Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wakefield, United Kingdom and London

For one person, living is cheaper in Wakefield: $2,026 a month against $4,086 in London, rent and utilities included – about $24,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Wakefield, United Kingdom
London, United Kingdom
Wakefield
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,026
/mo nomad
London
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$4,086
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Wakefield and in London

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

A single person spends $2,026 per month in Wakefield vs $4,086 in London, rent included.

  • Wakefield $2,026
  • London $4,086

A couple spends around $3,215 per month in Wakefield vs $5,891 in London, rent included.

  • Wakefield $3,215
  • London $5,891

A family of three spends $4,405 per month in Wakefield vs $7,696 in London, rent included.

  • Wakefield $4,405
  • London $7,696

Wakefield is about 50% cheaper than London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Wakefield and London sit above the global median – Wakefield by 49%, London by 200%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Wakefield
London
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.79 £14.87
$26.55 £19.95
-25.46%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$82.1 £61.7
$107 £80.4
-23.25%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.87 £7.42
$10.78 £8.11
-8.44%
Cappuccino
$4.41 £3.32
$5.71 £4.29
-22.77%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.34 £1.76
$3.01 £2.26
-22.26%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.33 £1.00
$2.29 £1.72
-41.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.10 £4.58
$9.08 £6.83
-32.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.22 £3.92
$8.07 £6.06
-35.32%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Wakefield
London
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.49 £1.12
$1.90 £1.43
-21.58%
White Bread (500g)
$1.92 £1.44
$2.03 £1.52
-5.42%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.61 £1.96
$2.45 £1.84
6.53%
Eggs
$4.20 £3.15
$5.07 £3.81
-17.16%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.88 £5.92
$12.71 £9.55
-38.00%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.27 £6.22
$10.61 £7.97
-22.05%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.78 £10.36
$17.68 £13.29
-22.06%
Apples (1kg)
$2.97 £2.23
$3.17 £2.38
-6.31%
Banana (1kg)
$1.43 £1.08
$1.45 £1.09
-1.38%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.65 £1.99
$3.13 £2.35
-15.34%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.98 £2.24
$3.41 £2.56
-12.61%
Potato (1kg)
$1.75 £1.32
$1.67 £1.25
4.79%
Onion (1kg)
$1.64 £1.23
$1.77 £1.33
-7.34%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.19 £0.89
$1.43 £1.08
-16.78%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.40 £1.06
$1.87 £1.40
-25.13%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$22.91 £17.22
$23.91 £17.97
-4.18%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.70 £8.04
$13.48 £10.13
-20.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.31 £2.49
$3.08 £2.32
7.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.33 £2.50
$4.39 £3.30
-24.15%
🚌 Getting Around
Wakefield
London
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.40 £2.56
$4.08 £3.06
-16.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$106 £79.3
$252 £190
-58.16%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.45 £4.10
$5.74 £4.32
-5.05%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.43 £1.07
$3.35 £2.52
-57.31%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$15.75 £11.83
$57.2 £43.01
-72.48%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.09 £1.57
$2.08 £1.57
0.48%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.6K £29.0K
$38.0K £28.6K
1.69%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.4K £30.3K
$40.4K £30.4K
-0.12%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Wakefield
London
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$351 £264
$387 £291
-9.32%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.63 £11.75
$18.57 £13.96
-15.83%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.67 £32.07
$40.69 £30.58
4.87%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Wakefield
London
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.67 £26.80
$57.6 £43.27
-38.04%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.03 £20.32
$19.75 £14.85
36.86%
Cinema Ticket
$14.07 £10.58
$18.33 £13.77
-23.24%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Wakefield
London
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,584 £1,190
$2,957 £2,222
-46.44%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$24.2K £18.2K
$35.9K £27.0K
-32.66%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Wakefield
London
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.9 £65.3
$119 £89.3
-26.85%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.2 £40.72
$56.3 £42.29
-3.73%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$93.2 £70.0
$131 £98.4
-28.81%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$90.1 £67.7
$165 £124
-45.28%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Wakefield
London
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,011 £760
$2,811 £2,113
-64.03%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$687 £517
$2,291 £1,722
-70.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,118 £1,592
$5,185 £3,897
-59.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,552 £1,167
$3,805 £2,860
-59.20%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,991 £2,999
$17.7K £13.3K
-77.41%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,665 £2,003
$8,405 £6,317
-68.29%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Wakefield
London
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,512 £1,888
$5,070 £3,811
-50.46%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.77
4.79
-0.42%

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

Last update for Wakefield: October 25, 2026

Last update for London: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Wakefield
$687
London
$2.3K 233% $1.6K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Wakefield
$409
London
$446 9.1% $37
Eating Out
Wakefield
$296
London
$396 33.6% $100
Groceries & Markets
Wakefield
$291
London
$356 22% $64
Clothing & Footwear
Wakefield
$146
London
$212 45.1% $66
Getting Around
Wakefield
$132
London
$291 121% $159
Sport & Entertainment
Wakefield
$64
London
$94 47.7% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,011 in Wakefield versus $2,811 in London. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in London are about 2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $82 in Wakefield versus $107 in London. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $291 vs $356 – making Wakefield the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Wakefield
🇬🇧 London
🕒 Local time
16:07 4:07 PM
16:07 4:07 PM
Same time as Wakefield
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
322,300
8,908,083 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.752 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.836 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Wakefield London 260 km
From you
  • Wakefield
  • London

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
Wakefield vs London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Wakefield and in London compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,026 in Wakefield, $4,086 in London – roughly 102% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in Wakefield compared to London?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,039 per month in Wakefield and $6,129 in London. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Wakefield and London?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Wakefield, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,011 there versus $2,811 in London.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 22% more in London, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $82 in Wakefield and $107 in London. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,500 per month?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Wakefield, where all-in costs run around $2,026, than in London at $4,086. In Wakefield it covers expenses comfortably, while in London it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Wakefield or London?
Families tend to lean toward Wakefield – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How do I decide between Wakefield and London?
If budget matters most, go with Wakefield. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, London makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Wakefield vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?