Cost of Living Comparison Between Sunderland and London Cost of Living Comparison Between Sunderland and London

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,915 in Sunderland versus $2,334 in London.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,836 in Sunderland versus $3,386 in London.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,757 in Sunderland versus $4,439 in London.

Living in Sunderland costs roughly 18% less than in London, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sunderland 39% above, London 70% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.16 £14.18

$22.03 CA$30.48

-13.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.2 £53.4

$65.9 CA$91.1

9.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.03 £7.42

$12.47 CA$17.26

-19.57%

Cappuccino

$5.04 £3.73

$3.66 CA$5.06

37.70%

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

$2.27 £1.68

$2.19 CA$3.03

3.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 £1.54

$2.19 CA$3.03

-5.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.53 £3.35

$6.37 CA$8.81

-28.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 £3.23

$6.38 CA$8.83

-31.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 £1.05

$1.74 CA$2.40

-17.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 £1.08

$2.53 CA$3.50

-42.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 £1.74

$3.95 CA$5.47

-40.51%

Eggs

$3.60 £2.66

$3.70 CA$5.11

-2.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.15 £7.51

$11.84 CA$16.38

-14.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 £6.93

$13.10 CA$18.13

-28.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.07 £11.15

$15.28 CA$21.14

-1.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 £2.47

$4.34 CA$6.01

-23.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 £1.24

$1.30 CA$1.80

29.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 £2.19

$3.72 CA$5.15

-20.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 £2.84

$4.19 CA$5.79

-8.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 £1.38

$3.01 CA$4.16

-38.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 £1.13

$2.87 CA$3.96

-46.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 £0.86

$2.61 CA$3.61

-55.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 £1.14

$1.54 CA$2.13

0.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.95 £16.98

$12.19 CA$16.86

88.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.65 £7.88

$12.61 CA$17.45

-15.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.78 £2.79

$2.52 CA$3.48

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 £2.60

$2.95 CA$4.09

18.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.16 £1.59

$2.40 CA$3.32

-10.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$122 £90.3

$79.7 CA$110

53.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.50 £3.33

$2.49 CA$3.45

80.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 £1.17

$1.68 CA$2.33

-5.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.73 £21.26

$22.57 CA$31.24

27.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 £1.47

$1.22 CA$1.68

63.11%

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

$38.6K £28.6K

$28.8K CA$39.8K

34.26%

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

$41.8K £31.0K

$23.3K CA$32.2K

79.75%

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

$260 £192

$137 CA$189

89.69%

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

$18.38 £13.60

$42.44 CA$58.7

-56.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.62 £31.53

$56.2 CA$77.8

-24.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.68 £30.09

$39.25 CA$54.3

3.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.36 £9.15

$29.78 CA$41.21

-58.50%

Cinema Ticket

$10.80 £7.99

$11.04 CA$15.28

-2.17%

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

$822 £608

$414 CA$573

98.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K £13.3K

$21.1K CA$29.2K

-14.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.2 £69.7

$54.6 CA$75.5

72.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.58 £35.94

$39.49 CA$54.7

23.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 £81.5

$83.8 CA$116

31.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.6 £72.9

$91.4 CA$127

7.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$815 £603

$1,283 CA$1,776

-36.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$609 £450

$1,190 CA$1,647

-48.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 £984

$2,060 CA$2,850

-35.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$979 £724

$1,710 CA$2,366

-42.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,530 CA$4,884

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,716 CA$5,142

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,700 £2,737

$2,952 CA$4,084

25.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.15

4.73

8.88%

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

Last update for Sunderland: August 31, 2026

Last update for London: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $815 in Sunderland and $1,283 in London. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sunderland pays 25% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $72.0 in Sunderland vs $66.0 in London. Groceries flip the comparison at $312 vs $373, with Sunderland 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

Sunderland vs London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sunderland is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 25% higher in Sunderland, 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: $815 in Sunderland versus $1,283 in London. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,915 per month in Sunderland versus $2,334 in London – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Sunderland runs roughly 53% less than in London. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,915 in Sunderland versus $2,334 in London, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Sunderland but tight or insufficient in London. The gap between the two cities makes Sunderland the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sunderland is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in London, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sunderland and London 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 Sunderland gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in London. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.