Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Oberhausen

For one person, living is cheaper in Oberhausen: $1,996 a month against $3,986 in London, rent and utilities included – about $23,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

London
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$3,986
/mo nomad
Oberhausen
🇩🇪 Germany
$1,996
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Oberhausen

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

A single person spends $3,986 per month in London vs $1,996 in Oberhausen, rent included.

  • London $3,986
  • Oberhausen $1,996

A couple spends around $5,791 per month in London vs $2,847 in Oberhausen, rent included.

  • London $5,791
  • Oberhausen $2,847

A family of three spends $7,595 per month in London vs $3,698 in Oberhausen, rent included.

  • London $7,595
  • Oberhausen $3,698

London costs about 100% more than Oberhausen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both London and Oberhausen sit above the global median – London by 195%, Oberhausen by 48%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
London
Oberhausen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$25.93 £19.54
$16.84 €15.01
53.98%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$107 £80.3
$85.0 €75.8
25.24%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.71 £8.07
$13.21 €11.78
-18.93%
Cappuccino
$5.47 £4.13
$4.06 €3.62
34.73%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 £2.24
$3.18 €2.83
-6.60%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.20 £1.66
$3.11 €2.77
-29.26%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.13 £6.88
$5.68 €5.06
60.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.94 £5.98
$5.65 €5.04
40.53%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
London
Oberhausen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.86 £1.40
$1.27 €1.13
46.46%
White Bread (500g)
$2.07 £1.56
$2.15 €1.92
-3.72%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.42 £1.82
$3.22 €2.87
-24.84%
Eggs
$5.09 £3.83
$3.62 €3.23
40.61%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.87 £9.70
$13.48 €12.02
-4.53%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.43 £7.86
$11.84 €10.56
-11.91%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.87 £12.71
$23.05 €20.55
-26.81%
Apples (1kg)
$3.11 £2.34
$2.90 €2.59
7.24%
Banana (1kg)
$1.40 £1.06
$2.06 €1.84
-32.04%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.08 £2.32
$2.25 €2.00
36.89%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.27 £2.46
$3.93 €3.50
-16.79%
Potato (1kg)
$1.58 £1.19
$1.37 €1.22
15.33%
Onion (1kg)
$1.74 £1.31
$1.25 €1.11
39.20%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.40 £1.06
$1.51 €1.34
-7.28%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.80 £1.35
$1.09 €0.97
65.14%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.28 £17.54
$9.75 €8.70
138.77%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.03 £9.82
$5.71 €5.09
128.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.17 £2.39
$1.09 €0.98
190.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.42 £3.33
$1.71 €1.52
158.48%
🚌 Getting Around
London
Oberhausen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.07 £3.07
$3.41 €3.04
19.35%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$247 £186
$49.20 €43.86
401.54%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.58 £4.20
$4.97 €4.43
12.27%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.36 £2.53
$2.91 €2.60
15.46%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$56.8 £42.76
$33.73 €30.08
68.25%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.13 £1.61
$2.25 €2.01
-5.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.2K £28.8K
$33.4K €29.7K
14.47%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.9K £30.8K
$38.3K €34.1K
6.83%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
Oberhausen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$372 £280
$383 €342
-2.87%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.82 £13.42
$12.23 €10.91
45.71%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.37 £30.42
$36.34 €32.40
11.09%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
London
Oberhausen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$60.0 £45.19
$39.20 €34.95
52.98%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.29 £16.04
$29.56 €26.36
-27.98%
Cinema Ticket
$17.74 £13.37
$15.33 €13.67
15.72%
🧸 Childcare & Education
London
Oberhausen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,864 £2,158
$473 €422
505.40%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$35.3K £26.6K
$9,247 €8,245
282.04%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
London
Oberhausen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$114 £85.9
$90.7 €80.8
25.78%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.3 £40.89
$41.60 €37.09
30.46%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$124 £93.6
$99.7 €88.9
24.65%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$163 £123
$140 €125
16.32%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
London
Oberhausen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,869 £2,162
$601 €536
377.32%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,233 £1,683
$625 €557
257.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,266 £3,968
$748 €667
603.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,778 £2,847
$754 €672
400.96%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$18.3K £13.8K
$5,307 €4,732
245.46%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$8,024 £6,046
$3,410 €3,041
135.27%
💵 Salaries & Financials
London
Oberhausen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,037 £3,795
$3,398 €3,030
48.22%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.74
3.95
20.00%

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

Last update for London: October 10, 2026

Last update for Oberhausen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
London
$2.2K
Oberhausen
$625 72% $1.6K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
$430
Oberhausen
$432 0.3% $1.4
Eating Out
London
$388
Oberhausen
$288 25.7% $100
Groceries & Markets
London
$349
Oberhausen
$332 5% $18
Getting Around
London
$285
Oberhausen
$82 71.1% $203
Clothing & Footwear
London
$205
Oberhausen
$167 18.3% $38
Sport & Entertainment
London
$95
Oberhausen
$70 26.8% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,869 in London versus $601 in Oberhausen. 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 48% 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 $85.0 in Oberhausen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $349 vs $332 – making Oberhausen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 London
🇩🇪 Oberhausen
🕒 Local time
10:15 10:15 AM
11:15 11:15 AM
1 h ahead of London
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,908,083 Capital
209,292
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 0.754 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.845 GBP (1 GBP = 1.18 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • London Oberhausen 480 km
From you
  • London
  • Oberhausen

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 Oberhausen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in London and in Oberhausen compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $3,986 in London, $1,996 in Oberhausen – roughly 100% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in London compared to Oberhausen?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,979 per month in London and $2,994 in Oberhausen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between London and Oberhausen?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Oberhausen, 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?
Groceries cost about 5% more in London, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $107 in London and $85.0 in Oberhausen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Oberhausen, where all-in costs run around $1,996, than in London at $3,986. In Oberhausen it covers expenses comfortably, while in London it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between London and Oberhausen?
It depends on your priorities. London has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,996 in Oberhausen to $3,986 in London. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is London or Oberhausen 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 Oberhausen?
If budget matters most, go with Oberhausen. 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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