Last update: Oct 2026

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

Name: United Kingdom
Address: GB

For one person, living is cheaper in the United Kingdom: $2,478 a month against $2,727 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

132

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index
119

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

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,727

/mo nomad

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,478

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,727 in the United States versus $2,478 in the United Kingdom.

United States $2,727
United Kingdom $2,478

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,009 in the United States versus $3,608 in the United Kingdom.

United States $4,009
United Kingdom $3,608

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,291 in the United States versus $4,739 in the United Kingdom.

United States $5,291
United Kingdom $4,739

Internal cost variation is higher in the United States: monthly costs span $977 to $5,215, compared to $1,143–$4,049 in the United Kingdom. City choice carries more weight in the United States.

Living in the United States is roughly 10% more expensive than in the United Kingdom on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: the United States 101% above, the United Kingdom 83% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.73 $19.73

$21.61 £16.21

-8.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.0 $81.0

$87.7 £65.8

-7.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.98 $11.98

$10.82 £8.12

10.72%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$4.77 £3.58

17.19%

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

$2.78 $2.78

$2.64 £1.98

5.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.88 £1.41

11.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.98 $5.98

$6.59 £4.94

-9.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.92 $7.92

$6.56 £4.92

20.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.64 £1.23

-37.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.65 £1.23

127.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$2.23 £1.68

100.00%

Eggs

$4.34 $4.34

$4.06 £3.05

6.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.75 $12.75

$9.64 £7.23

32.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.27 $12.27

$9.14 £6.86

34.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.29 $17.29

$14.77 £11.08

17.06%

Apples (1kg)

$5.31 $5.31

$2.92 £2.19

81.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.65 £1.24

1.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$2.80 £2.10

54.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.03 $5.03

$3.32 £2.49

51.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.81 £1.36

55.25%

Onion (1kg)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.56 £1.17

95.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.24 £0.93

79.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.66 £1.25

41.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.92 $10.92

$23.79 £17.85

-54.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$10.46 £7.85

42.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.94 £2.21

-28.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.39 £2.54

6.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 $2.46

$3.51 £2.63

-29.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.7 $65.7

$104 £78.3

-37.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$5.42 £4.06

-33.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

$2.40 £1.80

-20.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.51 $29.51

$27.06 £20.30

9.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.96 £1.47

-47.96%

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

$28.3K $28.3K

$38.7K £29.0K

-26.85%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$41.2K £30.9K

-37.04%

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

$221 $221

$323 £242

-31.64%

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

$61.3 $61.3

$18.55 £13.92

230.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.3 $73.3

$42.14 £31.61

73.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.89 $44.89

$46.76 £35.08

-4.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.65 $22.65

$17.95 £13.47

26.18%

Cinema Ticket

$15.16 $15.16

$13.85 £10.39

9.46%

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

$1,471 $1,471

$1,725 £1,294

-14.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.0K $25.0K

$22.6K £16.9K

10.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 $53.5

$92.8 £69.6

-42.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.76 $43.76

$46.58 £34.94

-6.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 $92.0

$102 £76.5

-9.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$102 £76.6

11.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,654 $1,654

$1,348 £1,011

22.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 $1,332

$1,098 £824

21.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,669 $2,669

$2,160 £1,620

23.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,207 $2,207

$1,745 £1,309

26.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,054 $3,054

$5,578 £4,184

-45.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,522 $2,522

$4,418 £3,315

-42.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,391 $4,391

$3,358 £2,519

30.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

5.32

23.12%

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

Last update for the United States: October 18, 2026

Last update for the United Kingdom: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 48.9%

United Kingdom

$1.1K 44.3% 17.6% $234

Groceries & Markets

United States

$413 15.1%

United Kingdom

$305 12.3% 26% $107

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$355 13%

United Kingdom

$384 15.5% 8% $28

Eating Out

United States

$326 12%

United Kingdom

$327 13.2% 0.1% $0.5

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5%

United Kingdom

$155 6.2% 13.1% $18

Getting Around

United States

$89 3.3%

United Kingdom

$136 5.5% 53.2% $47

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$75 2.8%

United Kingdom

$74 3% 1% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,612 in the United States, $1,265 in the United Kingdom. Capital cities: $2,743 in Washington, DC vs $2,852 in London.

National salary averages: $4,548 in the United States, $3,250 in the United Kingdom. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 27% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 11% more in the United Kingdom.

Public transport is 226% 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 States

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

🕒 Local time

17:29 5:29 PM

22:29 10:29 PM

5 h ahead of the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

67,326,569

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇬🇧 British Pound (£)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

GBP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

United States
United Kingdom

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

At $2,478 per month in the United Kingdom and $2,727 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 $1,612 in the United States and $1,265 in the United Kingdom. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In the United Kingdom, $4,000 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.