Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Swindon and London

For one person, living is cheaper in Swindon: $2,768 a month against $4,086 in London, rent and utilities included – about $15,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Swindon, United Kingdom
London, United Kingdom
Swindon
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,768
/mo nomad
London
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$4,086
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,768 per month in Swindon vs $4,086 in London, rent included.

  • Swindon $2,768
  • London $4,086

A couple spends around $3,814 per month in Swindon vs $5,891 in London, rent included.

  • Swindon $3,814
  • London $5,891

A family of three spends $4,861 per month in Swindon vs $7,696 in London, rent included.

  • Swindon $4,861
  • London $7,696

Swindon is about 32% cheaper than London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Swindon and London sit above the global median – Swindon by 103%, London by 200%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Swindon
London
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.27 £15.25
$26.55 £19.98
-23.65%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$63.0 £47.42
$107 £80.5
-41.12%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.72 £8.07
$10.78 £8.12
-0.56%
Cappuccino
$4.79 £3.61
$5.71 £4.30
-16.11%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.12 £2.35
$3.01 £2.26
3.65%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.60 £1.21
$2.29 £1.72
-30.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.72 £4.30
$9.08 £6.84
-37.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.62 £3.48
$8.07 £6.07
-42.75%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Swindon
London
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.67 £1.26
$1.90 £1.43
-12.11%
White Bread (500g)
$1.96 £1.47
$2.03 £1.53
-3.45%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.87 £1.41
$2.45 £1.84
-23.67%
Eggs
$4.49 £3.38
$5.07 £3.82
-11.44%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.48 £7.14
$12.71 £9.56
-25.41%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.18 £6.91
$10.61 £7.99
-13.48%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.45 £10.88
$17.68 £13.31
-18.27%
Apples (1kg)
$3.11 £2.34
$3.17 £2.39
-1.89%
Banana (1kg)
$2.47 £1.86
$1.45 £1.09
70.34%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.08 £3.07
$3.13 £2.36
30.35%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.24 £3.19
$3.41 £2.57
24.34%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 £1.52
$1.67 £1.26
20.96%
Onion (1kg)
$1.73 £1.31
$1.77 £1.33
-2.26%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.97 £1.48
$1.43 £1.08
37.76%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.72 £1.29
$1.87 £1.41
-8.02%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.34 £17.57
$23.91 £17.99
-2.38%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.27 £11.49
$13.48 £10.14
13.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.86 £2.91
$3.08 £2.32
25.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.82 £2.88
$4.39 £3.31
-12.98%
🚌 Getting Around
Swindon
London
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.09 £3.08
$4.08 £3.07
0.25%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$98.9 £74.5
$252 £190
-60.78%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.79 £5.11
$5.74 £4.32
18.29%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.69 £1.27
$3.35 £2.52
-49.55%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$21.54 £16.21
$57.2 £43.07
-62.36%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.03 £1.53
$2.08 £1.57
-2.40%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$39.0K £29.4K
$38.0K £28.6K
2.74%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.8K £30.7K
$40.4K £30.4K
1.02%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Swindon
London
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$636 £479
$387 £291
64.32%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.23 £12.21
$18.57 £13.98
-12.60%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$44.50 £33.49
$40.69 £30.62
9.36%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Swindon
London
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.18 £25.73
$57.6 £43.33
-40.63%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.11 £17.39
$19.75 £14.87
17.01%
Cinema Ticket
$17.61 £13.25
$18.33 £13.79
-3.93%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Swindon
London
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,966 £1,480
$2,957 £2,225
-33.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,376 £4,046
$35.9K £27.0K
-85.02%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Swindon
London
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.0 £67.0
$119 £89.4
-25.05%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.92 £33.06
$56.3 £42.35
-21.95%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$81.8 £61.6
$131 £98.5
-37.51%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.5 £64.4
$165 £124
-48.06%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Swindon
London
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,262 £950
$2,811 £2,116
-55.11%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,085 £817
$2,291 £1,724
-52.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,027 £1,526
$5,185 £3,902
-60.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,698 £1,278
$3,805 £2,864
-55.39%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,289 £3,981
$17.7K £13.3K
-70.06%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,741 £2,816
$8,405 £6,325
-55.49%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Swindon
London
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,969 £2,235
$5,070 £3,816
-41.44%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.59
4.79
16.70%

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

Last update for Swindon: October 26, 2026

Last update for London: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Swindon
$1.1K
London
$2.3K 111% $1.2K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Swindon
$697
London
$446 35.9% $250
Groceries & Markets
Swindon
$343
London
$356 3.7% $13
Eating Out
Swindon
$309
London
$396 28.4% $88
Clothing & Footwear
Swindon
$135
London
$212 56.7% $77
Getting Around
Swindon
$131
London
$291 123% $160
Sport & Entertainment
Swindon
$69
London
$94 35.8% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,262 in Swindon 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 71% higher in London. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63 in Swindon versus $107 in London. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $343 vs $356 – making Swindon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Swindon
🇬🇧 London
🕒 Local time
20:33 8:33 PM
20:33 8:33 PM
Same time as Swindon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
183,638
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
Between locations
  • Swindon London 110 km
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  • Swindon
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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
Swindon vs London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Swindon and in London compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,768 in Swindon, $4,086 in London – Swindon comes out roughly 32% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in Swindon compared to London?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,152 per month in Swindon 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 Swindon and London?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Swindon, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,262 there versus $2,811 in London.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 4% more in London, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $63 in Swindon and $107 in London. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Where should families live: Swindon or London?
Families tend to lean toward Swindon – 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 Swindon and London?
If budget matters most, go with Swindon. If higher salaries 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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