For one person, living is cheaper in Kota: $341 a month against $3,986 in London, rent and utilities included – about $43,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
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 Kota actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,986 in London versus $341 in Kota.
London $3,986
Kota $341
Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,791 in London versus $540 in Kota.
London $5,791
Kota $540
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,595 in London versus $739 in Kota.
London $7,595
Kota $739
🌍
Living in London is roughly 1069% more expensive than in Kota, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: London is 195% above, Kota is 75% below.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
London
Kota
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$25.93£19.45
$2.12₹202
1123.11%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$107£79.9
$8.17₹776
1203.55%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$10.71£8.03
$2.59₹246
313.51%
Cappuccino
$5.47£4.11
$0.63₹60.2
768.25%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97£2.23
$0.35₹33.56
748.57%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.20£1.65
$0.16₹15.55
1275.00%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$9.13£6.85
$1.59₹151
474.21%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$7.94£5.96
$3.15₹300
152.06%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
London
Kota
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.86£1.40
$0.62₹58.8
200.00%
White Bread(500g)
$2.07£1.55
$0.44₹41.74
370.45%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.42£1.81
$0.67₹63.2
261.19%
Eggs
$5.09£3.82
$0.88₹83.9
478.41%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$12.87£9.66
$4.55₹432
182.86%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$10.43£7.82
$2.55₹242
309.02%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$16.87£12.66
-
-
Apples(1kg)
$3.11£2.33
$1.55₹147
100.65%
Banana(1kg)
$1.40£1.05
$0.52₹49.04
169.23%
Oranges(1kg)
$3.08£2.31
$0.66₹63.2
366.67%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.27£2.45
$0.43₹41.16
660.47%
Potato(1kg)
$1.58£1.19
$0.32₹30.36
393.75%
Onion(1kg)
$1.74£1.31
$0.37₹35.44
370.27%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.40£1.05
$0.32₹30.79
337.50%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.80£1.35
$0.28₹26.21
542.86%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$23.28£17.46
$4.33₹411
437.64%
Wine(Bottle)
$13.03£9.77
$7.84₹744
66.20%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$3.17£2.38
$1.56₹148
103.21%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.42£3.32
$1.85₹176
138.92%
Buffalo Round(or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat)(1kg)
-
$4.67₹444
-
🚌 Getting Around
London
Kota
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$4.07£3.05
$0.50₹47.54
714.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$247£185
$26.53₹2,519
830.12%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$5.58£4.18
$0.32₹30.43
1643.75%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$3.36£2.52
$0.22₹20.92
1427.27%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$56.8£42.58
$1.08₹102
5154.63%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.13£1.60
$1.11₹106
91.89%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.2K£28.6K
$15.6K₹1.5M
145.06%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.9K£30.7K
$17.0K₹1.6M
140.61%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
Kota
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$372£279
$13.09₹1,243
2743.09%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.82£13.37
$2.53₹240
604.35%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.37£30.29
$6.40₹608
530.78%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
London
Kota
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$60.0£44.99
$10.62₹1,008
464.69%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.29£15.97
$4.11₹391
418.00%
Cinema Ticket
$17.74£13.31
$3.17₹301
459.62%
🧸 Childcare & Education
London
Kota
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$2,864£2,149
$33.56₹3,187
8435.10%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$35.3K£26.5K
$662₹62.9K
5236.37%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
London
Kota
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$114£85.5
$21.88₹2,077
421.12%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.3£40.71
$33.09₹3,143
64.01%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$124£93.2
$34.79₹3,304
257.11%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$163£122
$21.28₹2,021
666.26%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
London
Kota
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,869£2,152
$138₹13.1K
1976.70%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$2,233£1,675
$81.0₹7,695
2655.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$5,266£3,951
$273₹25.9K
1827.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$3,778£2,835
$172₹16.4K
2094.15%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$18.3K£13.8K
$565₹53.6K
3147.45%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$8,024£6,020
$334₹31.8K
2299.05%
💵 Salaries & Financials
London
Kota
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$5,037£3,779
$432₹41.0K
1067.24%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
4.74
7.5
-36.80%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for London: October 10, 2026
Last update for Kota: October 11, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
London
$2.2K 56%
Kota
$81 23.8% ↓ 96.4%$2.2K
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
$430 10.8%
Kota
$22 6.5% ↓ 94.9%$408
🍽Eating Out
London
$388 9.7%
Kota
$49 14.3% ↓ 87.4%$339
🛒Groceries & Markets
London
$349 8.8%
Kota
$92 27.1% ↓ 73.6%$257
🚌Getting Around
London
$285 7.2%
Kota
$30 8.8% ↓ 89.5%$255
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
London
$205 5.1%
Kota
$50 14.7% ↓ 75.6%$155
🎉Sport & Entertainment
London
$95 2.4%
Kota
$17 5% ↓ 82.2%$79
🏠Accommodation & Living
London
$3.8K 49.8%
Kota
$172 23.3% ↓ 95.4%$3.6K
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
$448 5.9%
Kota
$25 3.3% ↓ 94.5%$424
🍽Eating Out
London
$1.3K 17.4%
Kota
$136 18.4% ↓ 89.7%$1.2K
🛒Groceries & Markets
London
$802 10.6%
Kota
$197 26.6% ↓ 75.5%$605
🚌Getting Around
London
$579 7.6%
Kota
$61 8.2% ↓ 89.5%$518
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
London
$456 6%
Kota
$111 15% ↓ 75.6%$345
🎉Sport & Entertainment
London
$212 2.8%
Kota
$38 5.2% ↓ 82.1%$174
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,869 in London and $138 in Kota. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰London pays 1067% 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 $8.00 in Kota for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $349 vs $92.0 per month, with Kota cheaper across the board.
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 Kota: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in London and in Kota?
London and Kota differ by about 1069% in total monthly costs ($3,986 vs $341 including rent). Kota is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: London or Kota?
Average pay runs 1067% higher in London, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in London and in Kota?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,869 in London versus $138 in Kota. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 279% higher in London. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Kota – a meal for two runs $8.00 versus $107 in London. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $341 in Kota versus $3,986 in London, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kota but tight or insufficient in London. The gap between the two cities makes Kota the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between London and Kota?
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.
Where should expats move: London or Kota?
Expats usually find Kota gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1069% less than in London. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.