Cost of Living in United Kingdom - Updated Prices & Insights

Name: United Kingdom
Address: GB

Solo nomad: Estimated monthly costs are $1,016 (excluding rent), and $2,486 including rent.

Family of 3: Estimated monthly costs are $2,575 (excluding rent), and $4,820 including rent.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.24 £15.12

$13.50 £10.08

$40.49 £30.24

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.4 £65.3

$67.3 £50.2

$135 £100

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.17 £7.60

$8.81 £6.58

$12.07 £9.01

Cappuccino

$4.73 £3.54

$2.91 £2.17

$6.86 £5.12

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

$2.38 £1.78

$1.53 £1.14

$4.01 £2.99

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 £1.30

$1.37 £1.03

$2.74 £2.05

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.60 £4.93

$3.96 £2.96

$8.58 £6.41

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.45 £4.82

$4.81 £3.59

$8.23 £6.15

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 £1.28

$1.06 £0.79

$2.49 £1.86

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 £1.27

$1.02 £0.76

$3.03 £2.27

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 £1.63

$1.26 £0.94

$3.98 £2.98

Eggs

$4.06 £3.03

$2.21 £1.65

$6.00 £4.48

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 £7.40

$4.86 £3.63

$20.80 £15.54

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 £6.61

$4.37 £3.26

$13.43 £10.03

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.01 £10.47

$6.73 £5.03

$22.91 £17.11

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 £2.20

$1.34 £1.00

$5.34 £3.99

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 £1.20

$1.04 £0.77

$3.34 £2.50

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 £2.10

$1.33 £0.99

$5.86 £4.38

Tomato (1kg)

$3.55 £2.65

$1.38 £1.03

$6.18 £4.62

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 £1.22

$0.67 £0.50

$2.69 £2.01

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 £1.15

$1.00 £0.75

$2.68 £2.00

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 £0.87

$0.70 £0.52

$1.67 £1.24

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 £1.16

$0.77 £0.57

$2.74 £2.05

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.35 £15.20

$16.96 £12.67

$24.42 £18.24

Wine (Bottle)

