Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Sunderland

For one person, living is cheaper in Sunderland: $1,845 a month against $4,049 in London, rent and utilities included – about $26,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

195

Cost of Living Index in London
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London Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Sunderland
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Sunderland Living Index

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London

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$4,049

/mo nomad

Sunderland

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$1,845

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Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Sunderland

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

A single person spends $4,049 per month in London vs $1,845 in Sunderland, rent included.

London $4,049
Sunderland $1,845

A couple spends around $5,827 per month in London vs $2,755 in Sunderland, rent included.

London $5,827
Sunderland $2,755

A family of three spends $7,605 per month in London vs $3,665 in Sunderland, rent included.

London $7,605
Sunderland $3,665

London costs about 119% more than Sunderland, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both London and Sunderland sit above the global median – London by 199%, Sunderland by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.09 £20.33

$18.54 £13.91

46.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$104 £78.3

$70.2 £52.7

48.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.86 £8.15

$8.87 £6.66

22.44%

Cappuccino

$5.60 £4.20

$5.02 £3.77

11.55%

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

$3.05 £2.29

$2.32 £1.74

31.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 £1.71

$1.96 £1.47

16.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.23 £6.92

$4.63 £3.48

99.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.95 £5.96

$4.30 £3.23

84.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 £1.37

$1.44 £1.08

27.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 £1.54

$1.37 £1.03

49.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.47 £1.86

$2.40 £1.80

2.92%

Eggs

$5.12 £3.84

$3.52 £2.64

45.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.89 £9.67

$9.72 £7.29

32.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.84 £8.14

$8.99 £6.74

20.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.03 £12.78

$14.35 £10.76

18.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 £2.30

$3.26 £2.44

-5.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 £1.03

$1.85 £1.39

-25.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 £2.24

$2.92 £2.19

2.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.39 £2.54

$3.79 £2.84

-10.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 £1.20

$1.79 £1.34

-10.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 £1.35

$1.48 £1.11

21.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 £1.06

$1.20 £0.90

17.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 £1.36

$1.50 £1.13

20.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.92 £17.94

$22.99 £17.25

4.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.54 £10.16

$10.19 £7.65

32.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.23 £2.42

$3.57 £2.68

-9.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 £3.29

$3.49 £2.62

25.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.92 £2.94

$2.08 £1.56

88.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$243 £182

$119 £89.6

103.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.58 £4.18

$4.40 £3.30

26.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.27 £2.46

$1.55 £1.16

110.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$58.4 £43.81

$28.14 £21.11

107.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 £1.56

$2.09 £1.57

-0.48%

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

$38.8K £29.1K

$38.3K £28.8K

1.29%

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

$40.6K £30.5K

$40.5K £30.4K

0.29%

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

$380 £285

$248 £186

53.25%

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

$18.62 £13.97

$16.93 £12.70

9.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.45 £30.35

$42.31 £31.74

-4.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 £45.95

$40.70 £30.53

50.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.41 £16.07

$12.01 £9.01

78.27%

Cinema Ticket

$18.09 £13.57

$10.66 £8.00

69.70%

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

$2,905 £2,180

$819 £614

254.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.5K £26.6K

$17.6K £13.2K

101.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$116 £87.3

$91.1 £68.4

27.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.5 £40.89

$47.14 £35.37

15.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 £95.8

$109 £81.4

17.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$167 £125

$94.7 £71.1

76.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,852 £2,140

$792 £594

260.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,269 £1,702

$595 £446

281.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,250 £3,939

$1,356 £1,017

287.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,752 £2,815

$957 £718

292.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.5K £13.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,100 £6,077

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,109 £3,833

$3,663 £2,748

39.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.74

5.15

-7.96%

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

Last update for London: October 19, 2026

Last update for Sunderland: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

London

$2.3K 56%

Sunderland

$595 32.2% 73.8% $1.7K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

London

$439 10.9%

Sunderland

$307 16.7% 30% $132

Eating Out

London

$400 9.9%

Sunderland

$284 15.4% 28.9% $116

Groceries & Markets

London

$353 8.7%

Sunderland

$303 16.4% 14.2% $50

Getting Around

London

$280 6.9%

Sunderland

$140 7.6% 50.1% $140

Clothing & Footwear

London

$209 5.2%

Sunderland

$154 8.3% 26.6% $56

Sport & Entertainment

London

$97 2.4%

Sunderland

$62 3.4% 36.3% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,852 in London versus $792 in Sunderland. 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 39% 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 $104 in London versus $70.0 in Sunderland. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $353 vs $303 – making Sunderland the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 London

🇬🇧 Sunderland

🕒 Local time

08:37 8:37 AM

Same time as London

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,908,083 Capital

275,300

💱 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

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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 Sunderland: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $4,049 in London, $1,845 in Sunderland – roughly 119% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,073 per month in London and $2,768 in Sunderland. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sunderland, 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 $104 in London and $70.0 in Sunderland. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Sunderland, where all-in costs run around $1,845, than in London at $4,049. In Sunderland 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 $1,845 in Sunderland to $4,049 in London. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Sunderland. 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.