Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Poole and London

For one person, living is cheaper in Poole: $2,641 a month against $4,086 in London, rent and utilities included – about $17,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Poole, United Kingdom
London, United Kingdom
Poole
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,641
/mo nomad
London
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$4,086
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Poole 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 Poole and in London actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,641 per month in Poole vs $4,086 in London, rent included.

  • Poole $2,641
  • London $4,086

A couple spends around $3,917 per month in Poole vs $5,891 in London, rent included.

  • Poole $3,917
  • London $5,891

A family of three spends $5,193 per month in Poole vs $7,696 in London, rent included.

  • Poole $5,193
  • London $7,696

Poole is about 35% cheaper than London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Poole and London sit above the global median – Poole by 94%, London by 200%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Poole
London
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$23.28 £17.52
$26.55 £19.98
-12.32%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$102 £76.5
$107 £80.5
-4.99%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.75 £8.09
$10.78 £8.12
-0.28%
Cappuccino
$5.19 £3.90
$5.71 £4.30
-9.11%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.08 £2.32
$3.01 £2.26
2.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 £1.69
$2.29 £1.72
-1.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.86 £5.16
$9.08 £6.84
-24.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.08 £5.33
$8.07 £6.07
-12.27%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Poole
London
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.70 £1.28
$1.90 £1.43
-10.53%
White Bread (500g)
$1.56 £1.17
$2.03 £1.53
-23.15%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.25 £1.69
$2.45 £1.84
-8.16%
Eggs
$4.21 £3.17
$5.07 £3.82
-16.96%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.50 £4.89
$12.71 £9.56
-48.86%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.76 £8.10
$10.61 £7.99
1.41%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.70 £9.56
$17.68 £13.31
-28.17%
Apples (1kg)
$2.26 £1.70
$3.17 £2.39
-28.71%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 £1.30
$1.45 £1.09
19.31%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.95 £1.47
$3.13 £2.36
-37.70%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.16 £1.63
$3.41 £2.57
-36.66%
Potato (1kg)
$2.03 £1.53
$1.67 £1.26
21.56%
Onion (1kg)
$1.50 £1.13
$1.77 £1.33
-15.25%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.78 £1.34
$1.43 £1.08
24.48%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.92 £1.45
$1.87 £1.41
2.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.87 £17.97
$23.91 £17.99
-0.17%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.72 £7.32
$13.48 £10.14
-27.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.01 £2.27
$3.08 £2.32
-2.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.46 £1.85
$4.39 £3.31
-43.96%
🚌 Getting Around
Poole
London
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.89 £2.93
$4.08 £3.07
-4.66%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.0 £57.2
$252 £190
-69.88%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.28 £2.47
$5.74 £4.32
-42.86%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.45 £1.84
$3.35 £2.52
-26.87%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$21.62 £16.27
$57.2 £43.07
-62.22%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.03 £1.53
$2.08 £1.57
-2.40%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$39.1K £29.4K
$38.0K £28.6K
2.80%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.5K £30.5K
$40.4K £30.4K
0.34%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Poole
London
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$359 £270
$387 £291
-7.25%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.32 £15.29
$18.57 £13.98
9.42%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$43.31 £32.59
$40.69 £30.62
6.44%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Poole
London
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$80.8 £60.8
$57.6 £43.33
40.40%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$19.75 £14.87
-
Cinema Ticket
$20.54 £15.46
$18.33 £13.79
12.06%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Poole
London
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,128 £1,602
$2,957 £2,225
-28.02%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$33.8K £25.4K
$35.9K £27.0K
-5.81%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Poole
London
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.6 £65.9
$119 £89.4
-26.28%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.27 £29.56
$56.3 £42.35
-30.21%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 £76.5
$131 £98.5
-22.30%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$83.8 £63.1
$165 £124
-49.12%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Poole
London
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,176 £885
$2,811 £2,116
-58.17%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,210 £910
$2,291 £1,724
-47.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,272 £1,710
$5,185 £3,902
-56.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,093 £1,575
$3,805 £2,864
-44.99%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$17.7K £13.3K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,119 £1,595
$8,405 £6,325
-74.79%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Poole
London
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,307 £2,489
$5,070 £3,816
-34.78%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.96
4.79
3.55%

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

Last update for Poole: October 27, 2026

Last update for London: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Poole
$1.2K
London
$2.3K 89.4% $1.1K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Poole
$423
London
$446 5.6% $24
Eating Out
Poole
$351
London
$396 13% $45
Groceries & Markets
Poole
$289
London
$356 23.1% $67
Clothing & Footwear
Poole
$141
London
$212 50.7% $71
Sport & Entertainment
Poole
$122
London
$94 22.7% $28
Getting Around
Poole
$107
London
$291 172% $184

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,176 in Poole versus $2,811 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 53% 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 $102 in Poole versus $107 in London. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $289 vs $356 – making Poole the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Poole
🇬🇧 London
🕒 Local time
16:29 4:29 PM
16:29 4:29 PM
Same time as Poole
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
154,718
8,908,083 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.753 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.838 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Poole London 160 km
From you
  • Poole
  • 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
Poole vs London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Poole and in London compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,641 in Poole, $4,086 in London – roughly 55% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in Poole compared to London?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,961 per month in Poole and $6,129 in London. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Poole and London?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Poole, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,176 there versus $2,811 in London.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 23% more in London, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $102 in Poole and $107 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 $2,641 in Poole and $4,086 in London. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Where should families live: Poole or London?
Families tend to lean toward Poole – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How do I decide between Poole and London?
If budget matters most, go with Poole. 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.

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