London, United Kingdom

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Cost of living in London

Real monthly costs in London, United Kingdom — USD, from the same data behind the Pro model.

Photo: Ilya Grigorik, CC BY-SA 3.0.

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×. 117.7 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at unit level. PM2.5 averages 10 µg/m³ a year, 2× the WHO guideline of 5. Jan averages 5°C, Jul 18°C.

Essentials / mo$3,799rent + bills + food + transit
Men per 100 women117.7ages 20–39, unit level
Avg net salary$4,391monthly, after tax
Safety score45/100higher = safer

Monthly cost breakdown

Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget.

ItemMonthly USD
Rent, 1-bed outside centre$2,352
Rent, 1-bed city centre$3,053
Groceries$191
Dining out$560
Utilities$429
Local transport$267
Essentials / mo$3,799
Avg net salary$4,391
Rent, 3-bed outside centre$3,909
Rent, 3-bed city centre$5,064

Single person, USD. Data updated July 27, 2026.

Everyday prices

What single items cost in London, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these.

Eating out

ItemUSD
Meal, inexpensive restaurant$26.67
Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses$106.70
McMeal at McDonald's$10.67
Cappuccino, regular$5.51
Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught$9.34
Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle$8.67
Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L$2.92
Water, 0.33 L bottle$2.08

Groceries

ItemUSD
Milk, 1 L$1.88
White bread, 500 g$2.14
White rice, 1 kg$2.51
Eggs, 12$5.06
Local cheese, 1 kg$12.26
Chicken fillets, 1 kg$10.59
Apples, 1 kg$3.24
Bananas, 1 kg$1.54
Tomatoes, 1 kg$3.70
Potatoes, 1 kg$1.60
Onions, 1 kg$1.71
Water, 1.5 L bottle$1.89

Transport & bills

ItemUSD
One-way ticket, local transport$4.00
Monthly transit pass$266.75
Taxi start$5.60
Taxi, 1 km$3.31
Gasoline, 1 L$2.04
Basic utilities, 85 m² flat$388.16
Internet, 60 Mbps+$40.73
Mobile plan, monthly$18.67

Leisure

ItemUSD
Gym, monthly$62.05
Cinema, one seat$18.67

Dating-age sex ratio

London has 117.7 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (unit level). That is the 4th-highest of 10 United Kingdom cities we track. United Kingdom's national figure is 103.2, so London runs 14 above the country as a whole.

A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.

Climate & air

Ten-year monthly means, 2015–2024 — a climate profile, not a forecast.

Air qualityPM2.5 10µg/m³, annual mean
Warmest month18°CJul
Coolest month5°CJan
Wettest month71 mmOct
MonthAvgFeelsHumidityCloudRain
Jan5.4°C1.6°C87%70%58 mm
Feb6.4°C2.5°C83%70%50 mm
Mar7.8°C4.1°C80%71%55 mm
Apr9.7°C6.6°C73%63%41 mm
May13.3°C11.2°C74%66%56 mm
Jun16.6°C15.3°C74%64%61 mm
Jul18.5°C17.7°C72%65%55 mm
Aug18.1°C17.4°C76%64%60 mm
Sep15.6°C14.3°C80%66%58 mm
Oct12.3°C10.2°C85%72%71 mm
Nov8.5°C5.5°C88%72%62 mm
Dec7.2°C3.8°C89%77%65 mm

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