Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Montreux

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreux: $3,392 a month against $3,986 in London, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in London outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

London
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$3,986
/mo nomad
Montreux
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$3,392
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Montreux

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

A single person spends $3,986 per month in London vs $3,392 in Montreux, rent included.

  • London $3,986
  • Montreux $3,392

A couple spends around $5,791 per month in London vs $5,203 in Montreux, rent included.

  • London $5,791
  • Montreux $5,203

A family of three spends $7,595 per month in London vs $7,015 in Montreux, rent included.

  • London $7,595
  • Montreux $7,015

London costs about 18% more than Montreux, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both London and Montreux sit above the global median – London by 195%, Montreux by 151%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
London
Montreux
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$25.93 £19.45
$30.50 CHF 25.12
-14.98%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$107 £79.9
$132 CHF 109
-19.39%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.71 £8.03
$18.41 CHF 15.16
-41.83%
Cappuccino
$5.47 £4.11
$5.93 CHF 4.89
-7.76%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 £2.23
$4.86 CHF 4.00
-38.89%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.20 £1.65
$4.11 CHF 3.38
-46.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.13 £6.85
$9.83 CHF 8.10
-7.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.94 £5.96
$9.85 CHF 8.11
-19.39%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
London
Montreux
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.86 £1.40
$2.12 CHF 1.75
-12.26%
White Bread (500g)
$2.07 £1.55
$3.35 CHF 2.76
-38.21%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.42 £1.81
$3.23 CHF 2.66
-25.08%
Eggs
$5.09 £3.82
$7.08 CHF 5.83
-28.11%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.87 £9.66
$24.74 CHF 20.37
-47.98%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.43 £7.82
$28.15 CHF 23.19
-62.95%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.87 £12.66
$39.23 CHF 32.31
-57.00%
Apples (1kg)
$3.11 £2.33
$3.47 CHF 2.86
-10.37%
Banana (1kg)
$1.40 £1.05
$1.63 CHF 1.35
-14.11%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.08 £2.31
$2.43 CHF 2.00
26.75%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.27 £2.45
$4.62 CHF 3.81
-29.22%
Potato (1kg)
$1.58 £1.19
$1.79 CHF 1.47
-11.73%
Onion (1kg)
$1.74 £1.31
$1.92 CHF 1.58
-9.37%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.40 £1.05
$1.96 CHF 1.61
-28.57%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.80 £1.35
$1.72 CHF 1.42
4.65%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.28 £17.46
$10.67 CHF 8.79
118.18%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.03 £9.77
$11.98 CHF 9.87
8.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.17 £2.38
$2.70 CHF 2.22
17.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.42 £3.32
$3.16 CHF 2.60
39.87%
🚌 Getting Around
London
Montreux
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.07 £3.05
$4.54 CHF 3.74
-10.35%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$247 £185
$101 CHF 82.8
145.43%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.58 £4.18
$7.52 CHF 6.20
-25.80%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.36 £2.52
$3.95 CHF 3.25
-14.94%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$56.8 £42.58
$62.4 CHF 51.4
-9.03%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.13 £1.60
$2.30 CHF 1.89
-7.39%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.2K £28.6K
$38.2K CHF 31.4K
0.04%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.9K £30.7K
$38.8K CHF 32.0K
5.40%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
Montreux
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$372 £279
$285 CHF 234
30.73%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.82 £13.37
$36.64 CHF 30.18
-51.36%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.37 £30.29
$50.9 CHF 41.94
-20.72%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
London
Montreux
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$60.0 £44.99
$88.5 CHF 72.9
-32.20%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.29 £15.97
$45.52 CHF 37.49
-53.23%
Cinema Ticket
$17.74 £13.31
$23.83 CHF 19.63
-25.56%
🧸 Childcare & Education
London
Montreux
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,864 £2,149
$2,416 CHF 1,990
18.54%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$35.3K £26.5K
$35.8K CHF 29.5K
-1.38%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
London
Montreux
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$114 £85.5
$137 CHF 113
-16.86%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.3 £40.71
$76.0 CHF 62.6
-28.55%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$124 £93.2
$163 CHF 134
-23.64%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$163 £122
$185 CHF 152
-11.68%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
London
Montreux
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,869 £2,152
$1,673 CHF 1,378
71.48%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,233 £1,675
$1,440 CHF 1,186
55.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,266 £3,951
$2,879 CHF 2,371
82.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,778 £2,835
$2,458 CHF 2,025
53.69%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$18.3K £13.8K
$15.6K CHF 12.9K
17.18%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$8,024 £6,020
$12.1K CHF 9,982
-33.80%
💵 Salaries & Financials
London
Montreux
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,037 £3,779
$8,082 CHF 6,657
-37.68%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.74
1.95
143.08%

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

Last update for London: October 10, 2026

Last update for Montreux: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
London
$2.2K
Montreux
$1.4K 35.5% $793
Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
$430
Montreux
$372 13.5% $58
Eating Out
London
$388
Montreux
$475 22.6% $88
Groceries & Markets
London
$349
Montreux
$570 63.1% $221
Getting Around
London
$285
Montreux
$146 48.9% $139
Clothing & Footwear
London
$205
Montreux
$252 23% $47
Sport & Entertainment
London
$95
Montreux
$136 42.6% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,869 in London versus $1,673 in Montreux. 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 60% higher in Montreux, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $107 in London versus $132 in Montreux. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $349 vs $570 – making London the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 London
🇨🇭 Montreux
🕒 Local time
05:09 5:09 AM
06:09 6:09 AM
1 h ahead of London
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,908,083 Capital
26,208
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • London Montreux 760 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • London
  • Montreux

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 Montreux: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in London and in Montreux compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $3,986 in London, $3,392 in Montreux – roughly 18% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in London compared to Montreux?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,979 per month in London and $5,088 in Montreux. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between London and Montreux?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Montreux, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Interestingly, groceries are about 63% cheaper in London – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $107 in London and $132 in Montreux. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is feasible on a $2,500 budget?
$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,986 in London and $3,392 in Montreux. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
How does quality of life compare between London and Montreux?
It depends on your priorities. London has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,392 in Montreux to $3,986 in London. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is London or Montreux safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between London and Montreux?
If budget matters most, go with Montreux. 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.

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