Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Poole and Durham

For one person, living is cheaper in Durham: $2,095 a month against $2,641 in Poole, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Poole outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

127

Cost of Living Index in Poole
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Poole Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Durham
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Durham Living Index

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Poole

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,641

/mo nomad

Durham

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,095

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Poole and in Durham

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,641 in Poole versus $2,095 in Durham.

Poole $2,641
Durham $2,095

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,917 in Poole versus $3,366 in Durham.

Poole $3,917
Durham $3,366

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,193 in Poole versus $4,636 in Durham.

Poole $5,193
Durham $4,636

Living in Poole is roughly 26% more expensive than in Durham, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Poole 94% above, Durham 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.28 £17.50

$19.85 £14.92

17.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 £76.4

$92.7 £69.7

9.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 £8.08

$11.49 £8.63

-6.44%

Cappuccino

$5.19 £3.90

$4.79 £3.60

8.35%

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

$3.08 £2.32

$2.47 £1.85

24.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 £1.69

$2.09 £1.57

7.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.86 £5.16

$6.10 £4.58

12.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.08 £5.32

$5.42 £4.07

30.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 £1.28

$1.99 £1.50

-14.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 £1.17

$1.53 £1.15

1.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 £1.69

$3.09 £2.32

-27.18%

Eggs

$4.21 £3.16

$4.41 £3.32

-4.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.50 £4.88

$10.11 £7.60

-35.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.76 £8.09

$9.24 £6.94

16.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.70 £9.55

$21.55 £16.20

-41.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 £1.70

$2.86 £2.15

-20.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 £1.30

$2.50 £1.88

-30.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 £1.46

$2.82 £2.12

-30.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 £1.63

$5.27 £3.96

-59.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 £1.52

$1.58 £1.19

28.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 £1.13

$1.70 £1.28

-11.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 £1.33

$1.07 £0.81

66.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 £1.44

$1.86 £1.40

3.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.87 £17.94

$23.80 £17.89

0.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.72 £7.31

$10.70 £8.04

-9.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.01 £2.26

$3.23 £2.43

-6.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 £1.85

$3.21 £2.41

-23.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.89 £2.92

$3.23 £2.43

20.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 £57.1

$88.4 £66.5

-14.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 £2.47

$6.42 £4.82

-48.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.45 £1.84

$2.03 £1.52

20.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.62 £16.25

$24.24 £18.22

-10.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 £1.53

$1.96 £1.48

3.57%

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

$39.1K £29.4K

$38.1K £28.6K

2.51%

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

$40.5K £30.5K

$41.0K £30.8K

-1.18%

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

$359 £270

$263 £197

36.59%

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

$20.32 £15.27

$15.28 £11.48

32.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.31 £32.55

$43.46 £32.66

-0.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.8 £60.8

$46.28 £34.78

74.65%

Cinema Ticket

$20.54 £15.44

$12.89 £9.69

59.35%

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

$2,128 £1,600

$1,334 £1,003

59.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.8K £25.4K

$25.4K £19.1K

33.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 £65.8

$106 £79.8

-17.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.27 £29.52

$70.3 £52.8

-44.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 £76.4

$117 £87.9

-13.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 £63.0

$97.4 £73.2

-13.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,176 £884

$1,583 £1,190

-25.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 £909

$746 £560

62.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,272 £1,708

$2,676 £2,011

-15.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,093 £1,573

$1,615 £1,214

29.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,064 £3,806

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,119 £1,592

$3,794 £2,851

-44.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,307 £2,485

$2,086 £1,568

58.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.96

5.18

-4.25%

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

Last update for Poole: October 27, 2026

Last update for Durham: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Poole

$1.2K 45.8%

Durham

$746 35.6% 38.4% $464

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Poole

$423 16%

Durham

$322 15.3% 23.9% $101

Eating Out

Poole

$351 13.3%

Durham

$310 14.8% 11.5% $40

Groceries & Markets

Poole

$289 10.9%

Durham

$352 16.8% 21.9% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Poole

$141 5.3%

Durham

$176 8.4% 25.1% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Poole

$122 4.6%

Durham

$72 3.4% 40.9% $50

Getting Around

Poole

$107 4.1%

Durham

$118 5.6% 10.1% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,176 in Poole and $1,583 in Durham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Poole pays 59% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $102 in Poole vs $93 in Durham. Groceries flip the comparison at $289 vs $352, with Poole cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Poole

🇬🇧 Durham

🕒 Local time

12:32 12:32 PM

Same time as Poole

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

154,718

42,100

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Poole Durham 450 km

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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

Poole vs Durham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Poole and Durham differ by about 26% in total monthly costs ($2,641 vs $2,095 including rent). Durham is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 59% higher in Poole, 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: $1,176 in Poole versus $1,583 in Durham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,641 per month in Poole versus $2,095 in Durham – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Poole runs roughly 14% less than in Durham. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Durham gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Durham wins on affordability, Poole on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.