Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reading and London

For one person, living is cheaper in Reading: $2,799 a month against $4,049 in London, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

136

Cost of Living Index in Reading
Learn more

Reading Living Index
195

Cost of Living Index in London
Learn more

London Living Index

Jump to prices

Reading

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,799

/mo nomad

London

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$4,049

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,799 per month in Reading vs $4,049 in London, rent included.

Reading $2,799
London $4,049

A couple spends around $4,080 per month in Reading vs $5,827 in London, rent included.

Reading $4,080
London $5,827

A family of three spends $5,362 per month in Reading vs $7,605 in London, rent included.

Reading $5,362
London $7,605

Reading is about 31% cheaper than London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Reading and London sit above the global median – Reading by 107%, London by 199%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.69 £20.02

$27.09 £20.33

-1.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.0 £70.5

$104 £78.3

-9.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.14 £7.60

$10.86 £8.15

-6.63%

Cappuccino

$4.80 £3.60

$5.60 £4.20

-14.29%

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

$2.97 £2.23

$3.05 £2.29

-2.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 £1.98

$2.28 £1.71

15.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.77 £6.58

$9.23 £6.92

-4.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.48 £4.86

$7.95 £5.96

-18.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 £1.06

$1.83 £1.37

-22.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 £1.31

$2.05 £1.54

-15.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.91 £2.18

$2.47 £1.86

17.81%

Eggs

$3.74 £2.81

$5.12 £3.84

-26.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.41 £8.56

$12.89 £9.67

-11.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.66 £6.49

$10.84 £8.14

-20.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.56 £9.42

$17.03 £12.78

-26.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 £2.20

$3.07 £2.30

-4.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 £1.15

$1.38 £1.03

10.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 £2.13

$2.99 £2.24

-5.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.29 £2.47

$3.39 £2.54

-2.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 £1.15

$1.60 £1.20

-4.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 £1.02

$1.80 £1.35

-24.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 £0.70

$1.41 £1.06

-34.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 £1.10

$1.81 £1.36

-18.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.46 £17.60

$23.92 £17.94

-1.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.88 £10.41

$13.54 £10.16

2.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 £1.68

$3.23 £2.42

-30.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 £2.39

$4.39 £3.29

-27.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.52 £2.64

$3.92 £2.94

-10.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.1 £63.1

$243 £182

-65.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.68 £5.01

$5.58 £4.18

19.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.55 £3.42

$3.27 £2.46

39.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.46 £10.10

$58.4 £43.81

-76.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 £1.54

$2.08 £1.56

-1.44%

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

$38.0K £28.5K

$38.8K £29.1K

-2.26%

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

$40.3K £30.2K

$40.6K £30.5K

-0.75%

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

$285 £214

$380 £285

-25.06%

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

$20.65 £15.49

$18.62 £13.97

10.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.43 £34.83

$40.45 £30.35

14.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 £43.29

$61.3 £45.95

-5.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.85 £15.64

$21.41 £16.07

-2.62%

Cinema Ticket

$13.35 £10.02

$18.09 £13.57

-26.20%

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

$1,780 £1,335

$2,905 £2,180

-38.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.7K £22.3K

$35.5K £26.6K

-16.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.5 £57.4

$116 £87.3

-34.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.2 £52.0

$54.5 £40.89

27.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 £84.2

$128 £95.8

-12.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 £79.5

$167 £125

-36.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,731 £1,299

$2,852 £2,140

-39.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,392 £1,044

$2,269 £1,702

-38.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,932 £2,199

$5,250 £3,939

-44.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,247 £1,686

$3,752 £2,815

-40.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,139 £5,355

$18.5K £13.9K

-61.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,648 £4,237

$8,100 £6,077

-30.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,440 £2,581

$5,109 £3,833

-32.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.74

5.49%

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

Last update for Reading: October 17, 2026

Last update for London: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Reading

$1.4K 49.7%

London

$2.3K 56% 63.1% $877

Eating Out

Reading

$381 13.6%

London

$400 9.9% 5% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Reading

$352 12.6%

London

$439 10.9% 24.8% $87

Groceries & Markets

Reading

$299 10.7%

London

$353 8.7% 18.2% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Reading

$164 5.9%

London

$209 5.2% 27.9% $46

Getting Around

Reading

$128 4.6%

London

$280 6.9% 120% $153

Sport & Entertainment

Reading

$84 3%

London

$97 2.4% 15.4% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,731 in Reading versus $2,852 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 49% 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 $94.0 in Reading versus $104 in London. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $299 vs $353 – making Reading the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Reading

🇬🇧 London

🕒 Local time

11:48 11:48 AM

Same time as Reading

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

162,666

8,908,083 Capital

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Reading London 59 km

From you

Reading
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

Reading vs London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,799 in Reading, $4,049 in London – roughly 45% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,198 per month in Reading and $6,073 in London. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 18% more in London, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $94.0 in Reading and $104 in London. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,799 in Reading and $4,049 in London. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. London has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,799 in Reading to $4,049 in London. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Reading. 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.