Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Milton Keynes

For one person, living is cheaper in Milton Keynes: $2,511 a month against $4,048 in London, rent and utilities included – about $18,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

196

Cost of Living Index in London
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London Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Milton Keynes
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Milton Keynes Living Index

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London

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$4,048

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Milton Keynes

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,511

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Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Milton Keynes

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

A single person spends $4,048 per month in London vs $2,511 in Milton Keynes, rent included.

London $4,048
Milton Keynes $2,511

A couple spends around $5,903 per month in London vs $3,563 in Milton Keynes, rent included.

London $5,903
Milton Keynes $3,563

A family of three spends $7,758 per month in London vs $4,614 in Milton Keynes, rent included.

London $7,758
Milton Keynes $4,614

London costs about 61% more than Milton Keynes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both London and Milton Keynes sit above the global median – London by 199%, Milton Keynes by 86%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.36 £19.62

$19.77 £14.72

33.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$109 £80.8

$86.1 £64.1

26.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.71 £7.97

$11.59 £8.63

-7.59%

Cappuccino

$5.59 £4.16

$4.64 £3.46

20.47%

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

$3.00 £2.24

$1.89 £1.41

58.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 £1.65

$1.12 £0.84

98.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.65 £7.18

$6.59 £4.91

46.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.26 £6.15

$6.06 £4.51

36.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 £1.46

$1.71 £1.27

15.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.09 £1.55

$1.48 £1.10

41.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.59 £1.93

$2.87 £2.14

-9.76%

Eggs

$5.37 £4.00

$3.97 £2.95

35.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.12 £9.77

$8.52 £6.34

53.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.03 £8.21

$9.00 £6.70

22.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.73 £13.20

$13.12 £9.77

35.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 £2.36

$3.38 £2.52

-6.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 £1.03

$1.46 £1.09

-5.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.82 £2.10

$2.60 £1.94

8.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.36 £2.50

$2.79 £2.08

20.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 £1.26

$1.97 £1.47

-13.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 £1.32

$1.64 £1.22

8.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 £1.11

$1.27 £0.95

17.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 £1.36

$1.38 £1.03

31.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.85 £17.75

$23.90 £17.79

-0.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.44 £10.00

$9.29 £6.91

44.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.11 £2.31

$2.69 £2.00

15.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.49 £3.34

$2.39 £1.78

87.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.13 £3.08

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$266 £198

$84.5 £62.9

214.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 £4.45

$4.95 £3.68

20.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.39 £2.52

$1.63 £1.21

107.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$56.6 £42.10

$30.61 £22.78

84.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 £1.64

$2.12 £1.58

4.25%

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

$38.3K £28.5K

-0.06%

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

$41.0K £30.5K

$40.5K £30.1K

1.41%

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

$372 £277

$309 £230

20.47%

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

$18.66 £13.89

$14.49 £10.79

28.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.53 £30.17

$41.15 £30.63

-1.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 £41.70

$34.73 £25.85

61.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.10 £12.73

$20.40 £15.19

-16.18%

Cinema Ticket

$17.95 £13.37

$23.63 £17.59

-24.04%

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

$2,946 £2,193

$2,387 £1,777

23.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$47.6K £35.4K

$24.4K £18.2K

95.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$116 £86.5

$114 £84.7

2.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.9 £42.35

$40.26 £29.97

41.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 £95.2

$80.5 £59.9

58.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 £115

$97.6 £72.6

57.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,935 £2,185

$1,565 £1,165

87.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,258 £1,681

$1,208 £900

86.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,250 £3,908

$2,397 £1,785

118.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,859 £2,873

$1,770 £1,318

118.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.2K £12.8K

$7,283 £5,421

135.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,278 £6,162

$5,679 £4,227

45.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,621 £4,184

$3,939 £2,932

42.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.78

4.67

2.36%

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

Last update for London: November 1, 2026

Last update for Milton Keynes: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

London

$2.3K 55.8%

Milton Keynes

$1.2K 48.1% 46.5% $1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

London

$432 10.7%

Milton Keynes

$365 14.5% 15.5% $67

Eating Out

London

$396 9.8%

Milton Keynes

$306 12.2% 22.7% $90

Groceries & Markets

London

$360 8.9%

Milton Keynes

$287 11.4% 20.4% $73

Getting Around

London

$305 7.6%

Milton Keynes

$114 4.6% 62.6% $191

Clothing & Footwear

London

$205 5.1%

Milton Keynes

$149 6% 27% $55

Sport & Entertainment

London

$92 2.3%

Milton Keynes

$82 3.3% 10.8% $9.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,935 in London versus $1,565 in Milton Keynes. 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 43% 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 $109 in London versus $86 in Milton Keynes. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $360 vs $287 – making Milton Keynes the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 London

🇬🇧 Milton Keynes

🕒 Local time

00:29 12:29 AM

Same time as London

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,908,083 Capital

229,941

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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 Milton Keynes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $4,048 in London, $2,511 in Milton Keynes – Milton Keynes comes out roughly 38% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,072 per month in London and $3,767 in Milton Keynes. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Milton Keynes, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,565 there versus $2,935 in London.

Groceries cost about 26% more in London, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $109 in London and $86 in Milton Keynes. 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 $4,048 in London and $2,511 in Milton Keynes. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. London has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,511 in Milton Keynes to $4,048 in London. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Milton Keynes. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, London makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.