Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Oxford

For one person, living is cheaper in Oxford: $3,210 a month against $4,086 in London, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 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
153

Cost of Living Index in Oxford
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Oxford Living Index

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London

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$4,086

/mo nomad

Oxford

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$3,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Oxford

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

A single person spends $4,086 per month in London vs $3,210 in Oxford, rent included.

London $4,086
Oxford $3,210

A couple spends around $5,891 per month in London vs $4,477 in Oxford, rent included.

London $5,891
Oxford $4,477

A family of three spends $7,696 per month in London vs $5,743 in Oxford, rent included.

London $7,696
Oxford $5,743

London costs about 27% more than Oxford, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both London and Oxford sit above the global median – London by 200%, Oxford by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.55 £19.93

$24.95 £18.73

6.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 £80.3

$104 £78.0

2.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.78 £8.10

$10.60 £7.95

1.70%

Cappuccino

$5.71 £4.29

$4.94 £3.70

15.59%

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

$3.01 £2.26

$4.46 £3.35

-32.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 £1.72

$2.19 £1.65

4.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.08 £6.82

$9.04 £6.79

0.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.07 £6.05

$8.55 £6.42

-5.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 £1.42

$1.69 £1.27

12.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 £1.52

$1.70 £1.27

19.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 £1.84

$1.97 £1.48

24.37%

Eggs

$5.07 £3.81

$4.06 £3.05

24.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.71 £9.54

$13.74 £10.32

-7.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.61 £7.96

$8.58 £6.44

23.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.68 £13.27

$14.83 £11.13

19.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 £2.38

$3.33 £2.50

-4.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 £1.09

$1.70 £1.27

-14.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 £2.35

$3.01 £2.26

3.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.41 £2.56

$3.73 £2.80

-8.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 £1.25

$1.73 £1.30

-3.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 £1.33

$1.76 £1.32

0.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 £1.08

$1.21 £0.91

18.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 £1.40

$1.61 £1.21

16.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.91 £17.95

$23.70 £17.79

0.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.48 £10.12

$11.30 £8.49

19.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 £2.31

$3.26 £2.45

-5.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 £3.30

$3.39 £2.54

29.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.08 £3.06

$3.89 £2.92

4.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$252 £189

$110 £82.4

129.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.74 £4.31

$4.98 £3.74

15.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.35 £2.52

$3.18 £2.38

5.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$57.2 £42.96

$42.14 £31.63

35.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 £1.56

$2.11 £1.58

-1.42%

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

$38.0K £28.5K

$38.4K £28.9K

-1.16%

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

$40.4K £30.3K

$41.1K £30.9K

-1.74%

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

$387 £290

$361 £271

7.21%

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

$18.57 £13.94

$18.08 £13.57

2.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.69 £30.54

$44.18 £33.16

-7.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 £43.22

$41.85 £31.41

37.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 £14.83

$11.49 £8.62

71.89%

Cinema Ticket

$18.33 £13.76

$16.03 £12.03

14.35%

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

$2,957 £2,219

$2,254 £1,692

31.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.9K £26.9K

$15.2K £11.4K

135.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$119 £89.2

$98.8 £74.2

20.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.3 £42.23

$46.09 £34.60

22.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 £98.2

$102 £76.8

27.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 £124

$104 £78.2

58.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,811 £2,110

$2,187 £1,642

28.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,291 £1,720

$1,706 £1,281

34.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,185 £3,892

$3,231 £2,425

60.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,805 £2,856

$2,464 £1,849

54.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.7K £13.3K

$8,794 £6,601

100.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,405 £6,309

$6,600 £4,954

27.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,070 £3,806

$4,032 £3,026

25.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.79

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

Last update for London: October 26, 2026

Last update for Oxford: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

London

$2.3K 56.1%

Oxford

$1.7K 53.2% 25.5% $585

Monthly Utilities & Internet

London

$446 10.9%

Oxford

$423 13.2% 5.2% $23

Eating Out

London

$396 9.7%

Oxford

$380 11.8% 4.2% $17

Groceries & Markets

London

$356 8.7%

Oxford

$323 10.1% 9.2% $33

Getting Around

London

$291 7.1%

Oxford

$146 4.6% 49.8% $145

Clothing & Footwear

London

$212 5.2%

Oxford

$158 4.9% 25.3% $54

Sport & Entertainment

London

$94 2.3%

Oxford

$74 2.3% 21.6% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,811 in London versus $2,187 in Oxford. 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 26% 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 $104 in Oxford. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $356 vs $323 – making Oxford the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 London

🇬🇧 Oxford

🕒 Local time

14:11 2:11 PM

Same time as London

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,908,083 Capital

165,000

💱 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 Oxford 83 km

From you

London
Oxford

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 Oxford: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $4,086 in London, $3,210 in Oxford – Oxford comes out roughly 21% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,129 per month in London and $4,815 in Oxford. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Oxford, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,187 there versus $2,811 in London.

Groceries cost about 10% more in London, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $107 in London and $104 in Oxford. 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 $3,210 in Oxford. 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 $3,210 in Oxford to $4,086 in London. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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