Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United Kingdom and the Republic of the Congo

For one person, living is cheaper in the Republic of the Congo: $1,657 a month against $2,462 in the United Kingdom, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

United Kingdom
Republic of the Congo
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,462
/mo nomad
🇨🇬 Republic of the Congo
$1,657
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United Kingdom and in the Republic of the Congo

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 the Republic of the Congo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,462 in the United Kingdom versus $1,657 in the Republic of the Congo.

  • United Kingdom $2,462
  • Republic of the Congo $1,657

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,600 in the United Kingdom versus $2,576 in the Republic of the Congo.

  • United Kingdom $3,600
  • Republic of the Congo $2,576

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,738 in the United Kingdom versus $3,496 in the Republic of the Congo.

  • United Kingdom $4,738
  • Republic of the Congo $3,496

Internal cost variation is higher in the United Kingdom: monthly costs span $1,126 to $4,646, compared to $1,944–$1,944 in the Republic of the Congo. City choice carries more weight in the United Kingdom.

Living in the United Kingdom is roughly 49% more expensive than in the Republic of the Congo on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: the United Kingdom 81% above, the Republic of the Congo 22% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
United Kingdom
Republic of the Congo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.48 £16.04
$8.32 FCFA 4,886
158.17%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.7 £64.0
$37.70 FCFA 22.1K
127.43%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.61 £7.92
$5.07 FCFA 2,977
109.27%
Cappuccino
$4.91 £3.67
$4.09 FCFA 2,401
20.05%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.66 £1.99
$1.60 FCFA 940
66.25%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.87 £1.39
$1.31 FCFA 767
42.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.63 £4.95
$5.76 FCFA 3,385
15.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.84 £5.11
$2.49 FCFA 1,461
174.70%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
United Kingdom
Republic of the Congo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.68 £1.25
$2.59 FCFA 1,523
-35.14%
White Bread (500g)
$1.72 £1.28
$4.64 FCFA 2,725
-62.93%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.17 £1.62
$3.14 FCFA 1,846
-30.89%
Eggs
$4.00 £2.99
$2.45 FCFA 1,438
63.27%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.42 £7.03
$16.13 FCFA 9,472
-41.60%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.19 £6.86
$7.01 FCFA 4,119
31.10%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.77 £11.03
$12.13 FCFA 7,127
21.76%
Apples (1kg)
$2.97 £2.21
$2.95 FCFA 1,730
0.68%
Banana (1kg)
$1.62 £1.21
$1.66 FCFA 972
-2.41%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.85 £2.13
$3.46 FCFA 2,033
-17.63%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.52 £2.63
$4.08 FCFA 2,395
-13.73%
Potato (1kg)
$1.83 £1.37
$3.10 FCFA 1,823
-40.97%
Onion (1kg)
$1.61 £1.20
$2.38 FCFA 1,400
-32.35%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.25 £0.93
$1.29 FCFA 756
-3.10%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 £1.24
$0.89 FCFA 522
86.52%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.65 £17.66
$3.85 FCFA 2,262
514.29%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.50 £7.84
$8.02 FCFA 4,710
30.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.98 £2.23
$1.05 FCFA 614
183.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.51 £2.62
$1.72 FCFA 1,012
104.07%
🚌 Getting Around
United Kingdom
Republic of the Congo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.98 £2.97
$0.27 FCFA 160
1374.07%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$107 £80.2
$23.87 FCFA 14.0K
350.02%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.18 £3.87
$1.65 FCFA 969
213.94%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.35 £1.75
$1.68 FCFA 985
39.88%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.84 £20.04
$7.00 FCFA 4,112
283.43%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.99 £1.48
$1.34 FCFA 790
48.51%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$39.4K £29.5K
$29.0K FCFA 17.0M
36.23%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.5K £30.2K
$21.2K FCFA 12.5M
90.69%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
United Kingdom
Republic of the Congo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$327 £244
$603 FCFA 354.2K
-45.75%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.21 £13.60
$29.07 FCFA 17.1K
-37.36%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$43.60 £32.56
$42.24 FCFA 24.8K
3.22%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
United Kingdom
Republic of the Congo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.36 £31.63
$33.60 FCFA 19.7K
26.07%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.22 £13.60
$17.05 FCFA 10.0K
6.86%
Cinema Ticket
$13.85 £10.34
$6.17 FCFA 3,622
124.47%
🧸 Childcare & Education
United Kingdom
Republic of the Congo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,868 £1,395
$53.4 FCFA 31.4K
3398.07%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.6K £16.9K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
United Kingdom
Republic of the Congo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$92.9 £69.4
$46.07 FCFA 27.1K
101.71%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.92 £34.29
$47.10 FCFA 27.7K
-2.51%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 £75.9
$116 FCFA 68.0K
-12.25%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$102 £76.3
$113 FCFA 66.6K
-9.88%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
United Kingdom
Republic of the Congo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,342 £1,002
$802 FCFA 471.0K
67.40%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,073 £801
$252 FCFA 147.9K
326.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,231 £1,666
$2,675 FCFA 1.6M
-16.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,742 £1,301
$990 FCFA 581.6K
75.92%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,601 £4,182
$3,459 FCFA 2.0M
61.91%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,265 £3,185
$2,944 FCFA 1.7M
44.87%
💵 Salaries & Financials
United Kingdom
Republic of the Congo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,349 £2,501
$374 FCFA 219.9K
794.53%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.32
9.51
-44.06%

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

Last update for the United Kingdom: October 26, 2026

Last update for the Republic of the Congo: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
United Kingdom
$1.1K
Republic of the Congo
$252 76.5% $821
Monthly Utilities & Internet
United Kingdom
$389
Republic of the Congo
$674 73.4% $285
Eating Out
United Kingdom
$328
Republic of the Congo
$176 46.2% $151
Groceries & Markets
United Kingdom
$307
Republic of the Congo
$328 6.7% $21
Clothing & Footwear
United Kingdom
$154
Republic of the Congo
$145 5.9% $9.1
Getting Around
United Kingdom
$140
Republic of the Congo
$35 75.1% $105
Sport & Entertainment
United Kingdom
$70
Republic of the Congo
$46 34.4% $24

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,287 in the United Kingdom, $1,149 in the Republic of the Congo. Capital cities: $2,811 in London vs $1,149 in Brazzaville.

National salary averages: $3,251 in the United Kingdom, $453 in the Republic of the Congo. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 12% higher in the United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 66% more in the United Kingdom.

Public transport is 321% more expensive in the United Kingdom.

Salaries are about 7.2 times higher in the United Kingdom, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United Kingdom.

Good to know
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
🇨🇬 Republic of the Congo
🕒 Local time
02:45 2:45 AM
03:45 3:45 AM
1 h ahead of the United Kingdom
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
67,326,569
6,142,180
Exchange rates and currency converter

XAF, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.747 GBP (1 GBP = 1.34 USD). 1 EUR = 0.834 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

Central African CFA Franc exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 587 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.7 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.52 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • United Kingdom Republic of the Congo 6,370 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • United Kingdom
  • Republic of the Congo

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 Republic of the Congo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between the Republic of the Congo and the United Kingdom?
At $1,657 per month in the Republic of the Congo and $2,462 in the United Kingdom, the Republic of the Congo comes out about 33% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,287 in the United Kingdom and $1,149 in the Republic of the Congo. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget in the Republic of the Congo or in the United Kingdom?
In the Republic of the Congo, $2,500 covers most cities easily; in the 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.
Should I move to the Republic of the Congo or to the United Kingdom?
It depends on what you’re after: the Republic of the Congo wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.

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