Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Swansea and London

For one person, living is cheaper in Swansea: $2,196 a month against $4,086 in London, rent and utilities included – about $22,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Swansea
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Swansea Living Index
195

Cost of Living Index in London
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London Living Index

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Swansea

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,196

/mo nomad

London

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$4,086

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,196 per month in Swansea vs $4,086 in London, rent included.

Swansea $2,196
London $4,086

A couple spends around $3,130 per month in Swansea vs $5,891 in London, rent included.

Swansea $3,130
London $5,891

A family of three spends $4,065 per month in Swansea vs $7,696 in London, rent included.

Swansea $4,065
London $7,696

Swansea is about 46% cheaper than London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Swansea and London sit above the global median – Swansea by 61%, London by 200%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.41 £15.24

$26.55 £19.82

-23.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.1 £47.08

$107 £79.9

-41.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 £7.82

$10.78 £8.05

-2.88%

Cappuccino

$4.76 £3.56

$5.71 £4.27

-16.64%

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

$2.36 £1.76

$3.01 £2.25

-21.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 £0.94

$2.29 £1.71

-44.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.89 £4.40

$9.08 £6.78

-35.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.38 £4.77

$8.07 £6.02

-20.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 £1.00

$1.90 £1.42

-29.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 £1.53

$2.03 £1.51

0.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 £1.54

$2.45 £1.83

-15.92%

Eggs

$3.52 £2.62

$5.07 £3.79

-30.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.78 £5.81

$12.71 £9.49

-38.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.33 £6.22

$10.61 £7.92

-21.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.87 £9.61

$17.68 £13.20

-27.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 £1.73

$3.17 £2.37

-26.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 £0.93

$1.45 £1.08

-14.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 £2.14

$3.13 £2.34

-8.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.57 £2.67

$3.41 £2.55

4.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 £1.68

$1.67 £1.25

34.73%

Onion (1kg)

$3.05 £2.28

$1.77 £1.32

72.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 £0.95

$1.43 £1.07

-11.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 £1.71

$1.87 £1.39

22.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.23 £17.34

$23.91 £17.85

-2.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 £7.93

$13.48 £10.06

-21.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 £1.74

$3.08 £2.30

-24.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 £2.54

$4.39 £3.28

-22.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.12 £3.08

$4.08 £3.04

0.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.1 £72.5

$252 £188

-61.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 £2.95

$5.74 £4.29

-31.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.68 £2.00

$3.35 £2.50

-20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.33 £24.88

$57.2 £42.73

-41.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.46

$2.08 £1.56

-6.25%

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

$38.9K £29.1K

$38.0K £28.4K

2.42%

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

$40.5K £30.2K

$40.4K £30.2K

0.17%

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

$306 £229

$387 £289

-20.80%

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

$14.81 £11.06

$18.57 £13.87

-20.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.20 £32.26

$40.69 £30.38

6.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.28 £24.85

$57.6 £42.99

-42.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.52 £11.59

$19.75 £14.75

-21.42%

Cinema Ticket

$9.85 £7.36

$18.33 £13.68

-46.26%

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

$1,777 £1,327

$2,957 £2,208

-39.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.9K £26.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.7 £66.9

$119 £88.7

-24.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.22 £36.01

$56.3 £42.01

-14.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 £91.3

$131 £97.7

-6.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.6 £61.6

$165 £123

-49.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,112 £830

$2,811 £2,099

-60.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$891 £665

$2,291 £1,711

-61.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,500 £1,120

$5,185 £3,871

-71.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,337 £999

$3,805 £2,841

-64.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,563 £2,660

$17.7K £13.2K

-79.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,615 £1,952

$8,405 £6,275

-68.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,263 £2,436

$5,070 £3,786

-35.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.04

4.79

26.10%

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

Last update for Swansea: 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

Swansea

$891 40.6%

London

$2.3K 56.1% 157% $1.4K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Swansea

$364 16.6%

London

$446 10.9% 22.4% $82

Eating Out

Swansea

$309 14.1%

London

$396 9.7% 28.4% $88

Groceries & Markets

Swansea

$293 13.4%

London

$356 8.7% 21.2% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Swansea

$154 7%

London

$212 5.2% 37.3% $58

Getting Around

Swansea

$131 6%

London

$291 7.1% 122% $160

Sport & Entertainment

Swansea

$53 2.4%

London

$94 2.3% 77.9% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,112 in Swansea 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 55% 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 $63 in Swansea versus $107 in London. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $356 – making Swansea the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Swansea

🇬🇧 London

🕒 Local time

06:38 6:38 AM

Same time as Swansea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

239,000

8,908,083 Capital

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Swansea London 260 km

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Swansea
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

Swansea vs London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,196 in Swansea, $4,086 in London – Swansea comes out roughly 46% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,293 per month in Swansea and $6,129 in London. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Swansea, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,112 there versus $2,811 in London.

Groceries cost about 21% more in London, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63 in Swansea and $107 in London. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,196 in Swansea and $4,086 in London. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Swansea costs $2,196 versus $4,086 in London. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Swansea. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, London makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.