Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Milton Keynes and London

For one person, living is cheaper in Milton Keynes: $2,511 a month against $4,048 in London, rent and utilities included – about $18,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
London, United Kingdom
Milton Keynes
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,511
/mo nomad
London
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$4,048
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Milton Keynes and in London

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Milton Keynes and in London actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,511 per month in Milton Keynes vs $4,048 in London, rent included.

  • Milton Keynes $2,511
  • London $4,048

A couple spends around $3,563 per month in Milton Keynes vs $5,903 in London, rent included.

  • Milton Keynes $3,563
  • London $5,903

A family of three spends $4,614 per month in Milton Keynes vs $7,758 in London, rent included.

  • Milton Keynes $4,614
  • London $7,758

Milton Keynes is about 38% cheaper than London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Milton Keynes and London sit above the global median – Milton Keynes by 86%, London by 199%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Milton Keynes
London
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.77 £14.74
$26.36 £19.65
-25.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$86.1 £64.2
$109 £81.0
-20.66%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.59 £8.65
$10.71 £7.99
8.22%
Cappuccino
$4.64 £3.46
$5.59 £4.17
-16.99%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 £1.41
$3.00 £2.24
-37.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.12 £0.84
$2.22 £1.66
-49.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.59 £4.92
$9.65 £7.20
-31.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.06 £4.52
$8.26 £6.16
-26.63%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Milton Keynes
London
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.71 £1.28
$1.97 £1.47
-13.20%
White Bread (500g)
$1.48 £1.11
$2.09 £1.56
-29.19%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.87 £2.14
$2.59 £1.93
10.81%
Eggs
$3.97 £2.96
$5.37 £4.01
-26.07%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.52 £6.36
$13.12 £9.78
-35.06%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.00 £6.71
$11.03 £8.22
-18.40%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.12 £9.79
$17.73 £13.22
-26.00%
Apples (1kg)
$3.38 £2.52
$3.17 £2.37
6.62%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 £1.09
$1.38 £1.03
5.80%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.60 £1.94
$2.82 £2.10
-7.80%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.79 £2.08
$3.36 £2.51
-16.96%
Potato (1kg)
$1.97 £1.47
$1.70 £1.26
15.88%
Onion (1kg)
$1.64 £1.23
$1.78 £1.32
-7.87%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.27 £0.95
$1.49 £1.11
-14.77%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.38 £1.03
$1.82 £1.36
-24.18%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.90 £17.82
$23.85 £17.78
0.21%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.29 £6.93
$13.44 £10.02
-30.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.69 £2.01
$3.11 £2.32
-13.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.39 £1.78
$4.49 £3.35
-46.77%
🚌 Getting Around
Milton Keynes
London
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.13 £3.08
$4.13 £3.08
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$84.5 £63.0
$266 £198
-68.22%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.95 £3.69
$5.98 £4.46
-17.22%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.63 £1.22
$3.39 £2.53
-51.92%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$30.61 £22.82
$56.6 £42.17
-45.87%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.12 £1.58
$2.21 £1.65
-4.07%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.3K £28.6K
$38.3K £28.5K
0.06%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.5K £30.2K
$41.0K £30.6K
-1.39%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Milton Keynes
London
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$309 £230
$372 £278
-16.99%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.49 £10.80
$18.66 £13.91
-22.35%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$41.15 £30.68
$40.53 £30.22
1.53%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Milton Keynes
London
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.73 £25.90
$56.0 £41.77
-38.00%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.40 £15.21
$17.10 £12.75
19.30%
Cinema Ticket
$23.63 £17.62
$17.95 £13.39
31.64%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Milton Keynes
London
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,387 £1,780
$2,946 £2,196
-18.96%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$24.4K £18.2K
$47.6K £35.5K
-48.73%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Milton Keynes
London
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$114 £84.8
$116 £86.7
-2.12%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.26 £30.02
$56.9 £42.43
-29.24%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$80.5 £60.0
$128 £95.4
-37.08%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.6 £72.8
$154 £115
-36.60%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Milton Keynes
London
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,565 £1,167
$2,935 £2,189
-46.67%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 £901
$2,258 £1,684
-46.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,397 £1,788
$5,250 £3,915
-54.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,770 £1,320
$3,859 £2,878
-54.13%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,283 £5,431
$17.2K £12.8K
-57.62%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,679 £4,234
$8,278 £6,173
-31.40%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Milton Keynes
London
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,939 £2,937
$5,621 £4,191
-29.91%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.67
4.78
-2.30%

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

Last update for Milton Keynes: October 31, 2026

Last update for London: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Milton Keynes
$1.2K
London
$2.3K 86.9% $1K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Milton Keynes
$365
London
$432 18.3% $67
Eating Out
Milton Keynes
$306
London
$396 29.4% $90
Groceries & Markets
Milton Keynes
$287
London
$360 25.6% $73
Clothing & Footwear
Milton Keynes
$149
London
$205 37% $55
Getting Around
Milton Keynes
$114
London
$305 168% $191
Sport & Entertainment
Milton Keynes
$82
London
$92 12.1% $9.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,565 in Milton Keynes versus $2,935 in London. 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 43% 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 $86 in Milton Keynes versus $109 in London. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $287 vs $360 – making Milton Keynes the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Milton Keynes
🇬🇧 London
🕒 Local time
17:54 5:54 PM
17:54 5:54 PM
Same time as Milton Keynes
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
229,941
8,908,083 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 0.746 GBP (1 GBP = 1.34 USD). 1 EUR = 0.835 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Milton Keynes London 74 km
From you
  • Milton Keynes
  • London

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
Milton Keynes vs London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Milton Keynes and in London compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,511 in Milton Keynes, $4,048 in London – Milton Keynes comes out roughly 38% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in Milton Keynes compared to London?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,767 per month in Milton Keynes and $6,072 in London. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Milton Keynes and London?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Milton Keynes, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,565 there versus $2,935 in London.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 26% more in London, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $86 in Milton Keynes and $109 in London. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is feasible on a $2,000 budget?
$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,511 in Milton Keynes and $4,048 in London. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
How does quality of life compare between Milton Keynes and London?
It depends on your priorities. London has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,511 in Milton Keynes to $4,048 in London. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Milton Keynes and London?
If budget matters most, go with Milton Keynes. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, London makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Milton Keynes vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?