Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Sal

For one person, living is cheaper in Sal: $857 a month against $4,086 in London, rent and utilities included – about $38,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

London
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$4,086
/mo nomad
Sal
🇨🇻 Cape Verde
$857
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Sal

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

A single person spends $4,086 per month in London vs $857 in Sal, rent included.

  • London $4,086
  • Sal $857

A couple spends around $5,816 per month in London vs $1,347 in Sal, rent included.

  • London $5,816
  • Sal $1,347

A family of three spends $7,546 per month in London vs $1,836 in Sal, rent included.

  • London $7,546
  • Sal $1,836

London costs about 377% more than Sal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

London sits 205% above the global median, while Sal is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
London
Sal
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$26.62 £20.11
$5.71 CVE 562
366.20%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$108 £81.3
$46.45 CVE 4,573
131.63%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.39 £7.85
$11.40 CVE 1,123
-8.86%
Cappuccino
$5.79 £4.38
$2.27 CVE 224
155.07%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.01 £2.27
$2.69 CVE 265
11.90%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.15 £1.63
$1.15 CVE 113
86.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.35 £7.06
$4.50 CVE 443
107.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.84 £5.93
$3.14 CVE 309
149.68%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
London
Sal
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.79 £1.35
$1.61 CVE 159
11.18%
White Bread (500g)
$2.06 £1.56
$2.21 CVE 218
-6.79%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.31 £1.74
$1.21 CVE 119
90.91%
Eggs
$5.05 £3.82
$2.98 CVE 293
69.46%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.57 £9.50
$9.52 CVE 937
32.04%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.66 £8.05
$7.63 CVE 751
39.71%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.13 £12.94
$16.54 CVE 1,629
3.57%
Apples (1kg)
$3.03 £2.29
$3.27 CVE 322
-7.34%
Banana (1kg)
$1.41 £1.07
$2.42 CVE 238
-41.74%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.05 £2.31
$3.26 CVE 321
-6.44%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.38 £2.56
$4.03 CVE 397
-16.13%
Potato (1kg)
$1.67 £1.26
$1.74 CVE 172
-4.02%
Onion (1kg)
$1.73 £1.31
$1.89 CVE 187
-8.47%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.41 £1.07
$1.57 CVE 155
-10.19%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.79 £1.35
$1.16 CVE 114
54.31%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.22 £17.55
$4.54 CVE 447
411.45%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.99 £9.82
$6.82 CVE 671
90.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.18 £2.40
$4.01 CVE 395
-20.70%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.41 £3.33
$1.86 CVE 183
137.10%
🚌 Getting Around
London
Sal
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.87 £2.93
$1.05 CVE 103
268.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$250 £189
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.71 £4.31
$2.09 CVE 206
173.21%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.33 £2.51
$3.17 CVE 312
5.05%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$57.9 £43.76
$12.72 CVE 1,252
355.27%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.04 £1.54
$1.34 CVE 132
52.24%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.5K £28.4K
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.9K £30.9K
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
Sal
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$376 £284
$62.3 CVE 6,135
503.58%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.88 £13.51
-
-
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.01 £30.24
$50.3 CVE 4,948
-20.39%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
London
Sal
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$61.2 £46.22
$28.27 CVE 2,783
116.34%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.07 £15.93
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$17.95 £13.57
-
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
London
Sal
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,865 £2,165
$115 CVE 11.3K
2392.42%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$35.3K £26.7K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
London
Sal
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$116 £87.7
$30.89 CVE 3,041
275.53%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.1 £40.87
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$127 £95.7
-
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$159 £120
$144 CVE 14.2K
10.68%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
London
Sal
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,853 £2,156
$260 CVE 25.6K
998.44%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,301 £1,739
$172 CVE 17.0K
1235.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,201 £3,931
$304 CVE 29.9K
1613.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,723 £2,813
$208 CVE 20.5K
1690.08%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$19.0K £14.4K
$672 CVE 66.1K
2729.22%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$7,881 £5,955
$341 CVE 33.6K
2211.47%
💵 Salaries & Financials
London
Sal
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,818 £3,641
$254 CVE 25.0K
1796.69%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.65
5.25
-11.43%

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

Last update for London: October 4, 2026

Last update for Sal: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
London
$2.3K
Sal
$172 92.5% $2.1K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
$434
Sal
$113 * 74.1% $321
Eating Out
London
$397
Sal
$151 61.9% $245
Groceries & Markets
London
$349
Sal
$302 13.6% $47
Getting Around
London
$288
Sal
$22 * 92.3% $266
Clothing & Footwear
London
$205
Sal
$79 * 61.7% $127
Sport & Entertainment
London
$97
Sal
$28 * 70.9% $69

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,853 in London versus $260 in Sal. 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 1797% 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 $108 in London versus $46.00 in Sal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $349 vs $302 – making Sal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 London
🇨🇻 Sal
🕒 Local time
11:07 11:07 AM
09:07 9:07 AM
2 h behind London
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,908,083 Capital
1,288
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CVE, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.756 GBP (1 GBP = 1.32 USD). 1 EUR = 0.847 GBP (1 GBP = 1.18 EUR).

Cabo Verdean Escudo exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 98.45 CVE (100 CVE = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 110 CVE (1,000 CVE = 9.06 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • London Sal 4,360 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • London
  • Sal

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 Sal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in London and in Sal compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $4,086 in London, $857 in Sal – roughly 377% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in London compared to Sal?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,129 per month in London and $1,286 in Sal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between London and Sal?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Sal, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: London or Sal?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,086 in London and $857 in Sal. That's a gap of about 377%.
What is the difference in childcare costs between London and Sal?
Kindergarten costs $2,865 per month in London and $115 in Sal. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sal, where all-in costs run around $857, than in London at $4,086. In Sal 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 Sal?
It depends on your priorities. London has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $857 in Sal to $4,086 in London. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is London or Sal 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 Sal?
If budget matters most, go with Sal. 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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