Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Portsmouth Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Portsmouth

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,892 per month in London vs $2,561 in Portsmouth, rent included.

A couple spends around $5,638 per month in London vs $3,682 in Portsmouth, rent included.

A family of three spends $7,385 per month in London vs $4,803 in Portsmouth, rent included.

London costs about 52% more than Portsmouth, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both London and Portsmouth sit above the global median – London by 190%, Portsmouth by 91%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.92 £20.01

$22.64 £16.83

18.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 £81.5

$87.1 £64.7

25.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 £8.05

$8.78 £6.53

23.35%

Cappuccino

$5.10 £3.79

$4.46 £3.32

14.35%

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

$2.77 £2.06

$2.19 £1.63

26.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 £1.33

$1.73 £1.29

2.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.93 £6.64

$5.84 £4.34

52.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 £5.97

$6.17 £4.58

30.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 £1.32

$1.66 £1.23

6.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.08 £1.55

$1.55 £1.15

34.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 £1.91

$2.86 £2.13

-10.14%

Eggs

$4.75 £3.53

$3.30 £2.46

43.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.16 £8.30

$8.47 £6.30

31.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.00 £6.69

$7.32 £5.44

22.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.83 £11.02

$15.21 £11.31

-2.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 £2.47

$4.33 £3.22

-23.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 £1.46

$2.30 £1.71

-14.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 £2.42

$3.03 £2.25

7.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.60 £2.67

$4.67 £3.47

-22.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 £1.25

$1.22 £0.90

37.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 £1.39

$1.64 £1.22

14.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 £0.98

$1.04 £0.77

26.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 £1.45

$1.85 £1.38

5.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.81 £16.96

$17.24 £12.81

32.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.71 £10.19

$11.26 £8.37

21.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.31 £2.46

$3.02 £2.25

9.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 £2.92

$1.81 £1.35

117.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.95 £2.94

$3.43 £2.55

15.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$240 £179

$90.7 £67.4

165.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.04 £4.49

$4.48 £3.33

34.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.31 £2.46

$1.73 £1.29

91.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.84 £30.36

$16.16 £12.01

152.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 £1.40

$1.90 £1.41

-1.05%

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

$38.9K £28.9K

$38.8K £28.8K

0.33%

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

$40.0K £29.8K

$40.4K £30.0K

-0.92%

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

$326 £243

$453 £337

-28.00%

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

$20.23 £15.04

$15.24 £11.33

32.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.59 £31.66

$41.64 £30.95

2.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.4 £47.86

$35.26 £26.21

82.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.34 £16.61

$20.02 £14.88

11.59%

Cinema Ticket

$20.19 £15.00

$11.05 £8.22

82.71%

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

$2,525 £1,876

$1,296 £963

94.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.0K £20.8K

$18.5K £13.7K

51.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$119 £88.6

$84.4 £62.7

41.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.83 £37.04

$42.07 £31.27

18.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 £94.4

$87.9 £65.4

44.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 £118

$135 £100

18.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,019 £2,244

$1,369 £1,018

120.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,274 £1,690

$1,062 £790

114.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,543 £4,120

$1,970 £1,465

181.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,737 £2,778

$1,752 £1,302

113.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.4K £14.4K

$4,670 £3,472

315.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,516 £7,073

$3,850 £2,862

147.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,820 £3,583

$3,441 £2,557

40.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.05

5.9

-14.41%

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

Last update for London: May 31, 2026

Last update for Portsmouth: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,019 in London versus $1,369 in Portsmouth. 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 40% 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 $110 in London versus $87.0 in Portsmouth. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $340 vs $310 – making Portsmouth the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Portsmouth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,892 in London, $2,561 in Portsmouth – roughly 52% apart. London costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,838 per month in London and $3,842 in Portsmouth. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 10% 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 $110 in London and $87.0 in Portsmouth. 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 Portsmouth, where all-in costs run around $2,561, than in London at $3,892. In Portsmouth 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 $2,561 in Portsmouth to $3,892 in London. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Portsmouth. 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.