Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Retford

For one person, living is cheaper in Retford: $2,255 a month against $4,049 in London, rent and utilities included – about $21,500 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
113

Cost of Living Index in Retford
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Retford Living Index

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London

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$4,049

/mo nomad

Retford

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,255

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Retford

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

A single person spends $4,049 per month in London vs $2,255 in Retford, rent included.

London $4,049
Retford $2,255

A couple spends around $5,827 per month in London vs $3,343 in Retford, rent included.

London $5,827
Retford $3,343

A family of three spends $7,605 per month in London vs $4,432 in Retford, rent included.

London $7,605
Retford $4,432

London costs about 80% more than Retford, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both London and Retford sit above the global median – London by 199%, Retford by 66%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.09 £20.33

$14.72 £11.04

84.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$104 £78.3

$66.5 £49.87

56.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.86 £8.15

$7.14 £5.36

52.10%

Cappuccino

$5.60 £4.20

$3.88 £2.91

44.33%

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

$3.05 £2.29

$1.75 £1.31

74.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 £1.71

$1.78 £1.33

28.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.23 £6.92

$4.30 £3.22

114.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.95 £5.96

$4.34 £3.26

83.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 £1.37

$1.72 £1.29

6.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 £1.54

$1.83 £1.38

12.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.47 £1.86

$1.64 £1.23

50.61%

Eggs

$5.12 £3.84

$4.66 £3.50

9.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.89 £9.67

$11.18 £8.39

15.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.84 £8.14

$10.16 £7.62

6.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.03 £12.78

$12.50 £9.38

36.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 £2.30

$2.09 £1.56

46.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 £1.03

$1.80 £1.35

-23.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 £2.24

$1.76 £1.32

69.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.39 £2.54

$1.74 £1.31

94.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 £1.20

$1.48 £1.11

8.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 £1.35

$1.58 £1.19

13.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 £1.06

$0.42 £0.31

235.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 £1.36

$1.56 £1.17

16.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.92 £17.94

$23.33 £17.50

2.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.54 £10.16

$7.77 £5.83

74.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.23 £2.42

$1.70 £1.27

90.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 £3.29

$2.04 £1.53

115.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.92 £2.94

$3.65 £2.74

7.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$243 £182

$108 £80.7

125.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.58 £4.18

$4.93 £3.70

13.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.27 £2.46

$3.91 £2.93

-16.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$58.4 £43.81

$28.85 £21.64

102.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 £1.56

$2.09 £1.57

-0.48%

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

$38.8K £29.1K

$40.1K £30.1K

-3.25%

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

$40.6K £30.5K

$44.2K £33.2K

-8.13%

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

$380 £285

$342 £257

11.13%

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

$18.62 £13.97

$27.87 £20.91

-33.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.45 £30.35

$46.53 £34.91

-13.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 £45.95

$52.7 £39.53

16.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.41 £16.07

Cinema Ticket

$18.09 £13.57

$11.50 £8.62

57.30%

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

$2,905 £2,180

$1,926 £1,445

50.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.5K £26.6K

$23.9K £17.9K

48.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$116 £87.3

$85.1 £63.9

36.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.5 £40.89

$60.8 £45.59

-10.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 £95.8

$109 £81.4

17.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$167 £125

$161 £121

3.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,852 £2,140

$1,398 £1,049

104.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,269 £1,702

$924 £693

145.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,250 £3,939

$2,099 £1,575

150.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,752 £2,815

$1,675 £1,257

124.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.5K £13.9K

$5,059 £3,796

266.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,100 £6,077

$3,851 £2,889

110.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,109 £3,833

$1,711 £1,283

198.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.74

5.3

-10.57%

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

Last update for London: October 19, 2026

Last update for Retford: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

London

$2.3K 56%

Retford

$924 41% 59.3% $1.3K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

London

$439 10.9%

Retford

$416 18.5% 5.2% $23

Eating Out

London

$400 9.9%

Retford

$230 10.2% 42.5% $170

Groceries & Markets

London

$353 8.7%

Retford

$276 12.2% 22% $78

Getting Around

London

$280 6.9%

Retford

$147 6.5% 47.7% $134

Clothing & Footwear

London

$209 5.2%

Retford

$187 8.3% 10.7% $22

Sport & Entertainment

London

$97 2.4%

Retford

$76 3.4% 22.3% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,852 in London versus $1,398 in Retford. 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 199% 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 $104 in London versus $66.0 in Retford. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $353 vs $276 – making Retford the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 London

🇬🇧 Retford

🕒 Local time

11:36 11:36 AM

Same time as London

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,908,083 Capital

22,023

💱 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

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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 Retford: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $4,049 in London, $2,255 in Retford – roughly 80% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,073 per month in London and $3,383 in Retford. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 28% 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 $104 in London and $66.0 in Retford. 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 Retford, where all-in costs run around $2,255, than in London at $4,049. In Retford 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 $2,255 in Retford to $4,049 in London. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Retford. 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.