Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surrey, United Kingdom and London

For one person, living is cheaper in Surrey: $3,025 a month against $4,086 in London, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Surrey, United Kingdom
London, United Kingdom
Surrey
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$3,025
/mo nomad
London
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$4,086
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,025 per month in Surrey vs $4,086 in London, rent included.

  • Surrey $3,025
  • London $4,086

A couple spends around $4,456 per month in Surrey vs $5,891 in London, rent included.

  • Surrey $4,456
  • London $5,891

A family of three spends $5,887 per month in Surrey vs $7,696 in London, rent included.

  • Surrey $5,887
  • London $7,696

Surrey is about 26% cheaper than London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Surrey and London sit above the global median – Surrey by 122%, London by 200%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Surrey
London
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$23.47 £17.66
$26.55 £19.98
-11.60%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$59.5 £44.75
$107 £80.5
-44.44%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.62 £7.24
$10.78 £8.12
-10.76%
Cappuccino
$4.77 £3.59
$5.71 £4.30
-16.46%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 £1.70
$3.01 £2.26
-24.92%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.48 £1.11
$2.29 £1.72
-35.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.54 £4.92
$9.08 £6.84
-27.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.15 £4.63
$8.07 £6.07
-23.79%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Surrey
London
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.31 £0.99
$1.90 £1.43
-31.05%
White Bread (500g)
$2.10 £1.58
$2.03 £1.53
3.45%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.60 £1.21
$2.45 £1.84
-34.69%
Eggs
$4.15 £3.13
$5.07 £3.82
-18.15%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.62 £6.49
$12.71 £9.56
-32.18%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.33 £7.02
$10.61 £7.99
-12.06%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.52 £12.43
$17.68 £13.31
-6.56%
Apples (1kg)
$3.19 £2.40
$3.17 £2.39
0.63%
Banana (1kg)
$1.48 £1.12
$1.45 £1.09
2.07%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.03 £1.53
$3.13 £2.36
-35.14%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.26 £2.45
$3.41 £2.57
-4.40%
Potato (1kg)
$1.38 £1.04
$1.67 £1.26
-17.37%
Onion (1kg)
$1.79 £1.35
$1.77 £1.33
1.13%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.40 £1.06
$1.43 £1.08
-2.10%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.17 £0.88
$1.87 £1.41
-37.43%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.32 £17.55
$23.91 £17.99
-2.47%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.47 £7.88
$13.48 £10.14
-22.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 £1.67
$3.08 £2.32
-27.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 £1.88
$4.39 £3.31
-43.05%
🚌 Getting Around
Surrey
London
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.90 £2.93
$4.08 £3.07
-4.41%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$252 £190
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.22 £3.93
$5.74 £4.32
-9.06%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$3.35 £2.52
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$57.2 £43.07
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.93 £1.45
$2.08 £1.57
-7.21%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.1K £28.7K
$38.0K £28.6K
0.38%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$41.0K £30.8K
$40.4K £30.4K
1.40%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Surrey
London
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$263 £198
$387 £291
-32.11%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.29 £10.00
$18.57 £13.98
-28.43%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.87 £27.00
$40.69 £30.62
-11.85%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Surrey
London
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.7 £39.69
$57.6 £43.33
-8.39%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.44 £13.88
$19.75 £14.87
-6.63%
Cinema Ticket
$13.07 £9.84
$18.33 £13.79
-28.70%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Surrey
London
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,137 £1,609
$2,957 £2,225
-27.71%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$29.9K £22.5K
$35.9K £27.0K
-16.70%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Surrey
London
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.7 £39.69
$119 £89.4
-55.60%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.02 £30.12
$56.3 £42.35
-28.88%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.4 £65.8
$131 £98.5
-33.24%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$93.0 £70.0
$165 £124
-43.50%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Surrey
London
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,945 £1,463
$2,811 £2,116
-30.83%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,864 £1,403
$2,291 £1,724
-18.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,308 £2,489
$5,185 £3,902
-36.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,400 £2,559
$3,805 £2,864
-10.66%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$17.7K £13.3K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$7,255 £5,460
$8,405 £6,325
-13.67%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Surrey
London
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,565 £3,436
$5,070 £3,816
-9.96%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.4
4.79
12.73%

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

Last update for Surrey: 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
Surrey
$1.9K
London
$2.3K 22.9% $427
Eating Out
Surrey
$334
London
$396 18.7% $62
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Surrey
$312
London
$446 43.1% $134
Groceries & Markets
Surrey
$293
London
$356 21.4% $63
Clothing & Footwear
Surrey
$123
London
$212 72.3% $89
Sport & Entertainment
Surrey
$79
London
$94 19.4% $15
Getting Around
Surrey
$21 *
London
$291 1299% $270

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,945 in Surrey 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 11% 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 $59 in Surrey versus $107 in London. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $356 – making Surrey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Surrey
🇬🇧 London
🕒 Local time
13:05 1:05 PM
13:05 1:05 PM
Same time as Surrey
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
585
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
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  • Surrey London 30 km
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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
Surrey vs London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Surrey and in London compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $3,025 in Surrey, $4,086 in London – roughly 35% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in Surrey compared to London?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,538 per month in Surrey 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 Surrey and London?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Surrey, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,945 there versus $2,811 in London.
Which city is more expensive overall: Surrey or London?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,025 in Surrey and $4,086 in London. That’s a gap of about 35%.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Surrey and London?
Kindergarten costs $2,137 per month in Surrey and $2,957 in London. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is feasible on a $2,500 budget?
$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,025 in Surrey and $4,086 in London. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Where should families live: Surrey or London?
Families tend to lean toward Surrey – 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 Surrey and London?
If budget matters most, go with Surrey. 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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