Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Redwood City, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in London: $3,986 a month against $4,197 in Redwood City, CA, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

194

Cost of Living Index in London
Learn more

London Living Index
203

Cost of Living Index in Redwood City, CA
Learn more

Redwood City, CA Living Index

Jump to prices

London

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$3,986

/mo nomad

Redwood City, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,197

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Redwood City, CA

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 Redwood City, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,986 per month in London vs $4,197 in Redwood City, CA, rent included.

London $3,986
Redwood City, CA $4,197

A couple spends around $5,791 per month in London vs $6,241 in Redwood City, CA, rent included.

London $5,791
Redwood City, CA $6,241

A family of three spends $7,595 per month in London vs $8,286 in Redwood City, CA, rent included.

London $7,595
Redwood City, CA $8,286

London is about 5% cheaper than Redwood City, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both London and Redwood City, CA sit above the global median – London by 195%, Redwood City, CA by 211%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.93 £19.45

$25.04 $25.04

3.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 £79.9

$110 $110

-2.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.71 £8.03

$13.44 $13.44

-20.31%

Cappuccino

$5.47 £4.11

$5.64 $5.64

-3.01%

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

$2.97 £2.23

$3.23 $3.23

-8.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 £1.65

$2.65 $2.65

-16.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.13 £6.85

$8.20 $8.20

11.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 £5.96

$8.87 $8.87

-10.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 £1.40

$1.53 $1.53

21.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 £1.55

$5.37 $5.37

-61.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 £1.81

$4.86 $4.86

-50.21%

Eggs

$5.09 £3.82

$7.74 $7.74

-34.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.87 £9.66

$15.07 $15.07

-14.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 £7.82

$10.63 $10.63

-1.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.87 £12.66

$19.61 $19.61

-13.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 £2.33

$6.25 $6.25

-50.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 £1.05

$2.85 $2.85

-50.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 £2.31

$4.48 $4.48

-31.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 £2.45

$6.22 $6.22

-47.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 £1.19

$2.99 $2.99

-47.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 £1.31

$3.65 $3.65

-52.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 £1.05

$2.78 $2.78

-49.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 £1.35

$2.62 $2.62

-31.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.28 £17.46

$11.85 $11.85

96.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 £9.77

$20.28 $20.28

-35.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.17 £2.38

$2.64 $2.64

20.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 £3.32

$3.41 $3.41

29.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.07 £3.05

$4.78 $4.78

-14.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$247 £185

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.58 £4.18

$4.25 $4.25

31.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.36 £2.52

$1.21 $1.21

177.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$56.8 £42.58

$38.38 $38.38

47.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 £1.60

$1.57 $1.57

35.67%

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

$38.2K £28.6K

$37.4K $37.4K

2.06%

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

$40.9K £30.7K

$26.5K $26.5K

54.13%

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

$372 £279

$237 $237

56.92%

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

$17.82 £13.37

$53.7 $53.7

-66.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.37 £30.29

$69.5 $69.5

-41.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.0 £44.99

$239 $239

-74.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.29 £15.97

$29.93 $29.93

-28.87%

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 £13.31

$17.91 $17.91

-0.95%

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

$2,864 £2,149

$2,907 $2,907

-1.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.3K £26.5K

$43.0K $43.0K

-17.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 £85.5

$45.86 $45.86

148.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 £40.71

$25.04 $25.04

116.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 £93.2

$98.8 $98.8

25.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 £122

$114 $114

43.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,869 £2,152

$4,248 $4,248

-32.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,233 £1,675

$2,521 $2,521

-11.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,266 £3,951

$5,692 $5,692

-7.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,778 £2,835

$4,469 $4,469

-15.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.3K £13.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,024 £6,020

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,037 £3,779

$8,008 $8,008

-37.11%

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 Redwood City, CA: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

London

$2.2K 56%

Redwood City, CA

$2.5K 60.1% 12.9% $288

Monthly Utilities & Internet

London

$430 10.8%

Redwood City, CA

$360 8.6% 16.3% $70

Eating Out

London

$388 9.7%

Redwood City, CA

$390 9.3% 0.8% $3

Groceries & Markets

London

$349 8.8%

Redwood City, CA

$493 11.8% 41.2% $144

Getting Around

London

$285 7.2%

Redwood City, CA

$29 * 0.7% 89.7% $256

Clothing & Footwear

London

$205 5.1%

Redwood City, CA

$128 3% 37.8% $77

Sport & Entertainment

London

$95 2.4%

Redwood City, CA

$275 6.6% 188% $179

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,869 in London versus $4,248 in Redwood City, CA. 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 59% higher in Redwood City, CA, 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 $110 in Redwood City, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $349 vs $493 – making London the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 London

🇺🇸 Redwood City, CA

🕒 Local time

05:20 5:20 AM

21:20 9:20 PM

8 h behind London

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,908,083 Capital

88,314

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇧 British Pound (£)

British Pound exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to GBP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

London Redwood City, CA 8,630 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

London
Redwood City, CA

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 Redwood City, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,986 in London, $4,197 in Redwood City, CA – roughly 5% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,979 per month in London and $6,295 in Redwood City, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,986 in London and $4,197 in Redwood City, CA. That's a gap of about 5%.

Kindergarten costs $2,864 per month in London and $2,907 in Redwood City, CA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,986 in London and $4,197 in Redwood City, CA. 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 $3,986 in London to $4,197 in Redwood City, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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