Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sunderland and London

For one person, living is cheaper in Sunderland: $1,845 a month against $4,049 in London, rent and utilities included – about $26,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Sunderland
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Sunderland Living Index
195

Cost of Living Index in London
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London Living Index

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Sunderland

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$1,845

/mo nomad

London

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$4,049

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,845 per month in Sunderland vs $4,049 in London, rent included.

Sunderland $1,845
London $4,049

A couple spends around $2,755 per month in Sunderland vs $5,827 in London, rent included.

Sunderland $2,755
London $5,827

A family of three spends $3,665 per month in Sunderland vs $7,605 in London, rent included.

Sunderland $3,665
London $7,605

Sunderland is about 54% cheaper than London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Sunderland and London sit above the global median – Sunderland by 36%, London by 199%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.54 £13.91

$27.09 £20.33

-31.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.2 £52.7

$104 £78.3

-32.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.87 £6.66

$10.86 £8.15

-18.32%

Cappuccino

$5.02 £3.77

$5.60 £4.20

-10.36%

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

$2.32 £1.74

$3.05 £2.29

-23.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 £1.47

$2.28 £1.71

-14.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.63 £3.48

$9.23 £6.92

-49.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 £3.23

$7.95 £5.96

-45.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 £1.08

$1.83 £1.37

-21.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 £1.03

$2.05 £1.54

-33.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 £1.80

$2.47 £1.86

-2.83%

Eggs

$3.52 £2.64

$5.12 £3.84

-31.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.72 £7.29

$12.89 £9.67

-24.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.99 £6.74

$10.84 £8.14

-17.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.35 £10.76

$17.03 £12.78

-15.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 £2.44

$3.07 £2.30

6.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 £1.39

$1.38 £1.03

34.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.92 £2.19

$2.99 £2.24

-2.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.79 £2.84

$3.39 £2.54

11.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 £1.34

$1.60 £1.20

11.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 £1.11

$1.80 £1.35

-17.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 £0.90

$1.41 £1.06

-14.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 £1.13

$1.81 £1.36

-17.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.99 £17.25

$23.92 £17.94

-3.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.19 £7.65

$13.54 £10.16

-24.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.57 £2.68

$3.23 £2.42

10.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 £2.62

$4.39 £3.29

-20.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.08 £1.56

$3.92 £2.94

-46.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$119 £89.6

$243 £182

-50.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.40 £3.30

$5.58 £4.18

-21.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 £1.16

$3.27 £2.46

-52.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.14 £21.11

$58.4 £43.81

-51.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 £1.57

$2.08 £1.56

0.48%

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

$38.3K £28.8K

$38.8K £29.1K

-1.27%

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

$40.5K £30.4K

$40.6K £30.5K

-0.29%

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

$248 £186

$380 £285

-34.75%

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

$16.93 £12.70

$18.62 £13.97

-9.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 £31.74

$40.45 £30.35

4.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.70 £30.53

$61.3 £45.95

-33.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.01 £9.01

$21.41 £16.07

-43.90%

Cinema Ticket

$10.66 £8.00

$18.09 £13.57

-41.07%

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

$819 £614

$2,905 £2,180

-71.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K £13.2K

$35.5K £26.6K

-50.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.1 £68.4

$116 £87.3

-21.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.14 £35.37

$54.5 £40.89

-13.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 £81.4

$128 £95.8

-14.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.7 £71.1

$167 £125

-43.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$792 £594

$2,852 £2,140

-72.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$595 £446

$2,269 £1,702

-73.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,356 £1,017

$5,250 £3,939

-74.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$957 £718

$3,752 £2,815

-74.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.5K £13.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,100 £6,077

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,663 £2,748

$5,109 £3,833

-28.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.15

4.74

8.65%

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

Last update for Sunderland: October 20, 2026

Last update for London: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sunderland

$595 32.2%

London

$2.3K 56% 281% $1.7K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sunderland

$307 16.7%

London

$439 10.9% 42.9% $132

Groceries & Markets

Sunderland

$303 16.4%

London

$353 8.7% 16.5% $50

Eating Out

Sunderland

$284 15.4%

London

$400 9.9% 40.7% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Sunderland

$154 8.3%

London

$209 5.2% 36.3% $56

Getting Around

Sunderland

$140 7.6%

London

$280 6.9% 100% $140

Sport & Entertainment

Sunderland

$62 3.4%

London

$97 2.4% 57.1% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $792 in Sunderland 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 39% 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 $70.0 in Sunderland versus $104 in London. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $303 vs $353 – making Sunderland the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Sunderland

🇬🇧 London

🕒 Local time

05:35 5:35 AM

Same time as Sunderland

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

275,300

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

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Sunderland London 390 km

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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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,845 in Sunderland, $4,049 in London – roughly 119% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,768 per month in Sunderland 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 Sunderland, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% 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 $70.0 in Sunderland and $104 in London. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Sunderland, where all-in costs run around $1,845, than in London at $4,049. In Sunderland it covers expenses comfortably, while in London it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. London has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,845 in Sunderland to $4,049 in London. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Sunderland. 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.