Cost of Living Comparison Between United Kingdom and France Cost of Living Comparison Between United Kingdom and France

Name: France
Address: FR

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,363 in United Kingdom versus $1,853 in France.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,471 in United Kingdom versus $2,836 in France.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,579 in United Kingdom versus $3,819 in France.

Living in United Kingdom is roughly 28% more expensive than in France on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: United Kingdom 77% above, France 39% above.

Internal cost variation is higher in United Kingdom: monthly costs span $1,670 to $3,916, compared to $1,465–$2,823 in France. City choice carries more weight in United Kingdom.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.23 £15.04

$17.17 €15.01

17.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.3 £65.6

$70.2 €61.3

25.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 £7.69

$12.68 €11.08

-18.38%

Cappuccino

$4.77 £3.55

$3.65 €3.19

30.68%

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

$2.44 £1.82

$3.24 €2.83

-24.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 £1.29

$2.23 €1.95

-22.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.85 £5.09

$7.04 €6.16

-2.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.52 £4.84

$5.71 €4.98

14.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 £1.23

$1.31 €1.14

26.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 £1.27

$1.99 €1.74

-14.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 £1.64

$2.59 €2.27

-14.67%

Eggs

$4.09 £3.04

$4.30 €3.75

-4.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.52 £7.08

$20.74 €18.12

-54.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.02 £6.71

$13.89 €12.13

-35.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.18 £10.54

$21.13 €18.47

-32.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 £2.20

$3.12 €2.73

-5.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 £1.25

$2.39 €2.08

-29.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 £2.11

$3.07 €2.68

-7.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.41 £2.53

$3.60 €3.14

-5.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 £1.26

$2.43 €2.12

-30.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 £1.17

$2.51 €2.20

-37.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 £0.84

$1.55 €1.35

-27.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 £1.14

$0.81 €0.71

88.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.16 £14.99

$14.06 €12.28

43.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 £7.78

$8.01 €7.00

30.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 £2.14

$2.54 €2.22

12.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 £2.45

$3.15 €2.75

4.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.33 £2.48

$2.22 €1.94

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.3 £71.6

$71.1 €62.2

35.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.53 £4.11

$5.48 €4.79

0.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 £1.19

$1.95 €1.70

-17.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.51 £20.45

$36.82 €32.17

-25.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 £1.41

$2.09 €1.82

-9.09%

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

$38.1K £28.3K

$38.2K €33.4K

-0.33%

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

$41.0K £30.5K

$36.7K €32.0K

11.80%

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

$326 £242

$209 €183

55.87%

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

$17.18 £12.77

$25.77 €22.51

-33.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.96 £31.94

$34.50 €30.14

24.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.94 £34.15

$38.15 €33.33

20.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.87 £11.80

$18.93 €16.54

-16.16%

Cinema Ticket

$13.80 £10.26

$13.87 €12.12

-0.50%

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

$1,723 £1,281

$812 €710

112.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K £15.5K

$11.8K €10.3K

77.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.3 £67.1

$104 €91.2

-13.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.39 £33.00

$44.80 €39.14

-0.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 £76.7

$106 €92.8

-2.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 £76.3

$142 €124

-27.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 £1,055

$899 €786

57.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,143 £850

$683 €597

67.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,298 £1,708

$1,636 €1,429

40.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,873 £1,392

$1,280 €1,119

46.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,728 £4,258

$5,465 €4,775

4.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,339 £3,226

$3,707 €3,239

17.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,264 £2,427

$2,735 €2,390

19.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.75

3.66

57.10%

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

Last update for United Kingdom: July 13, 2026

Last update for France: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,266 in United Kingdom, $792 in France. Capital cities: $2,937 in London vs $1,607 in Paris.

National salary averages: $3,192 in United Kingdom, $2,771 in France. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 60% higher in United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 38% more in United Kingdom.

Public transport is 84% more expensive in United Kingdom.

Salaries are 15% higher in United Kingdom, and purchasing power comes out stronger in France.

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 France: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,144 per month in France and $2,793 in United Kingdom, there's a 30% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in France: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in United Kingdom is consistently higher than in France across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In France, $3,000 covers most cities easily; in United Kingdom it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: France wins on affordability; United Kingdom may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.