Cost of Living Comparison Between Merthyr Tydfil and Rugby Cost of Living Comparison Between Merthyr Tydfil and Rugby

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,208 per month in Merthyr Tydfil vs $2,114 in Rugby, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,061 per month in Merthyr Tydfil vs $3,198 in Rugby, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,915 per month in Merthyr Tydfil vs $4,282 in Rugby, rent included.

Merthyr Tydfil costs about 4% more than Rugby, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Merthyr Tydfil and Rugby sit above the global median – Merthyr Tydfil by 65%, Rugby by 58%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.20 £15.01

$20.34 £15.12

-0.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.0 £46.07

$81.5 £60.6

-23.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.12 £6.04

$9.39 £6.98

-13.53%

Cappuccino

$3.72 £2.77

$4.69 £3.49

-20.68%

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

$2.29 £1.70

$2.01 £1.49

13.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 £1.30

$1.40 £1.04

24.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.16 £3.83

$5.39 £4.01

-4.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 £3.37

$6.16 £4.58

-26.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 £1.38

$1.61 £1.20

14.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 £1.25

$1.59 £1.19

5.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 £2.09

$2.66 £1.97

6.02%

Eggs

$5.49 £4.08

$3.72 £2.76

47.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.52 £10.80

$10.95 £8.14

32.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.93 £6.64

$7.94 £5.90

12.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.14 £10.51

$13.84 £10.29

2.17%

Apples (1kg)

$4.08 £3.03

$2.60 £1.93

56.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 £1.15

$1.72 £1.28

-10.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 £2.35

$2.07 £1.54

53.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.71 £4.24

$2.79 £2.07

104.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 £1.22

$1.66 £1.23

-1.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 £1.48

$1.41 £1.05

40.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 £0.78

$1.11 £0.82

-5.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 £1.53

$1.39 £1.03

48.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.75 £14.68

$17.63 £13.10

12.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.99 £8.91

$12.24 £9.10

-2.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.47 £2.58

$3.45 £2.56

0.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 £3.41

$4.05 £3.01

13.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.39 £2.52

$2.78 £2.07

21.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$102 £75.5

$94.8 £70.5

7.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.32 £6.18

$4.55 £3.38

82.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 £1.08

$1.25 £0.93

16.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.77 £25.10

$24.62 £18.30

37.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 £1.42

$1.89 £1.41

1.06%

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

$37.7K £28.0K

$39.0K £29.0K

-3.49%

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

$44.8K £33.3K

$40.8K £30.3K

9.84%

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

$380 £282

$284 £211

33.64%

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

$18.76 £13.95

$23.47 £17.45

-20.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.49 £35.30

$42.66 £31.71

11.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.79 £34.04

$50.2 £37.33

-8.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.79 £10.25

Cinema Ticket

$14.68 £10.91

$13.37 £9.94

9.80%

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

$1,754 £1,304

$1,395 £1,037

25.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K £13.6K

$14.0K £10.4K

31.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.1 £70.0

$110 £82.1

-14.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.9 £39.29

$36.29 £26.98

45.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.9 £69.1

$117 £86.7

-20.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 £88.9

$108 £80.0

11.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$812 £604

$802 £596

1.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$781 £580

$805 £599

-3.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,181 £878

$1,548 £1,151

-23.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 £768

$1,522 £1,131

-32.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,067 £3,766

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,348 £3,232

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,606 £1,194

$3,287 £2,443

-51.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

5.76

-0.35%

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

Last update for Merthyr Tydfil: June 1, 2026

Last update for Rugby: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $812 in Merthyr Tydfil versus $802 in Rugby. 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 105% higher in Rugby, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in Merthyr Tydfil versus $81.0 in Rugby. Groceries tell a different story – $358 in Merthyr Tydfil vs $296 in Rugby – so Rugby wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Merthyr Tydfil vs Rugby: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,208 in Merthyr Tydfil, $2,114 in Rugby – roughly 4% apart. Merthyr Tydfil costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,311 per month in Merthyr Tydfil and $3,171 in Rugby. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 7% less in Rugby. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,754 per month in Merthyr Tydfil and $1,395 in Rugby. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Rugby, where all-in costs run around $2,114, than in Merthyr Tydfil at $2,208. In Rugby it covers expenses comfortably, while in Merthyr Tydfil it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Rugby – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Rugby. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Merthyr Tydfil makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.