Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between York and London

For one person, living is cheaper in York: $2,187 a month against $3,986 in London, rent and utilities included – about $21,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in York
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York Living Index
194

Cost of Living Index in London
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London Living Index

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York

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,187

/mo nomad

London

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$3,986

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in York 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 York and in London actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,187 per month in York vs $3,986 in London, rent included.

York $2,187
London $3,986

A couple spends around $3,476 per month in York vs $5,791 in London, rent included.

York $3,476
London $5,791

A family of three spends $4,765 per month in York vs $7,595 in London, rent included.

York $4,765
London $7,595

York is about 45% cheaper than London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both York and London sit above the global median – York by 62%, London by 195%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.73 £20.05

$25.93 £19.45

3.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.3 £66.2

$107 £79.9

-17.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 £7.91

$10.71 £8.03

-1.59%

Cappuccino

$4.97 £3.73

$5.47 £4.11

-9.14%

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

$2.67 £2.01

$2.97 £2.23

-10.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 £1.36

$2.20 £1.65

-17.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.49 £4.87

$9.13 £6.85

-28.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.52 £4.89

$7.94 £5.96

-17.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 £1.23

$1.86 £1.40

-11.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 £1.14

$2.07 £1.55

-26.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 £1.47

$2.42 £1.81

-19.01%

Eggs

$3.69 £2.77

$5.09 £3.82

-27.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 £6.60

$12.87 £9.66

-31.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.16 £6.12

$10.43 £7.82

-21.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.91 £7.43

$16.87 £12.66

-41.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 £2.49

$3.11 £2.33

6.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 £1.46

$1.40 £1.05

39.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 £1.76

$3.08 £2.31

-23.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.69 £3.52

$3.27 £2.45

43.43%

Potato (1kg)

$3.04 £2.28

$1.58 £1.19

92.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 £1.23

$1.74 £1.31

-6.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 £1.11

$1.40 £1.05

5.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 £1.06

$1.80 £1.35

-21.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.35 £17.52

$23.28 £17.46

0.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.96 £8.97

$13.03 £9.77

-8.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.05 £3.04

$3.17 £2.38

27.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.73 £3.55

$4.42 £3.32

7.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.91 £2.93

$4.07 £3.05

-3.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$114 £85.7

$247 £185

-53.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 £3.29

$5.58 £4.18

-21.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.67 £2.00

$3.36 £2.52

-20.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.02 £14.27

$56.8 £42.58

-66.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 £1.51

$2.13 £1.60

-5.63%

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

$37.6K £28.2K

$38.2K £28.6K

-1.44%

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

$39.8K £29.9K

$40.9K £30.7K

-2.63%

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

$200 £150

$372 £279

-46.19%

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

$16.63 £12.48

$17.82 £13.37

-6.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.71 £35.79

$40.37 £30.29

18.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.89 £36.68

$60.0 £44.99

-18.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.91 £17.94

$21.29 £15.97

12.31%

Cinema Ticket

$13.03 £9.78

$17.74 £13.31

-26.55%

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

$1,627 £1,220

$2,864 £2,149

-43.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K £12.1K

$35.3K £26.5K

-54.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.8 £45.64

$114 £85.5

-46.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.10 £27.83

$54.3 £40.71

-31.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.9 £57.7

$124 £93.2

-38.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.5 £58.9

$163 £122

-51.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 £920

$2,869 £2,152

-57.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$917 £688

$2,233 £1,675

-58.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,502 £1,877

$5,266 £3,951

-52.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,875 £1,407

$3,778 £2,835

-50.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,897 £3,674

$18.3K £13.8K

-73.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,877 £2,908

$8,024 £6,020

-51.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,465 £2,600

$5,037 £3,779

-31.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.61

4.74

18.35%

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

Last update for York: October 11, 2026

Last update for London: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

York

$917 41.9%

London

$2.2K 56% 144% $1.3K

Eating Out

York

$369 16.9%

London

$388 9.7% 5.1% $19

Groceries & Markets

York

$301 13.8%

London

$349 8.8% 16.1% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

York

$265 12.1%

London

$430 10.8% 62.6% $166

Getting Around

York

$148 6.8%

London

$285 7.2% 93.4% $138

Clothing & Footwear

York

$114 5.2%

London

$205 5.1% 79.9% $91

Sport & Entertainment

York

$75 3.4%

London

$95 2.4% 27.3% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,226 in York versus $2,869 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 run about 45% higher in London, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $88.0 in York versus $107 in London. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $301 vs $349 – making York the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 York

🇬🇧 London

🕒 Local time

10:17 10:17 AM

Same time as York

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

137,000

8,908,083 Capital

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

York London 280 km

From you

York
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

York vs London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,187 in York, $3,986 in London – roughly 82% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,281 per month in York and $5,979 in London. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in York, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 16% more in London, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $88.0 in York and $107 in London. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in York, where all-in costs run around $2,187, than in London at $3,986. In York it covers expenses comfortably, while in London it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. London has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,187 in York to $3,986 in London. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with York. 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.