Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Pila

For one person, living is cheaper in Pila: $1,271 a month against $3,986 in London, rent and utilities included – about $32,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

London
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$3,986
/mo nomad
Pila
🇵🇱 Poland
$1,271
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Pila

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

A single person spends $3,986 per month in London vs $1,271 in Pila, rent included.

  • London $3,986
  • Pila $1,271

A couple spends around $5,791 per month in London vs $1,776 in Pila, rent included.

  • London $5,791
  • Pila $1,776

A family of three spends $7,595 per month in London vs $2,281 in Pila, rent included.

  • London $7,595
  • Pila $2,281

London costs about 214% more than Pila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

London sits 195% above the global median, while Pila is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
London
Pila
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$25.93 £19.45
$8.89 zł 34.55
191.68%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$107 £79.9
$18.07 zł 70.2
489.37%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.71 £8.03
$8.23 zł 31.97
30.13%
Cappuccino
$5.47 £4.11
$2.34 zł 9.09
133.76%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 £2.23
$0.74 zł 2.88
301.35%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.20 £1.65
$1.44 zł 5.60
52.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.13 £6.85
$2.97 zł 11.53
207.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.94 £5.96
$3.13 zł 12.17
153.67%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
London
Pila
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.86 £1.40
$0.90 zł 3.50
106.67%
White Bread (500g)
$2.07 £1.55
$0.61 zł 2.39
239.34%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.42 £1.81
$1.09 zł 4.24
122.02%
Eggs
$5.09 £3.82
$2.42 zł 9.41
110.33%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.87 £9.66
$6.21 zł 24.13
107.25%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.43 £7.82
$6.01 zł 23.33
73.54%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.87 £12.66
$4.89 zł 18.98
244.99%
Apples (1kg)
$3.11 £2.33
$0.90 zł 3.50
245.56%
Banana (1kg)
$1.40 £1.05
$1.61 zł 6.25
-13.04%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.08 £2.31
$1.60 zł 6.23
92.50%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.27 £2.45
$1.76 zł 6.85
85.80%
Potato (1kg)
$1.58 £1.19
$0.83 zł 3.23
90.36%
Onion (1kg)
$1.74 £1.31
$1.03 zł 4.01
68.93%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.40 £1.05
$1.00 zł 3.89
40.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.80 £1.35
$0.53 zł 2.04
239.62%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.28 £17.46
$4.71 zł 18.28
394.27%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.03 £9.77
$6.54 zł 25.40
99.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.17 £2.38
$0.99 zł 3.85
220.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.42 £3.32
$1.26 zł 4.89
250.79%
🚌 Getting Around
London
Pila
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.07 £3.05
$1.10 zł 4.29
270.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$247 £185
$29.77 zł 116
728.89%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.58 £4.18
$2.01 zł 7.80
177.61%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.36 £2.52
$0.86 zł 3.33
290.70%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$56.8 £42.58
$12.49 zł 48.53
354.36%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.13 £1.60
$1.57 zł 6.11
35.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.2K £28.6K
$29.8K zł 115.9K
27.96%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.9K £30.7K
$25.9K zł 100.8K
57.69%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
Pila
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$372 £279
$233 zł 907
59.47%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.82 £13.37
$12.10 zł 47.01
47.27%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.37 £30.29
$10.79 zł 41.90
274.14%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
London
Pila
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$60.0 £44.99
$37.73 zł 147
58.95%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.29 £15.97
$22.25 zł 86.4
-4.31%
Cinema Ticket
$17.74 £13.31
$5.01 zł 19.47
254.09%
🧸 Childcare & Education
London
Pila
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,864 £2,149
$337 zł 1,309
750.44%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$35.3K £26.5K
$7,779 zł 30.2K
354.18%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
London
Pila
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$114 £85.5
$69.7 zł 271
63.68%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.3 £40.71
$31.67 zł 123
71.36%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$124 £93.2
$57.5 zł 223
116.26%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$163 £122
$62.7 zł 244
159.90%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
London
Pila
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,869 £2,152
$610 zł 2,369
370.45%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,233 £1,675
$516 zł 2,003
333.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,266 £3,951
$996 zł 3,870
428.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,778 £2,835
$829 zł 3,220
355.86%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$18.3K £13.8K
$2,879 zł 11.2K
536.85%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$8,024 £6,020
$2,270 zł 8,819
253.51%
💵 Salaries & Financials
London
Pila
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,037 £3,779
$1,079 zł 4,193
366.66%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.74
6.82
-30.50%

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

Last update for London: October 10, 2026

Last update for Pila: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
London
$2.2K
Pila
$516 76.9% $1.7K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
$430
Pila
$256 40.5% $174
Eating Out
London
$388
Pila
$154 60.3% $234
Groceries & Markets
London
$349
Pila
$157 55% $192
Getting Around
London
$285
Pila
$40 85.8% $245
Clothing & Footwear
London
$205
Pila
$100 51.4% $105
Sport & Entertainment
London
$95
Pila
$48 50% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,869 in London versus $610 in Pila. 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 367% 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 $18.00 in Pila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $349 vs $157 – making Pila the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 London
🇵🇱 Pila
🕒 Local time
01:28 1:28 AM
02:28 2:28 AM
1 h ahead of London
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,908,083 Capital
72,184
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PLN, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3.89 PLN (1 PLN = 0.257 USD). 1 EUR = 4.37 PLN (1 PLN = 0.229 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • London Pila 1,160 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • London
  • Pila

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 Pila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in London and in Pila compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $3,986 in London, $1,271 in Pila – roughly 214% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in London compared to Pila?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,979 per month in London and $1,906 in Pila. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between London and Pila?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Pila, 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 122% 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 $18.00 in Pila. 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 Pila, where all-in costs run around $1,271, than in London at $3,986. In Pila 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 Pila?
It depends on your priorities. London has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,271 in Pila to $3,986 in London. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is London or Pila 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 Pila?
If budget matters most, go with Pila. 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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