Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Poole

For one person, living is cheaper in Poole: $2,641 a month against $4,086 in London, rent and utilities included – about $17,300 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
127

Cost of Living Index in Poole
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Poole Living Index

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London

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$4,086

/mo nomad

Poole

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,641

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Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Poole

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

A single person spends $4,086 per month in London vs $2,641 in Poole, rent included.

London $4,086
Poole $2,641

A couple spends around $5,891 per month in London vs $3,917 in Poole, rent included.

London $5,891
Poole $3,917

A family of three spends $7,696 per month in London vs $5,193 in Poole, rent included.

London $7,696
Poole $5,193

London costs about 55% more than Poole, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both London and Poole sit above the global median – London by 200%, Poole by 94%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.55 £19.95

$23.28 £17.50

14.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 £80.4

$102 £76.4

5.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.78 £8.11

$10.75 £8.08

0.28%

Cappuccino

$5.71 £4.29

$5.19 £3.90

10.02%

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

$3.01 £2.26

$3.08 £2.32

-2.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 £1.72

$2.25 £1.69

1.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.08 £6.83

$6.86 £5.16

32.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.07 £6.06

$7.08 £5.32

13.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 £1.43

$1.70 £1.28

11.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 £1.52

$1.56 £1.17

30.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 £1.84

$2.25 £1.69

8.89%

Eggs

$5.07 £3.81

$4.21 £3.16

20.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.71 £9.55

$6.50 £4.88

95.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.61 £7.97

$10.76 £8.09

-1.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.68 £13.29

$12.70 £9.55

39.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 £2.38

$2.26 £1.70

40.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 £1.09

$1.73 £1.30

-16.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 £2.35

$1.95 £1.46

60.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.41 £2.56

$2.16 £1.63

57.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 £1.25

$2.03 £1.52

-17.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 £1.33

$1.50 £1.13

18.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 £1.08

$1.78 £1.33

-19.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 £1.40

$1.92 £1.44

-2.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.91 £17.97

$23.87 £17.94

0.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.48 £10.13

$9.72 £7.31

38.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 £2.32

$3.01 £2.26

2.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 £3.30

$2.46 £1.85

78.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.08 £3.06

$3.89 £2.92

4.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$252 £190

$76.0 £57.1

231.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.74 £4.32

$3.28 £2.47

75.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.35 £2.52

$2.45 £1.84

36.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$57.2 £43.01

$21.62 £16.25

164.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 £1.57

$2.03 £1.53

2.46%

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

$38.0K £28.6K

$39.1K £29.4K

-2.73%

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

$40.4K £30.4K

$40.5K £30.5K

-0.34%

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

$387 £291

$359 £270

7.82%

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

$18.57 £13.96

$20.32 £15.27

-8.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.69 £30.58

$43.31 £32.55

-6.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 £43.27

$80.8 £60.8

-28.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 £14.85

Cinema Ticket

$18.33 £13.77

$20.54 £15.44

-10.76%

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

$2,957 £2,222

$2,128 £1,600

38.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.9K £27.0K

$33.8K £25.4K

6.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$119 £89.3

$87.6 £65.8

35.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.3 £42.29

$39.27 £29.52

43.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 £98.4

$102 £76.4

28.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 £124

$83.8 £63.0

96.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,811 £2,113

$1,176 £884

139.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,291 £1,722

$1,210 £909

89.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,185 £3,897

$2,272 £1,708

128.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,805 £2,860

$2,093 £1,573

81.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.7K £13.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,405 £6,317

$2,119 £1,592

296.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,070 £3,811

$3,307 £2,485

53.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.79

4.96

-3.43%

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

Last update for London: October 26, 2026

Last update for Poole: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

London

$2.3K 56.1%

Poole

$1.2K 45.8% 47.2% $1.1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

London

$446 10.9%

Poole

$423 16% 5.3% $24

Eating Out

London

$396 9.7%

Poole

$351 13.3% 11.5% $45

Groceries & Markets

London

$356 8.7%

Poole

$289 10.9% 18.8% $67

Getting Around

London

$291 7.1%

Poole

$107 4.1% 63.2% $184

Clothing & Footwear

London

$212 5.2%

Poole

$141 5.3% 33.6% $71

Sport & Entertainment

London

$94 2.3%

Poole

$122 4.6% 29.4% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,811 in London versus $1,176 in Poole. 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 53% 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 $102 in Poole. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $356 vs $289 – making Poole the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 London

🇬🇧 Poole

🕒 Local time

17:58 5:58 PM

Same time as London

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,908,083 Capital

154,718

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 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 Poole: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $4,086 in London, $2,641 in Poole – roughly 55% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,129 per month in London and $3,961 in Poole. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Poole, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,176 there versus $2,811 in London.

Groceries cost about 23% 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 $107 in London and $102 in Poole. 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 $2,641 in Poole. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Poole – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Poole. 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.