating Out
London
$396
Ismailia
$60 84.9% $336
Groceries & Markets
London
$360
Ismailia
$105 70.9% $256
Getting Around
London
$305
Ismailia
$3.3 * 98.9% $302
Clothing & Footwear
London
$205
Ismailia
$74 64% $131
Sport & Entertainment
London
$92
Ismailia
$13 85.7% $79

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,935 in London and $76 in Ismailia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

London pays about 45 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $109 in London vs $14 in Ismailia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $360 vs $105 per month, with Ismailia cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇧 London
🇪🇬 Ismailia
🕒 Local time
20:55 8:55 PM
22:55 10:55 PM
2 h ahead of London
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,908,083 Capital
352,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.747 GBP (1 GBP = 1.34 USD). 1 EUR = 0.834 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 53.77 EGP (100 EGP = 1.86 USD). 1 EUR = 60.09 EGP (100 EGP = 1.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • London Ismailia 3,530 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • London
  • Ismailia

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 Ismailia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, London or Ismailia?
Ismailia wins on cost – living expenses run 92% lower than in London. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ismailia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in London or in Ismailia?
Average pay in London is about 45 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in London compared to Ismailia?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,935 in London versus $76 in Ismailia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in London or in Ismailia?
Supermarket bills run roughly 244% higher in London. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How much does it cost to live in London compared to Ismailia?
All in, you’ll spend $4,048 per month in London versus $313 in Ismailia – Ismailia is about 92% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Can you live on $800/month in London or in Ismailia?
At $313 in Ismailia versus $4,048 in London, a $800 budget is realistic in Ismailia but tight or insufficient in London. The gap between the two cities makes Ismailia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: London or Ismailia?
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.
Should I move to London or to Ismailia?
It comes down to priorities – Ismailia wins on affordability, London on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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