$10.78 £8.05

$8.09 £6.04

$16.18 £12.08

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 £2.10

$1.47 £1.10

$4.07 £3.04

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 £2.53

$1.65 £1.23

$5.71 £4.26

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.32 £2.48

$2.77 £2.07

$5.53 £4.13

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.3 £72.0

$68.8 £51.4

$248 £185

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.49 £4.10

$4.12 £3.08

$7.55 £5.64

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 £1.14

$0.92 £0.69

$3.31 £2.47

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.15 £20.28

$16.29 £12.17

$47.52 £35.50

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.47

$1.86 £1.39

$2.23 £1.67

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

$38.3K £28.6K

$35.9K £26.8K

$38.3K £28.6K

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

$41.2K £30.7K

$39.7K £29.6K

$41.8K £31.3K

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

$321 £240

$203 £152

$575 £429

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

$17.42 £13.01

$13.54 £10.12

$40.61 £30.34

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.91 £32.05

$34.28 £25.61

$61.7 £46.10

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.54 £34.02

$26.67 £19.92

$80.0 £59.8

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.68 £11.71

$8.02 £5.99

$24.06 £17.97

Cinema Ticket

$13.84 £10.34

$10.96 £8.19

$20.75 £15.50

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

$1,718 £1,283

$1,191 £890

$2,591 £1,936

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.4K £16.0K

$12.7K £9,496

$35.9K £26.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.1 £68.1

$33.92 £25.34

$136 £101

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 £33.60

$27.35 £20.43

$68.4 £51.1

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 £76.1

$61.1 £45.61

$149 £111

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 £78.1

$54.8 £40.96

$171 £128

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,375 £1,027

$855 £639

$2,931 £2,190

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,162 £868

$831 £621

$2,294 £1,713

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,342 £1,749

$1,505 £1,124

$5,606 £4,188

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,828 £1,365

$1,215 £907

$3,648 £2,725

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,907 £4,413

$3,757 £2,807

$18.5K £13.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,604 £3,439

$2,604 £1,945

$10.0K £7,474

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,321 £2,481

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.75

4.5

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

Last update: January 12, 2026

By City in United Kingdom

Lowest

Highest

Rank	City	Population	Living Index	Solo costs (no rent) / month	Solo costs (with rent) / month	Family of 3 costs (no rent) / month	Family of 3 costs (with rent) / month	Mobile download speed (Mbps)	Internet download speed (Mbps)
101	Falkirk	35590	113	$1,149	$2,289	$2,668	$3,767	73.43	272.64
102	Falmouth	25223	114	$1,022	$2,255	$2,776	$4,522	237.71	103.3
103	Fareham	111266	126	$1,105	$2,522	$2,501	$4,794	148.31	285.54
104	Farnborough	-	126	$1,140	$2,486	$2,425	$4,846	183.23	301
105	Farnham	-	169	$973	$3,319	$2,455	$5,707	73.89	131.6
106	Folkestone	45273	111	$1,186	$2,243	$2,608	$4,613	273.56	164.64
107	Fort William	10000	121	$889	$2,448	$2,641	$4,620	18.43	81.12
108	Glasgow	606340	123	$1,083	$2,505	$2,825	$5,045	87.69	279.3
109	Glenrothes	39277	118	$899	$2,317	$2,032	$3,708	163.68	188.13
110	Gloucester	121700	108	$933	$2,123	$2,054	$4,165	229.18	263.75
111	Godalming	-	145	$829	$2,879	$2,688	$7,799	29.54	131.6
112	Goole	-	94	$1,013	$1,855	$2,103	$3,483	169.21	182.19
113	Gravesend	-	133	$975	$2,654	$2,175	$4,764	302.63	235.9
114	Grays	36601	115	$953	$2,281	$2,438	$4,384	300.29	284.12
115	Great Yarmouth	38693	142	$1,177	$2,861	$3,173	$5,358	220.25	163.23
116	Greenock	42800	105	$832	$2,129	$2,594	$3,343	27.41	226.89
117	Greenwich	285000	116	$1,147	$2,361	$2,643	$4,575	60.7	311.46
118	Guildford	66773	159	$1,130	$3,200	$2,842	$5,696	14.69	201.53
119	Halifax	-	122	$1,199	$2,386	$2,812	$3,618	331.25	252.21
120	Harlow	86191	135	$913	$2,732	$2,671	$5,160	361.78	255.35
121	Harrogate	-	122	$980	$2,422	$2,967	$4,624	87.71	213.48
122	Harrow	-	154	$1,181	$3,014	$2,573	$5,986	71.67	311.28
123	Hartlepool	92500	87	$1,012	$1,753	$2,308	$3,573	149.65	296.42
124	Hastings	92855	132	$1,151	$2,660	$2,926	$4,465	92.7	258.83
125	Haverhill	27041	115	$1,128	$2,284	$2,782	$4,418	142.62	146.41
126	Hereford	58896	117	$1,178	$2,314	$2,628	$4,434	69.98	127.94
127	Hertfordshire	-	127	$1,083	$2,536	$2,890	$5,085	262.19	216.71
128	High Wycombe	92000	129	$850	$2,530	$2,471	$4,575	47.51	201.27
129	Hitchin	34266	129	$943	$2,624	$2,286	$4,918	37.53	216.71
130	Horsham	-	140	$1,044	$2,774	$2,769	$5,301	22.68	147.74
131	Hounslow	66292	119	$1,136	$2,350	$2,473	$4,583	324.17	263.13
132	Huddersfield	146234	107	$976	$2,135	$2,330	$3,947	50.18	246.53
133	Hull	260700	115	$997	$2,276	$2,518	$4,578	210.42	282.61
134	Huntingdon	25428	125	$1,043	$2,516	$2,436	$3,672	178.24	227.84
135	Ilford	168168	153	$928	$3,073	$2,580	$4,916	88.42	373.63
136	Inverness	47060	124	$908	$2,471	$2,469	$4,526	34.89	162.79
137	Ipswich	120000	107	$960	$2,110	$2,450	$4,289	160.73	276.5
138	Isle of Islay	-	116	$1,026	$2,279	$2,639	$4,750	-	-
139	Isle of Wight	-	102	$940	$2,059	$2,842	$4,180	196.54	140.7
140	Kenilworth	-	114	$1,006	$2,317	$2,919	$4,586	173.6	203.08
141	Kettering	-	105	$999	$2,118	$2,338	$3,404	16.93	230.68
142	Killearn	1600	115	$1,118	$2,270	$2,417	$4,558	27.17	189.16
143	Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire	45000	108	$874	$2,124	$2,744	$3,950	43.28	221.97
144	King's Lynn	42800	121	$980	$2,459	$2,335	$4,656	45.2	117.07
145	Kingston upon Hull	260700	88	$856	$1,778	$2,284	$3,473	104.19	282.61
146	Kingston upon Thames	43013	165	$985	$3,329	$3,050	$6,160	147.76	305.2
147	Kirkcaldy	59784	111	$917	$2,200	$2,170	$4,448	2.28	188.13
148	Kirkwall	7500	116	$1,124	$2,349	$2,781	$4,582	21.68	59.33
149	Lambeth	-	115	$866	$2,287	$2,803	$4,575	45.94	293.9
150	Lancaster	46000	100	$775	$1,954	$2,268	$4,065	54.89	185.19

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Cost of Living in United Kingdom - Frequently Asked Questions

Overall affordability hinges on location and lifestyle. Cost of Living in United Kingdom tends to be higher in London and the Southeast, with more moderate costs in other regions. For travelers and expats, a mix of housing options – share houses, apartments outside city centers, or short-term rentals – can stretch a budget. Public transport is extensive but not cheap; buying transit passes or using bikes helps. Healthcare access adds value that can offset some costs, though private options exist. Seasonal shifts in tourism or business travel impact prices in hospitality and activities. Tip: build a flexible monthly plan and test several neighborhoods before committing.

Daily life comes down to housing, food, and transport choices. For housing, look at city outskirts, university neighborhoods, or smaller towns to balance rent and commute. Food options range from farmers markets and budget supermarkets to specialty grocers; cooking at home cuts costs, while occasional dining out highlights local flavors. Public transit is robust; buses and rail are convenient, with intercity connections via trains. If you work remotely, seek coworking spaces or cafes with reliable Wi-Fi. For errands, plan weekly routes to reduce trips and consider parcel pickup options. United Kingdom living cost varies by region, so align your base with your work and social needs. Tip: map a weekly groceries-and-ops route to save time and stress.

Quality of life in the UK combines versatility with practical budgeting. Start with a simple budgeting framework, allocating housing, essentials, and savings, then adapt by city. Seasonality affects leisure and transport; shoulder seasons can offer better deals on activities and accommodations in popular destinations. To find a neighborhood fit, assess commute times, local amenities, safety, and community vibe beyond price. Embrace seasonal markets, pub dine-outs, parks, and cultural events to maximize value. Compare patterns across regions by your priorities – historic cities for culture, coastlines for pace, or countryside for space. Tip: keep a flexible month in your plan to test neighborhoods and adjust your route.