Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Leicester

For one person, living is cheaper in Leicester: $2,266 a month against $4,086 in London, rent and utilities included – about $21,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

195

Cost of Living Index in London
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London Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in Leicester
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Leicester Living Index

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London

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$4,086

/mo nomad

Leicester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,266

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Leicester

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

A single person spends $4,086 per month in London vs $2,266 in Leicester, rent included.

London $4,086
Leicester $2,266

A couple spends around $5,891 per month in London vs $3,200 in Leicester, rent included.

London $5,891
Leicester $3,200

A family of three spends $7,696 per month in London vs $4,133 in Leicester, rent included.

London $7,696
Leicester $4,133

London costs about 80% more than Leicester, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both London and Leicester sit above the global median – London by 200%, Leicester by 66%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.55 £19.98

$21.76 £16.38

22.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 £80.5

$66.0 £49.67

62.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.78 £8.12

$9.24 £6.95

16.67%

Cappuccino

$5.71 £4.30

$4.72 £3.56

20.97%

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

$3.01 £2.26

$2.42 £1.82

24.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 £1.72

$1.36 £1.03

68.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.08 £6.84

$6.74 £5.07

34.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.07 £6.07

$5.20 £3.91

55.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 £1.43

$1.73 £1.30

9.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 £1.53

$1.62 £1.22

25.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 £1.84

$2.18 £1.64

12.39%

Eggs

$5.07 £3.82

$3.94 £2.96

28.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.71 £9.56

$10.21 £7.69

24.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.61 £7.99

$8.99 £6.76

18.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.68 £13.31

$14.85 £11.18

19.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 £2.39

$2.88 £2.16

10.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 £1.09

$1.49 £1.12

-2.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 £2.36

$2.74 £2.06

14.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.41 £2.57

$3.47 £2.61

-1.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 £1.26

$1.55 £1.17

7.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 £1.33

$1.57 £1.18

12.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 £1.08

$1.18 £0.89

21.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 £1.41

$1.47 £1.10

27.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.91 £17.99

$21.03 £15.83

13.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.48 £10.14

$11.26 £8.48

19.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 £2.32

$2.49 £1.87

23.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 £3.31

$3.18 £2.39

38.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.08 £3.07

$4.11 £3.09

-0.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$252 £190

$100 £75.3

152.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.74 £4.32

$4.86 £3.66

18.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.35 £2.52

$3.93 £2.96

-14.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$57.2 £43.07

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 £1.57

$2.03 £1.53

2.46%

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

$38.0K £28.6K

0.00%

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

$40.4K £30.4K

$40.2K £30.3K

0.39%

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

$387 £291

$312 £235

24.00%

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

$18.57 £13.98

$16.36 £12.31

13.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.69 £30.62

$44.04 £33.15

-7.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 £43.33

$34.58 £26.03

66.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 £14.87

$26.32 £19.81

-24.96%

Cinema Ticket

$18.33 £13.79

$14.55 £10.95

25.98%

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

$2,957 £2,225

$1,372 £1,032

115.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.9K £27.0K

$26.4K £19.8K

36.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$119 £89.4

$83.0 £62.5

43.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.3 £42.35

$41.80 £31.46

34.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 £98.5

$107 £80.7

22.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 £124

$107 £80.3

54.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,811 £2,116

$1,090 £820

157.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,291 £1,724

$918 £691

149.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,185 £3,902

$1,739 £1,308

198.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,805 £2,864

$1,290 £971

195.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.7K £13.3K

$4,857 £3,655

263.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,405 £6,325

$3,333 £2,508

152.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,070 £3,816

$2,936 £2,210

72.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.79

5.33

-10.13%

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

Last update for London: October 26, 2026

Last update for Leicester: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

London

$2.3K 56.1%

Leicester

$918 40.5% 60% $1.4K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

London

$446 10.9%

Leicester

$372 16.4% 16.5% $74

Eating Out

London

$396 9.7%

Leicester

$318 14% 19.8% $78

Groceries & Markets

London

$356 8.7%

Leicester

$301 13.3% 15.3% $54

Getting Around

London

$291 7.1%

Leicester

$141 6.2% 51.6% $150

Clothing & Footwear

London

$212 5.2%

Leicester

$152 6.7% 28% $59

Sport & Entertainment

London

$94 2.3%

Leicester

$64 2.8% 32.4% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,811 in London versus $1,090 in Leicester. 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 73% 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 $66 in Leicester. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $356 vs $301 – making Leicester the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 London

🇬🇧 Leicester

🕒 Local time

18:04 6:04 PM

Same time as London

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,908,083 Capital

305,700

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

London Leicester 140 km

From you

London
Leicester

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 Leicester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

London costs about 80% more than Leicester, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,129 per month in London and $3,399 in Leicester. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Leicester, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,090 there versus $2,811 in London.

Groceries cost about 18% more in London, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $107 in London and $66 in Leicester. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,086 in London and $2,266 in Leicester. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Leicester – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Leicester. 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.