Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and York

For one person, living is cheaper in York: $2,187 a month against $3,986 in London, rent and utilities included – about $21,600 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
106

Cost of Living Index in York
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York Living Index

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London

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$3,986

/mo nomad

York

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,187

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in York

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

A single person spends $3,986 per month in London vs $2,187 in York, rent included.

London $3,986
York $2,187

A couple spends around $5,791 per month in London vs $3,476 in York, rent included.

London $5,791
York $3,476

A family of three spends $7,595 per month in London vs $4,765 in York, rent included.

London $7,595
York $4,765

London costs about 82% more than York, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both London and York sit above the global median – London by 195%, York by 62%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.93 £19.45

$26.73 £20.05

-2.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 £79.9

$88.3 £66.2

20.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.71 £8.03

$10.54 £7.91

1.61%

Cappuccino

$5.47 £4.11

$4.97 £3.73

10.06%

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

$2.97 £2.23

$2.67 £2.01

11.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 £1.65

$1.81 £1.36

21.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.13 £6.85

$6.49 £4.87

40.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 £5.96

$6.52 £4.89

21.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 £1.40

$1.64 £1.23

13.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 £1.55

$1.52 £1.14

36.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 £1.81

$1.96 £1.47

23.47%

Eggs

$5.09 £3.82

$3.69 £2.77

37.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.87 £9.66

$8.80 £6.60

46.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 £7.82

$8.16 £6.12

27.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.87 £12.66

$9.91 £7.43

70.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 £2.33

$3.32 £2.49

-6.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 £1.05

$1.95 £1.46

-28.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 £2.31

$2.35 £1.76

31.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 £2.45

$4.69 £3.52

-30.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 £1.19

$3.04 £2.28

-48.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 £1.31

$1.63 £1.23

6.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 £1.05

$1.48 £1.11

-5.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 £1.35

$1.41 £1.06

27.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.28 £17.46

$23.35 £17.52

-0.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 £9.77

$11.96 £8.97

8.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.17 £2.38

$4.05 £3.04

-21.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 £3.32

$4.73 £3.55

-6.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.07 £3.05

$3.91 £2.93

4.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$247 £185

$114 £85.7

116.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.58 £4.18

$4.38 £3.29

27.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.36 £2.52

$2.67 £2.00

25.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$56.8 £42.58

$19.02 £14.27

198.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 £1.60

$2.01 £1.51

5.97%

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

$38.2K £28.6K

$37.6K £28.2K

1.46%

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

$40.9K £30.7K

$39.8K £29.9K

2.70%

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

$372 £279

$200 £150

85.85%

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

$17.82 £13.37

$16.63 £12.48

7.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.37 £30.29

$47.71 £35.79

-15.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.0 £44.99

$48.89 £36.68

22.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.29 £15.97

$23.91 £17.94

-10.96%

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 £13.31

$13.03 £9.78

36.15%

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

$2,864 £2,149

$1,627 £1,220

76.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.3K £26.5K

$16.1K £12.1K

119.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 £85.5

$60.8 £45.64

87.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 £40.71

$37.10 £27.83

46.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 £93.2

$76.9 £57.7

61.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 £122

$78.5 £58.9

107.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,869 £2,152

$1,226 £920

134.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,233 £1,675

$917 £688

143.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,266 £3,951

$2,502 £1,877

110.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,778 £2,835

$1,875 £1,407

101.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.3K £13.8K

$4,897 £3,674

274.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,024 £6,020

$3,877 £2,908

106.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,037 £3,779

$3,465 £2,600

45.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.74

5.61

-15.51%

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

Last update for London: October 10, 2026

Last update for York: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

London

$2.2K 56%

York

$917 41.9% 59% $1.3K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

London

$430 10.8%

York

$265 12.1% 38.5% $166

Eating Out

London

$388 9.7%

York

$369 16.9% 4.9% $19

Groceries & Markets

London

$349 8.8%

York

$301 13.8% 13.8% $48

Getting Around

London

$285 7.2%

York

$148 6.8% 48.3% $138

Clothing & Footwear

London

$205 5.1%

York

$114 5.2% 44.4% $91

Sport & Entertainment

London

$95 2.4%

York

$75 3.4% 21.5% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,869 in London versus $1,226 in York. 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 45% 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 $88.0 in York. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $349 vs $301 – making York the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 London

🇬🇧 York

🕒 Local time

15:03 3:03 PM

Same time as London

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,908,083 Capital

137,000

💱 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 York 280 km

From you

London
York

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 York: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,986 in London, $2,187 in York – roughly 82% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,979 per month in London and $3,281 in York. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 16% 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 $88.0 in York. 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 York, where all-in costs run around $2,187, than in London at $3,986. In York 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 $2,187 in York to $3,986 in London. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with York. 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.