Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Kimberley

For one person, living is cheaper in Kimberley: $1,128 a month against $3,986 in London, rent and utilities included – about $34,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

London
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$3,986
/mo nomad
Kimberley
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,128
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Kimberley

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

A single person spends $3,986 per month in London vs $1,128 in Kimberley, rent included.

  • London $3,986
  • Kimberley $1,128

A couple spends around $5,791 per month in London vs $1,905 in Kimberley, rent included.

  • London $5,791
  • Kimberley $1,905

A family of three spends $7,595 per month in London vs $2,683 in Kimberley, rent included.

  • London $7,595
  • Kimberley $2,683

London costs about 253% more than Kimberley, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

London sits 195% above the global median, while Kimberley is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
London
Kimberley
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$25.93 £19.45
$12.22 R 201
112.19%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$107 £79.9
$36.40 R 600
192.58%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.71 £8.03
$5.91 R 97.3
81.22%
Cappuccino
$5.47 £4.11
$3.02 R 49.76
81.13%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 £2.23
$1.32 R 21.67
125.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.20 £1.65
$1.27 R 20.96
73.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.13 £6.85
$2.78 R 45.76
228.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.94 £5.96
$2.76 R 45.40
187.68%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
London
Kimberley
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.86 £1.40
$1.52 R 25.08
22.37%
White Bread (500g)
$2.07 £1.55
$1.16 R 19.09
78.45%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.42 £1.81
$3.01 R 49.58
-19.60%
Eggs
$5.09 £3.82
$2.88 R 47.44
76.74%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.87 £9.66
$6.60 R 109
95.00%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.43 £7.82
$5.84 R 96.2
78.60%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.87 £12.66
$8.62 R 142
95.71%
Apples (1kg)
$3.11 £2.33
$2.24 R 36.86
38.84%
Banana (1kg)
$1.40 £1.05
$2.46 R 40.59
-43.09%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.08 £2.31
$1.76 R 29.02
75.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.27 £2.45
$3.33 R 54.9
-1.80%
Potato (1kg)
$1.58 £1.19
$1.47 R 24.20
7.48%
Onion (1kg)
$1.74 £1.31
$1.42 R 23.42
22.54%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.40 £1.05
$1.34 R 22.03
4.48%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.80 £1.35
$0.86 R 14.25
109.30%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.28 £17.46
$3.09 R 50.9
653.40%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.03 £9.77
$6.51 R 107
100.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.17 £2.38
$2.21 R 36.48
43.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.42 £3.32
$2.79 R 45.98
58.42%
🚌 Getting Around
London
Kimberley
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.07 £3.05
$1.52 R 24.97
167.76%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$247 £185
$33.35 R 549
639.91%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.58 £4.18
$0.58 R 9.57
862.07%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.36 £2.52
$0.88 R 14.57
281.82%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$56.8 £42.58
$11.59 R 191
389.65%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.13 £1.60
$1.39 R 22.88
53.24%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.2K £28.6K
$35.2K R 579.7K
8.54%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.9K £30.7K
$31.7K R 522.0K
29.09%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
Kimberley
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$372 £279
$105 R 1,734
253.63%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.82 £13.37
$34.81 R 573
-48.81%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.37 £30.29
$42.50 R 700
-5.01%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
London
Kimberley
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$60.0 £44.99
$22.96 R 378
161.19%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.29 £15.97
$10.87 R 179
95.86%
Cinema Ticket
$17.74 £13.31
$7.27 R 120
144.02%
🧸 Childcare & Education
London
Kimberley
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,864 £2,149
$242 R 3,985
1084.31%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$35.3K £26.5K
$5,516 R 90.9K
540.45%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
London
Kimberley
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$114 £85.5
$52.9 R 871
115.58%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.3 £40.71
$33.01 R 544
64.40%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$124 £93.2
$98.7 R 1,626
25.86%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$163 £122
$87.3 R 1,438
86.87%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
London
Kimberley
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,869 £2,152
$266 R 4,378
979.53%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,233 £1,675
$332 R 5,472
572.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,266 £3,951
$640 R 10.5K
722.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,778 £2,835
$940 R 15.5K
301.87%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$18.3K £13.8K
$888 R 14.6K
1965.54%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$8,024 £6,020
$649 R 10.7K
1136.19%
💵 Salaries & Financials
London
Kimberley
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,037 £3,779
$935 R 15.4K
438.94%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.74
10.94
-56.67%

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

Last update for London: October 10, 2026

Last update for Kimberley: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
London
$2.2K
Kimberley
$332 85.1% $1.9K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
$430
Kimberley
$183 57.6% $248
Eating Out
London
$388
Kimberley
$181 53.2% $206
Groceries & Markets
London
$349
Kimberley
$228 34.9% $122
Getting Around
London
$285
Kimberley
$44 84.4% $241
Clothing & Footwear
London
$205
Kimberley
$122 40.3% $83
Sport & Entertainment
London
$95
Kimberley
$38 60.7% $58

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,869 in London versus $266 in Kimberley. 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 439% 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 $107 in London versus $36.00 in Kimberley. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $349 vs $228 – making Kimberley the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 London
🇿🇦 Kimberley
🕒 Local time
10:12 10:12 AM
11:12 11:12 AM
1 h ahead of London
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,908,083 Capital
225,160
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • London Kimberley 9,250 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • London
  • Kimberley

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 Kimberley: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kimberley cheaper than London?
Yes – London is pricier by about 253%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,979 per month in London and $1,692 in Kimberley. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kimberley, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in London and in Kimberley?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,986 in London and $1,128 in Kimberley. That's a gap of about 253%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 640% less in Kimberley. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in London or in Kimberley?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kimberley, where all-in costs run around $1,128, than in London at $3,986. In Kimberley it covers expenses comfortably, while in London it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is London or Kimberley more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Kimberley – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Kimberley. 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.

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