Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Kingston upon Thames Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Kingston upon Thames

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,916 in London versus $3,339 in Kingston upon Thames.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,631 in London versus $4,816 in Kingston upon Thames.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,345 in London versus $6,293 in Kingston upon Thames.

Living in London is roughly 17% more expensive than in Kingston upon Thames, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: London 193% above, Kingston upon Thames 150% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.47 £20.43

$23.36 £17.37

17.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$111 £82.4

$86.3 £64.2

28.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.67 £7.94

$10.11 £7.52

5.54%

Cappuccino

$5.30 £3.94

$5.12 £3.81

3.52%

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

$2.74 £2.04

$2.85 £2.12

-3.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 £1.33

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.00 £6.69

$8.62 £6.41

4.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.12 £6.04

$8.02 £5.96

1.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 £1.28

$1.57 £1.16

9.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 £1.57

$1.50 £1.12

40.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.47 £1.84

$2.77 £2.06

-10.83%

Eggs

$4.98 £3.71

$4.13 £3.07

20.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.11 £8.26

$10.15 £7.55

9.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.13 £6.79

$8.91 £6.63

2.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 £10.72

$14.89 £11.07

-3.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 £2.50

$3.43 £2.55

-2.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 £1.51

$2.02 £1.51

0.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 £2.44

$3.07 £2.28

6.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.63 £2.70

$3.45 £2.57

5.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 £1.25

$1.55 £1.15

8.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 £1.32

$1.86 £1.38

-4.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 £0.99

$1.08 £0.80

23.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 £1.42

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.79 £16.95

$18.10 £13.46

25.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.62 £10.13

$11.23 £8.36

21.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.20 £2.38

$3.29 £2.44

-2.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.07 £3.03

$4.05 £3.01

0.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.82 £2.84

$2.36 £1.76

61.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$249 £185

$43.68 £32.49

469.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.89 £4.38

$5.12 £3.81

15.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.32 £2.47

$2.17 £1.61

53.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.47 £30.10

$34.21 £25.45

18.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 £1.41

$1.96 £1.46

-3.06%

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

$38.9K £29.0K

$38.4K £28.5K

1.48%

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

$39.4K £29.3K

$39.3K £29.3K

0.22%

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

$328 £244

$329 £244

-0.06%

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

$19.61 £14.58

$15.66 £11.65

25.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.68 £31.75

$41.27 £30.70

3.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.2 £47.04

$91.0 £67.7

-30.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.39 £16.65

$9.75 £7.25

129.64%

Cinema Ticket

$20.69 £15.39

$20.73 £15.42

-0.19%

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

$2,474 £1,841

$1,896 £1,410

30.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K £20.8K

$18.0K £13.4K

55.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$119 £88.8

$86.7 £64.5

37.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 £37.26

$42.70 £31.76

17.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 £97.3

$89.9 £66.9

45.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 £118

$139 £103

14.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,937 £2,184

$2,044 £1,520

43.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,229 £1,658

$1,860 £1,384

19.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,569 £4,142

$3,743 £2,784

48.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,707 £2,757

$3,262 £2,426

13.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$20.1K £15.0K

$16.3K £12.1K

23.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,485 £6,311

$4,372 £3,252

94.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,247 £3,159

$4,830 £3,592

-12.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.05

5.9

-14.41%

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

Last update for London: July 12, 2026

Last update for Kingston upon Thames: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,937 in London and $2,044 in Kingston upon Thames. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kingston upon Thames pays 14% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $111 in London vs $86.0 in Kingston upon Thames for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $339 vs $319 per month, with Kingston upon Thames 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 Kingston upon Thames: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

London and Kingston upon Thames differ by about 17% in total monthly costs ($3,916 vs $3,339 including rent). Kingston upon Thames is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 14% lower in Kingston upon Thames. 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: $2,937 in London versus $2,044 in Kingston upon Thames. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kingston upon Thames runs roughly 470% less than in London. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,474 in London versus $1,896 in Kingston upon Thames. 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. Kingston upon Thames 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 Kingston upon Thames 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 Kingston upon Thames gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in London. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.