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: $1,921 in Sunderland versus $2,465 in London.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,867 in Sunderland versus $3,548 in London.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,812 in Sunderland versus $4,631 in London.

Living in Sunderland costs roughly 22% less than in London, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sunderland 43% above, London 83% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.59 £15.25

$18.73 CA$25.65

9.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.7 £59.8

$73.8 CA$101

9.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.39 £7.70

$10.21 CA$13.98

1.76%

Cappuccino

$4.78 £3.54

$3.42 CA$4.69

39.77%

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

$2.37 £1.76

$1.99 CA$2.72

19.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 £1.16

$1.95 CA$2.68

-20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.75 £5.00

$5.87 CA$8.05

14.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 £4.11

$6.45 CA$8.84

-13.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 £1.19

$1.70 CA$2.33

-5.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 £1.23

$2.33 CA$3.19

-28.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 £1.59

$3.38 CA$4.63

-36.39%

Eggs

$3.51 £2.60

$3.30 CA$4.52

6.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.36 £7.68

$10.00 CA$13.70

3.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.91 £6.61

$12.48 CA$17.10

-28.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.39 £11.40

$9.14 CA$12.52

68.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.57 £2.64

$4.40 CA$6.03

-18.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 £1.49

$1.37 CA$1.88

46.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 £1.99

$3.69 CA$5.06

-27.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.83 £2.84

$3.70 CA$5.07

3.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 £1.44

$1.60 CA$2.20

21.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.60 £1.19

$2.13 CA$2.91

-24.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 £0.95

$2.17 CA$2.97

-41.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 £1.36

$1.43 CA$1.96

27.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.58 £13.77

$12.42 CA$17.02

49.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.86 £8.05

$13.02 CA$17.84

-16.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 £2.01

$2.08 CA$2.84

30.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 £2.21

$2.59 CA$3.55

15.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.08 £2.28

$2.44 CA$3.34

26.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.4 £56.6

$82.1 CA$112

-6.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.28 £4.65

$4.12 CA$5.64

52.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 £1.04

$1.71 CA$2.34

-18.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.14 £11.96

$31.74 CA$43.48

-49.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.44

$1.15 CA$1.57

68.70%

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

$37.8K £28.0K

$25.1K CA$34.4K

50.62%

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

$43.0K £31.8K

$20.5K CA$28.1K

109.39%

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

$294 £218

$144 CA$197

103.97%

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

$16.82 £12.47

$46.71 CA$64.0

-63.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.33 £31.37

$58.7 CA$80.5

-27.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.83 £31.73

$42.50 CA$58.2

0.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.47 £9.24

$7.43 CA$10.18

67.83%

Cinema Ticket

$13.11 £9.71

$10.81 CA$14.81

21.28%

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

$1,276 £946

$561 CA$769

127.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,922 £5,129

$14.5K CA$19.9K

-52.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.7 £59.1

$55.8 CA$76.4

42.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.90 £31.79

$47.17 CA$64.6

-9.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.0 £63.7

$86.3 CA$118

-0.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.2 £61.7

$81.1 CA$111

2.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$800 £593

$1,460 CA$2,000

-45.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$599 £444

$1,267 CA$1,736

-52.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 £1,007

$2,636 CA$3,612

-48.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$985 £730

$1,978 CA$2,710

-50.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,084 £3,026

$3,575 CA$4,898

14.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,164 £1,604

$3,752 CA$5,140

-42.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,629 £2,689

$3,022 CA$4,140

20.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.6

6.21

-9.82%

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

Last update for Sunderland: April 11, 2026

Last update for London: April 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $800 in Sunderland and $1,460 in London. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sunderland pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $81 in Sunderland vs $74 in London. Groceries flip the comparison at $314 vs $327, 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, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Sunderland pays 20% 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: $800 in Sunderland versus $1,460 in London. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,921 per month in Sunderland versus $2,465 in London – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Sunderland runs roughly 7% less than in London. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,921 in Sunderland versus $2,465 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 28% less than in London. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.