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: $2,401 in United Kingdom versus $1,882 in France.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,517 in United Kingdom versus $2,896 in France.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,632 in United Kingdom versus $3,910 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 76% above, France 38% above.

Internal cost variation is higher in United Kingdom: monthly costs span $1,129 to $4,094, compared to $1,155–$2,831 in France. City choice carries more weight in United Kingdom.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.78 £16.31

$17.26 €15.04

26.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.7 £64.9

$69.7 €60.7

24.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.00 £8.23

$13.65 €11.89

-19.41%

Cappuccino

$4.79 £3.59

$3.93 €3.42

21.88%

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

$2.60 £1.95

$3.41 €2.97

-23.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 £1.37

$2.24 €1.95

-18.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.60 £4.94

$7.04 €6.14

-6.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.83 £5.11

$5.94 €5.17

14.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 £1.30

$1.35 €1.18

28.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 £1.29

$2.11 €1.84

-18.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 £1.69

$2.76 €2.40

-18.12%

Eggs

$4.12 £3.08

$4.39 €3.82

-6.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.52 £7.13

$19.90 €17.34

-52.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.42 £7.05

$14.11 €12.29

-33.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.83 £11.10

$22.54 €19.63

-34.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 £2.32

$3.24 €2.82

-4.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 £1.26

$2.40 €2.09

-29.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 £2.15

$3.01 €2.63

-4.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.36 £2.52

$3.79 €3.30

-11.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 £1.38

$2.25 €1.96

-17.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 £1.17

$2.43 €2.12

-35.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 £0.94

$1.64 €1.43

-23.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 £1.27

$0.85 €0.74

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.75 £17.78

$14.21 €12.38

67.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.95 £8.20

$7.96 €6.93

37.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.95 £2.21

$2.85 €2.48

3.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 £2.59

$3.31 €2.89

4.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.34 £2.50

$2.16 €1.88

54.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 £79.0

$60.8 €52.9

73.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.44 £4.07

$5.02 €4.37

8.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.29 £1.71

$2.22 €1.93

3.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.80 £20.07

$39.58 €34.49

-32.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.47

$2.14 €1.87

-8.41%

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

$39.2K £29.3K

$36.1K €31.4K

8.62%

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

$40.9K £30.6K

$35.8K €31.2K

14.32%

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

$328 £245

$225 €196

45.85%

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

$18.19 £13.62

$20.49 €17.85

-11.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.01 £32.20

$34.52 €30.08

24.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.44 £34.77

$38.46 €33.51

20.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.15 £13.59

$21.29 €18.54

-14.75%

Cinema Ticket

$13.61 £10.19

$13.94 €12.14

-2.37%

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

$1,773 £1,327

$900 €784

96.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.4K £17.5K

$12.8K €11.2K

82.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.7 £69.4

$106 €92.1

-12.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.67 £34.94

$46.73 €40.71

-0.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 £77.0

$108 €94.3

-5.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 £75.8

$142 €124

-28.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,372 £1,027

$896 €780

53.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,111 £832

$713 €621

55.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,206 £1,651

$1,563 €1,362

41.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,808 £1,353

$1,231 €1,073

46.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,687 £4,258

$5,536 €4,823

2.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,425 £3,313

$3,796 €3,307

16.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,419 £2,560

$2,779 €2,421

23.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.77

41.38%

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

Last update for United Kingdom: September 13, 2026

Last update for France: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,274 in United Kingdom, $809 in France. Capital cities: $2,976 in London vs $1,590 in Paris.

National salary averages: $3,281 in United Kingdom, $2,799 in France. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 57% higher in United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 27% more in United Kingdom.

Public transport is 72% more expensive in United Kingdom.

Salaries are 17% 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 $1,993 per month in France and $2,612 in United Kingdom, there's a 31% 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.