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: $4,221 in London versus $3,449 in Kingston upon Thames.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,971 in London versus $4,925 in Kingston upon Thames.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,721 in London versus $6,400 in Kingston upon Thames.

Living in London is roughly 22% more expensive than in Kingston upon Thames, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: London 207% above, Kingston upon Thames 151% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.14 £20.13

$22.44 £16.64

20.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 £81.5

$87.1 £64.6

26.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.05 £8.19

$11.01 £8.17

0.36%

Cappuccino

$5.84 £4.33

$5.61 £4.16

4.10%

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

$3.02 £2.24

$3.06 £2.27

-1.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 £1.66

$1.82 £1.35

23.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.33 £6.92

$9.62 £7.13

-3.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.92 £6.62

$8.86 £6.57

0.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 £1.40

$1.75 £1.30

7.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 £1.52

$1.73 £1.28

18.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.46 £1.82

$2.42 £1.80

1.65%

Eggs

$5.21 £3.86

$5.06 £3.76

2.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.72 £9.44

$8.85 £6.56

43.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.97 £8.14

$8.77 £6.50

25.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.29 £13.57

$13.23 £9.81

38.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 £2.35

$3.35 £2.49

-5.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 £1.11

$1.42 £1.06

5.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 £2.08

$2.57 £1.91

8.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.50 £2.59

$2.82 £2.09

24.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.65 £1.23

$1.70 £1.26

-2.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 £1.37

$1.84 £1.36

0.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 £1.14

$1.28 £0.95

19.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 £1.36

$1.81 £1.34

1.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.20 £17.95

$24.17 £17.93

0.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.40 £9.94

$9.51 £7.06

40.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.27 £2.42

$3.21 £2.38

1.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 £3.47

$4.53 £3.36

3.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.18 £3.10

$2.32 £1.72

80.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$272 £202

$44.12 £32.72

516.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.75 £4.27

$4.91 £3.65

17.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.32 £2.47

$1.46 £1.08

127.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$58.0 £43.00

$24.58 £18.23

135.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 £1.53

$1.98 £1.47

4.04%

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

$39.5K £29.3K

$39.8K £29.5K

-0.80%

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

$42.6K £31.6K

$41.8K £31.0K

1.94%

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

$373 £277

$365 £271

2.04%

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

$18.28 £13.56

$15.96 £11.84

14.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.44 £31.47

$42.50 £31.53

-0.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.7 £47.24

$104 £77.4

-38.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 £16.87

$10.93 £8.11

108.05%

Cinema Ticket

$18.46 £13.69

$20.72 £15.37

-10.91%

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

$2,922 £2,167

$2,729 £2,024

7.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.1K £27.5K

$22.6K £16.8K

63.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$115 £85.1

$116 £85.7

-0.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.6 £40.50

$54.1 £40.12

0.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 £95.4

$80.1 £59.4

60.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 £113

$107 £79.4

42.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,001 £2,226

$2,066 £1,532

45.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,363 £1,752

$1,879 £1,394

25.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,471 £4,058

$3,730 £2,766

46.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,809 £2,825

$3,235 £2,399

17.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.4K £13.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,891 £5,853

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,580 £3,397

$5,416 £4,017

-15.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.61

4.84

-4.75%

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

Last update for London: August 30, 2026

Last update for Kingston upon Thames: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,001 in London and $2,066 in Kingston upon Thames. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kingston upon Thames pays 18% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $110 in London vs $87.0 in Kingston upon Thames for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $361 vs $304 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 22% in total monthly costs ($4,221 vs $3,449 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 18% 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: $3,001 in London versus $2,066 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 517% less than in London. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,922 in London versus $2,729 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 22% less than in London. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.