Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Roubaix

For one person, living is cheaper in Roubaix: $1,656 a month against $4,049 in London, rent and utilities included – about $28,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

London
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$4,049
/mo nomad
Roubaix
🇫🇷 France
$1,656
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Roubaix

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

A single person spends $4,049 per month in London vs $1,656 in Roubaix, rent included.

  • London $4,049
  • Roubaix $1,656

A couple spends around $5,827 per month in London vs $2,580 in Roubaix, rent included.

  • London $5,827
  • Roubaix $2,580

A family of three spends $7,605 per month in London vs $3,505 in Roubaix, rent included.

  • London $7,605
  • Roubaix $3,505

London costs about 145% more than Roubaix, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both London and Roubaix sit above the global median – London by 199%, Roubaix by 22%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
London
Roubaix
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$27.09 £20.33
$18.17 €16.16
49.09%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$104 £78.3
$74.0 €65.8
41.10%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.86 £8.15
$13.62 €12.11
-20.26%
Cappuccino
$5.60 £4.20
$3.83 €3.41
46.21%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.05 £2.29
$3.19 €2.84
-4.39%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28 £1.71
$1.64 €1.46
39.02%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.23 £6.92
$7.59 €6.75
21.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.95 £5.96
$5.67 €5.04
40.21%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
London
Roubaix
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.83 £1.37
$1.14 €1.02
60.53%
White Bread (500g)
$2.05 £1.54
$1.59 €1.41
28.93%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.47 £1.86
$2.82 €2.51
-12.41%
Eggs
$5.12 £3.84
$2.04 €1.81
150.98%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.89 £9.67
$12.71 €11.30
1.42%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.84 £8.14
$9.01 €8.01
20.31%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.03 £12.78
$13.08 €11.64
30.20%
Apples (1kg)
$3.07 £2.30
$0.98 €0.88
213.27%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 £1.03
$1.11 €0.98
24.32%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.99 £2.24
$2.19 €1.95
36.53%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.39 £2.54
$2.70 €2.40
25.56%
Potato (1kg)
$1.60 £1.20
$0.76 €0.67
110.53%
Onion (1kg)
$1.80 £1.35
$0.92 €0.82
95.65%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.41 £1.06
$1.68 €1.49
-16.07%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.81 £1.36
$0.22 €0.19
722.73%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.92 £17.94
$11.66 €10.37
105.15%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.54 £10.16
$8.48 €7.55
59.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.23 £2.42
$2.37 €2.10
36.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.39 £3.29
$4.27 €3.80
2.81%
🚌 Getting Around
London
Roubaix
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.92 £2.94
$1.94 €1.72
102.06%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$243 £182
$48.11 €42.80
404.59%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.58 £4.18
$2.21 €1.97
152.49%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.27 £2.46
$2.15 €1.91
52.09%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$58.4 £43.81
$24.07 €21.41
142.63%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.08 £1.56
$2.07 €1.84
0.48%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.8K £29.1K
$28.3K €25.1K
37.36%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.6K £30.5K
$27.7K €24.6K
46.75%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
Roubaix
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$380 £285
$176 €157
115.33%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.62 £13.97
$15.18 €13.50
22.66%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.45 £30.35
$30.56 €27.18
32.36%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
London
Roubaix
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$61.3 £45.95
$35.62 €31.68
71.95%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.41 £16.07
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$18.09 £13.57
$10.97 €9.76
64.90%
🧸 Childcare & Education
London
Roubaix
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,905 £2,180
$629 €560
361.84%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$35.5K £26.6K
$8,319 €7,399
326.87%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
London
Roubaix
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$116 £87.3
$87.0 €77.4
33.72%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.5 £40.89
$40.20 €35.76
35.60%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$128 £95.8
$101 €89.5
26.89%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$167 £125
$102 €91.1
62.95%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
London
Roubaix
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,852 £2,140
$756 €672
277.54%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,269 £1,702
$604 €537
275.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,250 £3,939
$1,360 €1,209
286.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,752 £2,815
$1,132 €1,007
231.39%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$18.5K £13.9K
$3,956 €3,519
368.12%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$8,100 £6,077
$3,007 €2,675
169.39%
💵 Salaries & Financials
London
Roubaix
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,109 £3,833
$1,761 €1,566
190.13%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.74
3.92
20.92%

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

Last update for London: October 19, 2026

Last update for Roubaix: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
London
$2.3K
Roubaix
$604 73.4% $1.7K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
$439
Roubaix
$222 49.4% $217
Eating Out
London
$400
Roubaix
$301 24.8% $99
Groceries & Markets
London
$353
Roubaix
$254 28.2% $100
Getting Around
London
$280
Roubaix
$69 75.5% $212
Clothing & Footwear
London
$209
Roubaix
$149 29% $61
Sport & Entertainment
London
$97
Roubaix
$58 40.9% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,852 in London versus $756 in Roubaix. 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 190% 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 $74.0 in Roubaix. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $353 vs $254 – making Roubaix the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 London
🇫🇷 Roubaix
🕒 Local time
18:46 6:46 PM
19:46 7:46 PM
1 h ahead of London
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,908,083 Capital
98,892
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • London Roubaix 250 km
From you
  • London
  • Roubaix

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 Roubaix: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in London and in Roubaix compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $4,049 in London, $1,656 in Roubaix – roughly 145% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in London compared to Roubaix?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,073 per month in London and $2,484 in Roubaix. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between London and Roubaix?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Roubaix, 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 39% 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 $104 in London and $74.0 in Roubaix. 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 Roubaix, where all-in costs run around $1,656, than in London at $4,049. In Roubaix 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 Roubaix?
It depends on your priorities. London has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,656 in Roubaix to $4,049 in London. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is London or Roubaix 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 Roubaix?
If budget matters most, go with Roubaix. 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.

London vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?