Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Salford

For one person, living is cheaper in Salford: $2,321 a month against $3,986 in London, rent and utilities included – about $20,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

194

Cost of Living Index in London
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London Living Index
113

Cost of Living Index in Salford
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Salford Living Index

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London

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$3,986

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Salford

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,321

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Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Salford

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

A single person spends $3,986 per month in London vs $2,321 in Salford, rent included.

London $3,986
Salford $2,321

A couple spends around $5,791 per month in London vs $3,414 in Salford, rent included.

London $5,791
Salford $3,414

A family of three spends $7,595 per month in London vs $4,507 in Salford, rent included.

London $7,595
Salford $4,507

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

Both London and Salford sit above the global median – London by 195%, Salford by 72%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.93 £19.45

$17.16 £12.87

51.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 £79.9

$104 £77.9

2.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.71 £8.03

$12.41 £9.31

-13.70%

Cappuccino

$5.47 £4.11

$3.95 £2.97

38.48%

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

$2.97 £2.23

$1.80 £1.35

65.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 £1.65

$1.21 £0.91

81.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.13 £6.85

$5.56 £4.17

64.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 £5.96

$3.90 £2.92

103.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 £1.40

$1.65 £1.24

12.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 £1.55

$1.97 £1.48

5.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 £1.81

$2.14 £1.60

13.08%

Eggs

$5.09 £3.82

$4.41 £3.31

15.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.87 £9.66

$4.37 £3.28

194.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 £7.82

$10.55 £7.92

-1.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.87 £12.66

$13.95 £10.47

20.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 £2.33

$4.38 £3.28

-29.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 £1.05

$1.47 £1.10

-4.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 £2.31

$1.94 £1.46

58.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 £2.45

$3.40 £2.55

-3.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 £1.19

$1.59 £1.19

-0.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 £1.31

$1.93 £1.45

-9.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 £1.05

$0.94 £0.71

48.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 £1.35

$1.43 £1.07

25.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.28 £17.46

$23.43 £17.57

-0.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 £9.77

$11.11 £8.34

17.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.17 £2.38

$2.95 £2.21

7.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 £3.32

$2.94 £2.20

50.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.07 £3.05

$2.65 £1.99

53.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$247 £185

$105 £79.0

134.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.58 £4.18

$4.95 £3.71

12.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.36 £2.52

$2.03 £1.53

65.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$56.8 £42.58

$26.22 £19.67

116.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 £1.60

$1.83 £1.37

16.39%

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

$38.2K £28.6K

$37.6K £28.2K

1.54%

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

$40.9K £30.7K

$40.8K £30.6K

0.29%

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

$372 £279

$378 £284

-1.64%

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

$17.82 £13.37

$20.13 £15.10

-11.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.37 £30.29

$19.50 £14.63

107.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.0 £44.99

$45.57 £34.19

31.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.29 £15.97

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 £13.31

$18.13 £13.60

-2.15%

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

$2,864 £2,149

$1,298 £974

120.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.3K £26.5K

$22.0K £16.5K

60.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 £85.5

$65.5 £49.13

74.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 £40.71

$46.12 £34.60

17.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 £93.2

$64.8 £48.62

91.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 £122

$78.5 £58.9

107.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,869 £2,152

$1,236 £928

132.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,233 £1,675

$1,008 £756

121.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,266 £3,951

$2,078 £1,559

153.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,778 £2,835

$1,632 £1,224

131.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.3K £13.8K

$5,062 £3,798

262.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,024 £6,020

$3,895 £2,922

105.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,037 £3,779

$4,557 £3,419

10.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.74

5.54

-14.44%

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

Last update for London: October 10, 2026

Last update for Salford: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

London

$2.2K 56%

Salford

$1K 43.4% 54.9% $1.2K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

London

$430 10.8%

Salford

$418 18% 2.9% $12

Eating Out

London

$388 9.7%

Salford

$270 11.6% 30.4% $118

Groceries & Markets

London

$349 8.8%

Salford

$298 12.8% 14.7% $51

Getting Around

London

$285 7.2%

Salford

$131 5.7% 54.1% $154

Clothing & Footwear

London

$205 5.1%

Salford

$115 4.9% 44% $90

Sport & Entertainment

London

$95 2.4%

Salford

$82 3.5% 14.3% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,869 in London versus $1,236 in Salford. 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 11% 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 $107 in London versus $104 in Salford. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $349 vs $298 – making Salford the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 London

🇬🇧 Salford

🕒 Local time

17:31 5:31 PM

Same time as London

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,908,083 Capital

258,834

💱 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

On the map

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Between locations

London Salford 260 km

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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 Salford: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,986 in London, $2,321 in Salford – roughly 72% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,979 per month in London and $3,481 in Salford. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $107 in London and $104 in Salford. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Salford, where all-in costs run around $2,321, than in London at $3,986. In Salford 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 $2,321 in Salford to $3,986 in London. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Salford. 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.