Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Semey

For one person, living is cheaper in Semey: $712 a month against $3,986 in London, rent and utilities included – about $39,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

London
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$3,986
/mo nomad
Semey
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
$712
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Semey

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

A single person spends $3,986 per month in London vs $712 in Semey, rent included.

  • London $3,986
  • Semey $712

A couple spends around $5,791 per month in London vs $1,147 in Semey, rent included.

  • London $5,791
  • Semey $1,147

A family of three spends $7,595 per month in London vs $1,581 in Semey, rent included.

  • London $7,595
  • Semey $1,581

London costs about 460% more than Semey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

London sits 195% above the global median, while Semey is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
London
Semey
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$25.93 £19.45
$5.00 ₸2,261
418.60%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$107 £79.9
$21.88 ₸9,891
386.75%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.71 £8.03
$5.48 ₸2,477
95.44%
Cappuccino
$5.47 £4.11
$1.69 ₸764
223.67%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 £2.23
$0.79 ₸357
275.95%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.20 £1.65
$0.48 ₸216
358.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.13 £6.85
$0.85 ₸384
974.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.94 £5.96
$1.37 ₸621
479.56%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
London
Semey
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.86 £1.40
$0.99 ₸449
87.88%
White Bread (500g)
$2.07 £1.55
$0.37 ₸165
459.46%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.42 £1.81
$1.86 ₸839
30.11%
Eggs
$5.09 £3.82
$1.51 ₸681
237.09%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.87 £9.66
$5.36 ₸2,424
140.11%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.43 £7.82
$3.74 ₸1,691
178.88%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.87 £12.66
$5.28 ₸2,388
219.51%
Apples (1kg)
$3.11 £2.33
$1.21 ₸547
157.02%
Banana (1kg)
$1.40 £1.05
$1.73 ₸782
-19.08%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.08 £2.31
$1.82 ₸821
69.23%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.27 £2.45
$1.67 ₸756
95.81%
Potato (1kg)
$1.58 £1.19
$0.42 ₸189
276.19%
Onion (1kg)
$1.74 £1.31
$0.56 ₸255
210.71%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.40 £1.05
$1.32 ₸595
6.06%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.80 £1.35
$0.99 ₸445
81.82%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.28 £17.46
$2.51 ₸1,134
827.49%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.03 £9.77
$7.13 ₸3,221
82.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.17 £2.38
$1.37 ₸617
131.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.42 £3.32
$2.20 ₸993
100.91%
🚌 Getting Around
London
Semey
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.07 £3.05
$0.23 ₸104
1669.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$247 £185
$17.26 ₸7,802
1329.66%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.58 £4.18
$1.30 ₸588
329.23%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.36 £2.52
$1.15 ₸519
192.17%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$56.8 £42.58
$6.52 ₸2,949
770.40%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.13 £1.60
$0.68 ₸305
213.24%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.2K £28.6K
$25.4K ₸11.5M
50.63%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.9K £30.7K
$25.9K ₸11.7M
58.07%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
Semey
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$372 £279
$32.84 ₸14.8K
1033.25%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.82 £13.37
$9.06 ₸4,095
96.69%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.37 £30.29
$19.03 ₸8,604
112.14%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
London
Semey
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$60.0 £44.99
$42.09 ₸19.0K
42.48%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.29 £15.97
$10.97 ₸4,959
94.07%
Cinema Ticket
$17.74 £13.31
$4.55 ₸2,058
289.89%
🧸 Childcare & Education
London
Semey
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,864 £2,149
$135 ₸61.1K
2020.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$35.3K £26.5K
$4,484 ₸2.0M
687.95%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
London
Semey
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$114 £85.5
$28.65 ₸13.0K
297.98%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.3 £40.71
$25.32 ₸11.4K
114.34%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$124 £93.2
$98.0 ₸44.3K
26.78%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$163 £122
$74.0 ₸33.5K
120.35%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
London
Semey
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,869 £2,152
$340 ₸153.6K
744.16%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,233 £1,675
$230 ₸103.8K
872.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,266 £3,951
$615 ₸278.1K
756.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,778 £2,835
$487 ₸220.1K
676.04%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$18.3K £13.8K
$1,094 ₸494.4K
1576.16%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$8,024 £6,020
$869 ₸392.9K
823.26%
💵 Salaries & Financials
London
Semey
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,037 £3,779
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.74
19.25
-75.38%

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

Last update for London: October 10, 2026

Last update for Semey: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
London
$2.2K
Semey
$230 89.7% $2K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
$430
Semey
$61 85.8% $369
Eating Out
London
$388
Semey
$89 77.1% $299
Groceries & Markets
London
$349
Semey
$155 55.7% $195
Getting Around
London
$285
Semey
$25 91.2% $260
Clothing & Footwear
London
$205
Semey
$102 50.4% $103
Sport & Entertainment
London
$95
Semey
$51 46.4% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,869 in London versus $340 in Semey. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $107 in London versus $22.00 in Semey. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $349 vs $155 – making Semey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 London
🇰🇿 Semey
🕒 Local time
08:17 8:17 AM
13:17 1:17 PM
5 h ahead of London
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,908,083 Capital
310,456
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • London Semey 5,330 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • London
  • Semey

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 Semey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in London and in Semey compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $3,986 in London, $712 in Semey – roughly 460% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in London compared to Semey?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,979 per month in London and $1,068 in Semey. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between London and Semey?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Semey, 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 126% 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 $107 in London and $22.00 in Semey. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Semey, where all-in costs run around $712, than in London at $3,986. In Semey 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 Semey?
It depends on your priorities. London has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $712 in Semey to $3,986 in London. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between London and Semey?
If budget matters most, go with Semey. 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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