Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United Kingdom and the United States

Name: United States
Address: US

For one person, living is cheaper in the United Kingdom: $2,453 a month against $2,701 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

119

Cost of Living Index in the United Kingdom
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United Kingdom Living Index
133

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index

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🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,453

/mo nomad

🇺🇸 United States

$2,701

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 United States actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in the United Kingdom versus $2,701 in the United States.

United Kingdom $2,453
United States $2,701

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in the United Kingdom versus $3,980 in the United States.

United Kingdom $3,548
United States $3,980

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,643 in the United Kingdom versus $5,258 in the United States.

United Kingdom $4,643
United States $5,258

Internal cost variation is higher in the United States: monthly costs span $980 to $5,162, compared to $1,131–$3,986 in the United Kingdom. City choice carries more weight in the United States.

Living in the United Kingdom costs about 9% less than in the United States on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: the United Kingdom 82% above, the United States 100% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.82 £15.62

$19.92 $19.92

4.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.3 £64.7

$81.0 $81.0

6.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.76 £8.07

$12.07 $12.07

-10.85%

Cappuccino

$4.87 £3.65

$5.55 $5.55

-12.25%

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

$2.55 £1.91

$2.67 $2.67

-4.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 £1.39

$2.09 $2.09

-11.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.75 £5.06

$5.96 $5.96

13.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.49 £4.87

$7.76 $7.76

-16.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 £1.23

$1.05 $1.05

56.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 £1.24

$3.55 $3.55

-53.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 £1.63

$4.64 $4.64

-53.23%

Eggs

$4.02 £3.01

$4.18 $4.18

-3.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.40 £7.05

$12.76 $12.76

-26.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.99 £6.74

$12.63 $12.63

-28.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.55 £10.92

$17.22 $17.22

-15.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 £2.17

$5.15 $5.15

-43.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 £1.20

$1.64 $1.64

-2.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.78 £2.08

$4.46 $4.46

-37.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.39 £2.54

$4.98 $4.98

-31.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 £1.34

$2.84 $2.84

-37.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 £1.21

$3.09 $3.09

-47.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 £0.92

$2.19 $2.19

-43.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 £1.24

$2.27 $2.27

-26.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.67 £17.76

$10.61 $10.61

123.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.67 £8.00

$14.71 $14.71

-27.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.06 £2.30

$2.10 $2.10

45.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 £2.50

$3.82 $3.82

-12.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.34 £2.51

$2.35 $2.35

42.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 £77.1

$64.1 $64.1

60.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.44 £4.08

$3.57 $3.57

52.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.36 £1.77

$1.85 $1.85

27.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.17 £19.63

$30.19 $30.19

-13.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.46

$1.07 $1.07

82.24%

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

$38.0K £28.5K

$35.3K $35.3K

7.57%

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

$40.6K £30.5K

$25.9K $25.9K

56.87%

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

$315 £236

$217 $217

45.29%

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

$17.88 £13.41

$61.4 $61.4

-70.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.77 £32.09

$74.4 $74.4

-42.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.93 £33.71

$45.08 $45.08

-0.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.98 £13.49

$23.07 $23.07

-22.06%

Cinema Ticket

$13.06 £9.80

$14.79 $14.79

-11.70%

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

$1,753 £1,315

$1,480 $1,480

18.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K £16.9K

$25.5K $25.5K

-11.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.4 £67.8

$53.0 $53.0

70.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.49 £34.13

$42.75 $42.75

6.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 £75.9

$94.3 $94.3

7.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 £76.4

$115 $115

-11.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,339 £1,005

$1,678 $1,678

-20.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 £822

$1,313 $1,313

-16.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,152 £1,615

$2,649 $2,649

-18.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,699 £1,275

$2,183 $2,183

-22.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,551 £4,165

$3,374 $3,374

64.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,374 £3,282

$2,661 $2,661

64.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,324 £2,494

$4,404 $4,404

-24.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.32

6.55

-18.78%

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 the United States: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United Kingdom

$1.1K 44.7%

United States

$1.3K 48.6% 19.8% $217

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United Kingdom

$375 15.3%

United States

$352 13% 6.1% $23

Eating Out

United Kingdom

$322 13.1%

United States

$327 12.1% 1.5% $5

Groceries & Markets

United Kingdom

$303 12.4%

United States

$411 15.2% 35.4% $108

Clothing & Footwear

United Kingdom

$153 6.2%

United States

$137 5.1% 9.9% $15

Getting Around

United Kingdom

$133 5.4%

United States

$86 3.2% 35.3% $47

Sport & Entertainment

United Kingdom

$71 2.9%

United States

$75 2.8% 5.1% $3.6

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,252 in the United Kingdom, $1,609 in the United States. Capital cities: $2,869 in London vs $2,730 in Washington, DC.

National salary averages: $3,228 in the United Kingdom, $4,533 in the United States. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 29% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 11% more in the United Kingdom.

Public transport is 222% more expensive in the United Kingdom.

Salaries are 40% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

🇺🇸 United States

🕒 Local time

00:42 12:42 AM

19:42 7:42 PM

5 h behind the United Kingdom

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

67,326,569

340,110,988

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to GBP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

United Kingdom United States 6,800 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

United Kingdom
United States

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 United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,453 per month in the United Kingdom and $2,701 in the United States, there's a 10% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,609 in the United States and $1,252 in the United Kingdom. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In the United Kingdom, $2,500 covers most cities easily; in the United States 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: the United Kingdom wins on affordability; the United States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.