Cost of Living Comparison Between Poole and Durham Cost of Living Comparison Between Poole and Durham

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,536 in Poole versus $2,023 in Durham.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,758 in Poole versus $3,041 in Durham.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,981 in Poole versus $4,059 in Durham.

Living in Poole is roughly 25% more expensive than Durham, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Poole 89% above, Durham 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.49 £15.24

$19.27 £14.33

6.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 £80.1

$96.7 £71.9

11.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.79 £7.28

$9.92 £7.38

-1.31%

Cappuccino

$4.85 £3.61

$4.41 £3.28

9.98%

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

$2.56 £1.90

$2.49 £1.85

2.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 £1.26

$2.00 £1.49

-15.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.62 £5.67

$6.28 £4.67

21.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.95 £5.16

$5.27 £3.92

31.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 £1.23

$1.76 £1.31

-5.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 £0.95

$1.64 £1.22

-22.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.60 £1.93

$2.54 £1.89

2.36%

Eggs

$3.29 £2.45

$4.23 £3.15

-22.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 £7.33

$9.07 £6.74

8.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 £5.14

$7.92 £5.89

-12.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.36 £9.93

$9.74 £7.24

37.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 £2.00

$3.61 £2.68

-25.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 £0.94

$2.28 £1.69

-44.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 £1.73

$3.23 £2.40

-27.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 £1.64

$3.39 £2.52

-34.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 £1.15

$1.14 £0.85

35.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 £1.08

$1.57 £1.17

-7.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 £0.73

$1.04 £0.77

-5.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 £1.08

$1.81 £1.35

-19.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.93 £13.33

$22.67 £16.86

-20.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.42 £7.00

$10.67 £7.93

-11.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 £1.93

$2.94 £2.19

-11.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 £1.86

$2.86 £2.13

-12.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.99 £2.97

$3.21 £2.39

24.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.8 £57.9

$55.4 £41.20

40.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.16 £3.09

$4.69 £3.49

-11.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 £1.26

$1.59 £1.18

6.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.93 £16.31

$23.38 £17.38

-6.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 £1.47

$1.96 £1.46

1.02%

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

$37.8K £28.1K

$37.1K £27.6K

1.75%

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

$38.6K £28.7K

$39.6K £29.4K

-2.46%

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

$335 £249

$276 £205

21.44%

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

$16.45 £12.23

$15.99 £11.89

2.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.63 £33.18

$34.80 £25.87

28.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.60 £22.01

$50.7 £37.71

-41.64%

Cinema Ticket

$22.39 £16.65

$12.78 £9.50

75.20%

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

$2,339 £1,739

$1,577 £1,172

48.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K £12.1K

$18.1K £13.4K

-10.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.9 £63.9

$104 £77.2

-17.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.17 £29.87

$61.0 £45.35

-34.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 £67.6

$123 £91.1

-25.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.7 £63.8

$86.7 £64.4

-1.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,182 £879

$1,442 £1,072

-17.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 £909

$830 £617

47.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,395 £1,780

$2,630 £1,956

-8.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,156 £1,603

$1,246 £926

73.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,233 £3,891

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,093 £1,556

$3,930 £2,922

-46.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,242 £2,410

$2,137 £1,588

51.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.45

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

Last update for Poole: June 8, 2026

Last update for Durham: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,182 in Poole and $1,442 in Durham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Poole pays 52% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $108 in Poole vs $97.0 in Durham. Groceries flip the comparison at $264 vs $293, with Poole cheaper for home cooking.

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

Poole vs Durham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Poole and Durham differ by about 25% in total monthly costs ($2,536 vs $2,023 including rent). Durham is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Poole pays 52% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,182 in Poole versus $1,442 in Durham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,536 per month in Poole versus $2,023 in Durham – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Durham runs roughly 40% less than in Poole. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,023 in Durham versus $2,536 in Poole, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Durham but tight or insufficient in Poole. The gap between the two cities makes Durham the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Poole and Durham are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Durham gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Poole. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.