Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Oldham

For one person, living is cheaper in Oldham: $1,982 a month against $4,049 in London, rent and utilities included – about $24,800 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
96

Cost of Living Index in Oldham
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Oldham Living Index

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London

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$4,049

/mo nomad

Oldham

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$1,982

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Oldham

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

A single person spends $4,049 per month in London vs $1,982 in Oldham, rent included.

London $4,049
Oldham $1,982

A couple spends around $5,827 per month in London vs $2,932 in Oldham, rent included.

London $5,827
Oldham $2,932

A family of three spends $7,605 per month in London vs $3,883 in Oldham, rent included.

London $7,605
Oldham $3,883

London costs about 104% more than Oldham, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both London and Oldham sit above the global median – London by 199%, Oldham by 46%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.09 £20.33

$19.67 £14.75

37.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$104 £78.3

$88.1 £66.1

18.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.86 £8.15

$9.56 £7.17

13.60%

Cappuccino

$5.60 £4.20

$4.79 £3.59

16.91%

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

$3.05 £2.29

$2.93 £2.20

4.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 £1.71

$1.99 £1.49

14.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.23 £6.92

$7.24 £5.43

27.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.95 £5.96

$6.74 £5.06

17.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 £1.37

$1.46 £1.10

25.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 £1.54

$1.69 £1.27

21.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.47 £1.86

$2.95 £2.21

-16.27%

Eggs

$5.12 £3.84

$4.05 £3.04

26.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.89 £9.67

$9.83 £7.37

31.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.84 £8.14

$8.81 £6.61

23.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.03 £12.78

$15.54 £11.66

9.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 £2.30

$3.15 £2.36

-2.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 £1.03

$1.86 £1.40

-25.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 £2.24

$2.85 £2.14

4.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.39 £2.54

$3.46 £2.59

-2.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 £1.20

$1.49 £1.11

7.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 £1.35

$1.60 £1.20

12.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 £1.06

$1.20 £0.90

17.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 £1.36

$1.23 £0.92

47.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.92 £17.94

$23.63 £17.73

1.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.54 £10.16

$10.86 £8.15

24.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.23 £2.42

$2.76 £2.07

17.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 £3.29

$3.12 £2.34

40.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.92 £2.94

$2.61 £1.96

50.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$243 £182

$95.7 £71.8

153.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.58 £4.18

$3.21 £2.41

73.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.27 £2.46

$2.02 £1.52

61.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$58.4 £43.81

$30.03 £22.53

94.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 £1.56

$2.12 £1.59

-1.89%

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

$38.8K £29.1K

$38.2K £28.7K

1.63%

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

$40.6K £30.5K

$39.8K £29.8K

2.08%

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

$380 £285

$251 £188

51.35%

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

$18.62 £13.97

$16.94 £12.71

9.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.45 £30.35

$40.55 £30.43

-0.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 £45.95

$43.14 £32.36

41.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.41 £16.07

Cinema Ticket

$18.09 £13.57

$13.18 £9.89

37.25%

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

$2,905 £2,180

$1,290 £968

125.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.5K £26.6K

$19.7K £14.8K

79.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$116 £87.3

$87.1 £65.3

33.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.5 £40.89

$41.43 £31.08

31.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 £95.8

$93.5 £70.2

36.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$167 £125

$87.3 £65.5

91.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,852 £2,140

$1,222 £917

133.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,269 £1,702

$728 £546

211.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,250 £3,939

$1,368 £1,026

283.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,752 £2,815

$1,093 £820

243.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.5K £13.9K

$5,063 £3,798

265.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,100 £6,077

$3,336 £2,503

142.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,109 £3,833

$2,483 £1,863

105.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.74

4.82

-1.66%

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

Last update for London: October 19, 2026

Last update for Oldham: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

London

$2.3K 56%

Oldham

$728 36.7% 67.9% $1.5K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

London

$439 10.9%

Oldham

$309 15.6% 29.7% $131

Eating Out

London

$400 9.9%

Oldham

$313 15.8% 21.8% $87

Groceries & Markets

London

$353 8.7%

Oldham

$304 15.4% 13.9% $49

Getting Around

London

$280 6.9%

Oldham

$119 6% 57.4% $161

Clothing & Footwear

London

$209 5.2%

Oldham

$139 7% 33.5% $70

Sport & Entertainment

London

$97 2.4%

Oldham

$70 3.5% 28.7% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,852 in London versus $1,222 in Oldham. 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 106% 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 $104 in London versus $88.0 in Oldham. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $353 vs $304 – making Oldham the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 London

🇬🇧 Oldham

🕒 Local time

10:54 10:54 AM

Same time as London

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,908,083 Capital

110,718

💱 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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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 Oldham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $4,049 in London, $1,982 in Oldham – roughly 104% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,073 per month in London and $2,972 in Oldham. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Oldham, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 16% 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 $104 in London and $88.0 in Oldham. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Oldham, where all-in costs run around $1,982, than in London at $4,049. In Oldham it covers expenses comfortably, while in London it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. London has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,982 in Oldham to $4,049 in London. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Oldham. 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.