Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Rugby

For one person, living is cheaper in Rugby: $2,347 a month against $4,049 in London, rent and utilities included – about $20,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

London
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$4,049
/mo nomad
Rugby
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,347
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Rugby

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

A single person spends $4,049 per month in London vs $2,347 in Rugby, rent included.

  • London $4,049
  • Rugby $2,347

A couple spends around $5,827 per month in London vs $3,506 in Rugby, rent included.

  • London $5,827
  • Rugby $3,506

A family of three spends $7,605 per month in London vs $4,665 in Rugby, rent included.

  • London $7,605
  • Rugby $4,665

London costs about 72% more than Rugby, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both London and Rugby sit above the global median – London by 199%, Rugby by 73%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
London
Rugby
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$27.09 £20.33
$19.62 £14.72
38.07%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$104 £78.3
$79.2 £59.4
31.74%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.86 £8.15
$9.53 £7.15
13.96%
Cappuccino
$5.60 £4.20
$4.91 £3.68
14.05%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.05 £2.29
$2.12 £1.59
43.87%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28 £1.71
$1.50 £1.13
52.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.23 £6.92
$6.05 £4.54
52.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.95 £5.96
$6.58 £4.94
20.82%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
London
Rugby
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.83 £1.37
$1.70 £1.28
7.65%
White Bread (500g)
$2.05 £1.54
$1.75 £1.32
17.14%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.47 £1.86
$2.55 £1.91
-3.14%
Eggs
$5.12 £3.84
$3.77 £2.83
35.81%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.89 £9.67
$9.32 £6.99
38.30%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.84 £8.14
$7.79 £5.85
39.15%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.03 £12.78
$15.11 £11.34
12.71%
Apples (1kg)
$3.07 £2.30
$2.59 £1.95
18.53%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 £1.03
$1.75 £1.31
-21.14%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.99 £2.24
$2.41 £1.81
24.07%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.39 £2.54
$3.17 £2.37
6.94%
Potato (1kg)
$1.60 £1.20
$1.66 £1.25
-3.61%
Onion (1kg)
$1.80 £1.35
$1.75 £1.31
2.86%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.41 £1.06
$1.24 £0.93
13.71%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.81 £1.36
$1.58 £1.19
14.56%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.92 £17.94
$21.66 £16.25
10.43%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.54 £10.16
$11.81 £8.86
14.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.23 £2.42
$3.59 £2.70
-10.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.39 £3.29
$3.38 £2.53
29.88%
🚌 Getting Around
London
Rugby
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.92 £2.94
$2.64 £1.98
48.48%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$243 £182
$106 £79.7
128.48%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.58 £4.18
$4.69 £3.52
18.98%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.27 £2.46
$1.62 £1.21
101.85%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$58.4 £43.81
$24.42 £18.32
139.15%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.08 £1.56
$2.09 £1.56
-0.48%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.8K £29.1K
$39.2K £29.4K
-0.83%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.6K £30.5K
$40.9K £30.7K
-0.60%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
Rugby
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$380 £285
$265 £199
43.22%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.62 £13.97
$19.84 £14.88
-6.15%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.45 £30.35
$46.42 £34.83
-12.86%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
London
Rugby
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$61.3 £45.95
$57.0 £42.79
7.38%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.41 £16.07
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$18.09 £13.57
$14.91 £11.18
21.33%
🧸 Childcare & Education
London
Rugby
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,905 £2,180
$1,600 £1,200
81.58%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$35.5K £26.6K
$22.5K £16.9K
57.68%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
London
Rugby
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$116 £87.3
$108 £81.4
7.30%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.5 £40.89
$31.56 £23.68
72.72%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$128 £95.8
$83.0 £62.2
53.91%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$167 £125
$113 £84.8
47.60%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
London
Rugby
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,852 £2,140
$1,107 £831
157.56%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,269 £1,702
$1,044 £783
117.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,250 £3,939
$1,797 £1,348
192.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,752 £2,815
$1,844 £1,383
103.51%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$18.5K £13.9K
$4,965 £3,725
273.01%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$8,100 £6,077
$3,847 £2,886
110.52%
💵 Salaries & Financials
London
Rugby
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,109 £3,833
$4,705 £3,529
8.60%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.74
5.09
-6.88%

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

Last update for London: October 19, 2026

Last update for Rugby: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
London
$2.3K
Rugby
$1K 54% $1.2K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
$439
Rugby
$332 24.5% $107
Eating Out
London
$400
Rugby
$302 24.4% $98
Groceries & Markets
London
$353
Rugby
$302 14.6% $52
Getting Around
London
$280
Rugby
$130 53.8% $151
Clothing & Footwear
London
$209
Rugby
$151 27.8% $58
Sport & Entertainment
London
$97
Rugby
$87 10.9% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,852 in London versus $1,107 in Rugby. 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 9% 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 $79.0 in Rugby. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $353 vs $302 – making Rugby the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 London
🇬🇧 Rugby
🕒 Local time
12:38 12:38 PM
12:38 12:38 PM
Same time as London
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,908,083 Capital
70,628
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
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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 Rugby: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in London and in Rugby compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $4,049 in London, $2,347 in Rugby – roughly 72% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in London compared to Rugby?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,073 per month in London and $3,521 in Rugby. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between London and Rugby?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Rugby, 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 17% 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 $79.0 in Rugby. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,500 per month?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Rugby, where all-in costs run around $2,347, than in London at $4,049. In Rugby 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 Rugby?
It depends on your priorities. London has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,347 in Rugby to $4,049 in London. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between London and Rugby?
If budget matters most, go with Rugby. 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.

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