Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and St Helens

For one person, living is cheaper in St Helens: $1,993 a month against $3,986 in London, rent and utilities included – about $23,900 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
97

Cost of Living Index in St Helens
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St Helens Living Index

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London

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$3,986

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St Helens

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$1,993

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Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in St Helens

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

A single person spends $3,986 per month in London vs $1,993 in St Helens, rent included.

London $3,986
St Helens $1,993

A couple spends around $5,791 per month in London vs $3,045 in St Helens, rent included.

London $5,791
St Helens $3,045

A family of three spends $7,595 per month in London vs $4,098 in St Helens, rent included.

London $7,595
St Helens $4,098

London costs about 100% more than St Helens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both London and St Helens sit above the global median – London by 195%, St Helens by 48%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.93 £19.45

$26.90 £20.18

-3.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 £79.9

$78.6 £59.0

35.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.71 £8.03

$10.48 £7.86

2.19%

Cappuccino

$5.47 £4.11

$4.08 £3.06

34.07%

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

$2.97 £2.23

$2.37 £1.78

25.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 £1.65

$1.99 £1.50

10.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.13 £6.85

$5.36 £4.02

70.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 £5.96

$4.54 £3.41

74.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 £1.40

$1.34 £1.01

38.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 £1.55

$1.77 £1.33

16.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 £1.81

$1.94 £1.46

24.74%

Eggs

$5.09 £3.82

$4.01 £3.01

26.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.87 £9.66

$9.00 £6.75

43.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 £7.82

$8.28 £6.21

25.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.87 £12.66

$10.66 £7.99

58.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 £2.33

$3.25 £2.44

-4.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 £1.05

$1.30 £0.97

7.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 £2.31

$3.03 £2.27

1.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 £2.45

$3.45 £2.59

-5.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 £1.19

$1.15 £0.86

37.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 £1.31

$1.83 £1.37

-4.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 £1.05

$1.30 £0.98

7.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 £1.35

$1.30 £0.98

38.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.28 £17.46

$19.59 £14.70

18.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 £9.77

$9.96 £7.47

30.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.17 £2.38

$2.86 £2.14

10.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 £3.32

$2.61 £1.95

69.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.07 £3.05

$2.65 £1.99

53.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$247 £185

$100 £75.1

146.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.58 £4.18

$3.37 £2.53

65.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.36 £2.52

$2.07 £1.56

62.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$56.8 £42.58

$15.82 £11.87

258.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 £1.60

$1.94 £1.46

9.79%

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

$38.2K £28.6K

$26.4K £19.8K

44.58%

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

$40.9K £30.7K

$33.6K £25.2K

21.58%

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

$372 £279

$365 £274

2.07%

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

$17.82 £13.37

$17.20 £12.91

3.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.37 £30.29

$43.87 £32.91

-7.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.0 £44.99

$26.94 £20.21

122.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.29 £15.97

$3.85 £2.89

452.99%

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 £13.31

$13.42 £10.07

32.19%

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

$2,864 £2,149

$805 £604

255.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.3K £26.5K

$6,625 £4,971

433.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 £85.5

$65.0 £48.78

75.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 £40.71

$39.08 £29.32

38.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 £93.2

$72.3 £54.3

71.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 £122

$109 £81.7

49.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,869 £2,152

$797 £598

259.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,233 £1,675

$636 £477

251.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,266 £3,951

$1,503 £1,128

250.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,778 £2,835

$1,257 £943

200.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.3K £13.8K

$3,315 £2,487

453.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,024 £6,020

$2,308 £1,731

247.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,037 £3,779

$1,863 £1,398

170.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.74

5.21

-9.02%

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

Last update for London: October 10, 2026

Last update for St Helens: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

London

$2.2K 56%

St Helens

$636 31.9% 71.5% $1.6K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

London

$430 10.8%

St Helens

$426 21.4% 1.1% $4.6

Eating Out

London

$388 9.7%

St Helens

$349 17.5% 10% $39

Groceries & Markets

London

$349 8.8%

St Helens

$276 13.9% 21% $73

Getting Around

London

$285 7.2%

St Helens

$124 6.2% 56.4% $161

Clothing & Footwear

London

$205 5.1%

St Helens

$128 6.4% 37.4% $77

Sport & Entertainment

London

$95 2.4%

St Helens

$54 2.7% 43.7% $42

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,869 in London versus $797 in St Helens. 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 170% 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 $79.0 in St Helens. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $349 vs $276 – making St Helens the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 London

🇬🇧 St Helens

🕒 Local time

00:08 12:08 AM

Same time as London

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,908,083 Capital

183,200

💱 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 St Helens 280 km

From you

London
St Helens

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 St Helens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,986 in London, $1,993 in St Helens – roughly 100% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,979 per month in London and $2,989 in St Helens. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 27% 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 $79.0 in St Helens. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in St Helens, where all-in costs run around $1,993, than in London at $3,986. In St Helens 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 $1,993 in St Helens to $3,986 in London. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with St Helens. 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.