London at a glance
- London is the most expensive of United Kingdom's 10 priced cities: $3,799 a month in essentials, 95% above Belfast at $1,945.
- The average net salary of $4,391 covers that 1.2×.
- 91.8 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at city level.
- PM2.5 averages 10 µg/m³ a year, 2× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 10 United Kingdom cities we track, so every row says whether London is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $3,799 | $2,170 | 1.75× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $2,352 | $1,106 | 2.13× as much |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $3,053 | $1,361 | 2.24× as much |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $191 | $172 | $20 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $560 | $460 | $100 |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $429 | $361 | $68 |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $267 | $104 | 2.58× as much |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $4,391 | $3,352 | 1.31× as much |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $3,909 | $1,842 | 2.12× as much |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $5,064 | $2,527 | 2.00× as much |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in London, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $26.67 | $21.18 | 1.26× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $106.70 | $97.36 | $9.34 |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $10.67 | $10.46 | $0.21 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $5.51 | $5.08 | $0.43 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $9.34 | $7.54 | $1.80 |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $8.67 | $6.67 | 1.30× as much |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $2.92 | $2.59 | $0.33 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $2.08 | $1.94 | $0.14 |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.88 | $1.75 | $0.12 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $2.14 | $1.77 | $0.38 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $2.51 | $2.27 | $0.24 |
| Eggs, 12 | $5.06 | $4.02 | 1.26× as much |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $12.26 | $9.75 | 1.26× as much |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $10.59 | $9.18 | $1.41 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $3.24 | $3.03 | $0.21 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $1.54 | $1.71 | $0.17 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $3.70 | $3.53 | $0.17 |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $1.60 | $1.87 | $0.27 |
| Onions, 1 kg | $1.71 | $1.55 | $0.16 |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $1.89 | $1.60 | $0.29 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $4.00 | $3.30 | $0.70 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $266.75 | $103.37 | 2.58× as much |
| Taxi start | $5.60 | $5.07 | $0.53 |
| Taxi, 1 km | $3.31 | $1.96 | 1.69× as much |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $2.04 | $2.04 | $0.00 |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $388.16 | $319.00 | $69.16 |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $40.73 | $41.77 | $1.04 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $18.67 | $19.34 | $0.67 |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $62.05 | $45.49 | 1.36× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $18.67 | $14.34 | 1.30× as much |
Dating-age sex ratio
London has 91.8 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (city level). That is the lowest of the 8 United Kingdom cities we track. United Kingdom's national figure is 103.2, so London runs 11 below the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How London ranks against every city we track
London sits ahead of 94% of the 545 cities we track on local salary. On women aged 20–39 it is ahead of 88% of 892. Its weakest measure is city-centre rent, ahead of only 1% of 553.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where London sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
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Photo: Ilya Grigorik, CC BY-SA 3.0.
