Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Southwark

For one person, living is cheaper in Southwark: $1,473 a month against $3,986 in London, rent and utilities included – about $30,200 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
72

Cost of Living Index in Southwark
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Southwark Living Index

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London

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$3,986

/mo nomad

Southwark

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$1,473

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Southwark

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

A single person spends $3,986 per month in London vs $1,473 in Southwark, rent included.

London $3,986
Southwark $1,473

A couple spends around $5,791 per month in London vs $4,277 in Southwark, rent included.

London $5,791
Southwark $4,277

A family of three spends $7,595 per month in London vs $7,080 in Southwark, rent included.

London $7,595
Southwark $7,080

London costs about 171% more than Southwark, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both London and Southwark sit above the global median – London by 195%, Southwark by 9%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.93 £19.45

$24.89 £18.67

4.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 £79.9

$98.4 £73.8

8.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.71 £8.03

$10.65 £7.99

0.56%

Cappuccino

$5.47 £4.11

$5.71 £4.28

-4.20%

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

$2.97 £2.23

$2.97 £2.22

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 £1.65

$2.50 £1.87

-12.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.13 £6.85

$9.43 £7.07

-3.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 £5.96

$8.01 £6.01

-0.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 £1.40

$1.95 £1.47

-4.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 £1.55

$2.04 £1.53

1.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 £1.81

$2.10 £1.58

15.24%

Eggs

$5.09 £3.82

$4.40 £3.30

15.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.87 £9.66

$11.64 £8.74

10.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 £7.82

$9.39 £7.04

11.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.87 £12.66

$14.91 £11.19

13.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 £2.33

$2.95 £2.21

5.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 £1.05

$1.36 £1.02

2.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 £2.31

$2.87 £2.15

7.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 £2.45

$3.38 £2.53

-3.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 £1.19

$1.65 £1.24

-4.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 £1.31

$1.73 £1.30

0.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 £1.05

$1.30 £0.98

7.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 £1.35

$1.78 £1.33

1.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.28 £17.46

$23.70 £17.78

-1.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 £9.77

$11.87 £8.91

9.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.17 £2.38

$3.02 £2.27

4.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 £3.32

$3.23 £2.42

36.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.07 £3.05

$3.90 £2.93

4.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$247 £185

$159 £119

54.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.58 £4.18

$5.05 £3.79

10.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.36 £2.52

$2.70 £2.02

24.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$56.8 £42.58

$39.31 £29.49

44.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 £1.60

$2.14 £1.60

-0.47%

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

$38.2K £28.6K

$38.6K £28.9K

-1.03%

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

$40.9K £30.7K

$40.2K £30.2K

1.62%

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

$372 £279

$329 £247

13.07%

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

$17.82 £13.37

$17.85 £13.39

-0.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.37 £30.29

$40.79 £30.60

-1.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.0 £44.99

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.29 £15.97

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 £13.31

$17.69 £13.27

0.28%

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

$2,864 £2,149

$2,484 £1,864

15.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.3K £26.5K

$29.9K £22.4K

18.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 £85.5

$90.9 £68.2

25.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 £40.71

$46.17 £34.64

17.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 £93.2

$103 £77.1

20.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 £122

$89.2 £66.9

82.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,869 £2,152

$2,309 £1,732

24.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,233 £1,675

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,266 £3,951

$5,679 £4,260

-7.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,778 £2,835

$3,867 £2,901

-2.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.3K £13.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,024 £6,020

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,037 £3,779

$4,165 £3,124

20.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.74

5.12

-7.42%

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

Last update for London: October 10, 2026

Last update for Southwark: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

London

$2.2K 56%

Southwark

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

London

$430 10.8%

Southwark

$388 26.3% 9.9% $43

Eating Out

London

$388 9.7%

Southwark

$385 26.1% 0.8% $2.9

Groceries & Markets

London

$349 8.8%

Southwark

$324 22% 7.3% $25

Getting Around

London

$285 7.2%

Southwark

$193 13.1% 32.2% $92

Clothing & Footwear

London

$205 5.1%

Southwark

$148 10.1% 27.8% $57

Sport & Entertainment

London

$95 2.4%

Southwark

$35 * 2.4% 62.9% $60

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,869 in London versus $2,309 in Southwark. 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 21% 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 $98.0 in Southwark. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $349 vs $324 – making Southwark the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 London

🇬🇧 Southwark

🕒 Local time

07:32 7:32 AM

Same time as London

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,908,083 Capital

71,552

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

London Southwark 6 km

From you

London
Southwark

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 Southwark: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,986 in London, $1,473 in Southwark – roughly 171% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,979 per month in London and $2,210 in Southwark. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 8% 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 $98.0 in Southwark. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,986 in London and $1,473 in Southwark. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. London has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,473 in Southwark to $3,986 in London. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Southwark. 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.