Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United Kingdom and Australia

Name: Australia
Address: AU

For one person, living costs are similar in the United Kingdom and in Australia: $2,453 and $2,542 a month, rent and utilities included.

119

Cost of Living Index in the United Kingdom
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United Kingdom Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Australia
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Australia Living Index

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🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,453

/mo nomad

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,542

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United Kingdom and in Australia

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in the United Kingdom and in Australia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,453 per month in the United Kingdom vs $2,542 in Australia, rent included.

United Kingdom $2,453
Australia $2,542

A couple spends around $3,548 per month in the United Kingdom vs $3,717 in Australia, rent included.

United Kingdom $3,548
Australia $3,717

A family of three spends $4,643 per month in the United Kingdom vs $4,893 in Australia, rent included.

United Kingdom $4,643
Australia $4,893

The regional cost range is wider in the United Kingdom ($1,131–$3,986) than in Australia ($1,646–$3,152), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in the United Kingdom is roughly 3% lower than in Australia on average.

Both the United Kingdom and Australia are pricier than the global median – the United Kingdom by 82%, Australia by 88%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.82 £15.62

$17.16 A$24.69

21.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.3 £64.7

$83.9 A$121

2.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.76 £8.07

$11.20 A$16.12

-3.93%

Cappuccino

$4.87 £3.65

$3.92 A$5.64

24.23%

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

$2.55 £1.91

$2.83 A$4.07

-9.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 £1.39

$2.30 A$3.31

-19.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.75 £5.06

$7.68 A$11.06

-12.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.49 £4.87

$8.25 A$11.87

-21.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 £1.23

$1.76 A$2.53

-6.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 £1.24

$2.77 A$3.99

-40.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 £1.63

$2.19 A$3.16

-0.91%

Eggs

$4.02 £3.01

$4.99 A$7.18

-19.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.40 £7.05

$9.94 A$14.31

-5.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.99 £6.74

$9.03 A$12.99

-0.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.55 £10.92

$15.25 A$21.94

-4.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 £2.17

$3.67 A$5.28

-20.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 £1.20

$3.05 A$4.39

-47.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.78 £2.08

$3.12 A$4.50

-10.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.39 £2.54

$4.56 A$6.56

-25.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 £1.34

$2.81 A$4.04

-36.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 £1.21

$2.39 A$3.44

-32.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 £0.92

$2.35 A$3.39

-47.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 £1.24

$1.64 A$2.36

1.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.67 £17.76

$38.42 A$55.3

-38.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.67 £8.00

$13.77 A$19.82

-22.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.06 £2.30

$4.69 A$6.75

-34.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 £2.50

$5.08 A$7.31

-34.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.34 £2.51

$2.72 A$3.91

22.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 £77.1

$95.8 A$138

7.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.44 £4.08

$3.54 A$5.10

53.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.36 £1.77

$1.55 A$2.23

52.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.17 £19.63

$40.00 A$57.6

-34.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.46

$1.30 A$1.87

50.00%

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

$38.0K £28.5K

$28.2K A$40.5K

34.76%

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

$40.6K £30.5K

$28.5K A$40.9K

42.78%

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

$315 £236

$198 A$285

58.72%

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

$17.88 £13.41

$28.75 A$41.37

-37.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.77 £32.09

$58.6 A$84.4

-27.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.93 £33.71

$56.7 A$81.6

-20.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.98 £13.49

$19.08 A$27.46

-5.77%

Cinema Ticket

$13.06 £9.80

$15.02 A$21.62

-13.05%

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

$1,753 £1,315

$2,154 A$3,099

-18.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K £16.9K

$17.9K A$25.8K

25.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.4 £67.8

$78.0 A$112

15.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.49 £34.13

$54.8 A$78.8

-16.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 £75.9

$112 A$161

-9.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 £76.4

$124 A$179

-18.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,339 £1,005

$1,540 A$2,215

-13.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 £822

$1,222 A$1,758

-10.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,152 £1,615

$2,478 A$3,566

-13.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,699 £1,275

$1,930 A$2,778

-11.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,551 £4,165

$8,153 A$11.7K

-31.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,374 £3,282

$6,053 A$8,711

-27.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,324 £2,494

$3,944 A$5,676

-15.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.32

5.93

-10.29%

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

Last update for the United Kingdom: October 13, 2026

Last update for Australia: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United Kingdom

$1.1K 44.7%

Australia

$1.2K 48.1% 11.4% $125

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United Kingdom

$375 15.3%

Australia

$286 11.2% 23.9% $90

Eating Out

United Kingdom

$322 13.1%

Australia

$293 11.5% 8.8% $28

Groceries & Markets

United Kingdom

$303 12.4%

Australia

$370 14.6% 22% $67

Clothing & Footwear

United Kingdom

$153 6.2%

Australia

$166 6.5% 8.9% $14

Getting Around

United Kingdom

$133 5.4%

Australia

$118 4.6% 11.5% $15

Sport & Entertainment

United Kingdom

$71 2.9%

Australia

$87 3.4% 22.1% $16

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,252 in the United Kingdom vs $1,366 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,869 in London and $1,716 in Canberra.

Average salary: $3,228 in the United Kingdom vs $3,849 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 9% higher in Australia.

Public transport is 16% more expensive in the United Kingdom.

Salaries are 19% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

Good to know

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

🇦🇺 Australia

🕒 Local time

17:29 5:29 PM

03:29 3:29 AM

10 h ahead of the United Kingdom

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

67,326,569

26,473,055

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇧 British Pound (£)

British Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to GBP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

United Kingdom Australia 16,980 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

United Kingdom
Australia

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

United Kingdom vs Australia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

The United Kingdom is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 4% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Australia: a central one-bedroom averages $1,366 versus $1,252 in the United Kingdom.

$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in the United Kingdom, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

The United Kingdom is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.