Cost of Living · GB vs US
🇬🇧 London vs 🇺🇸 New York: what everyday life costs
Monthly essentials: $2,037 in United Kingdom vs $2,410 in United States — 18.33% more expensive.
Biggest differences
Much cheaper in United States
- 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle: 5.54%
- ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L: 5.56%
- 👟 Running shoes (brand): 5.58%
Closest to United Kingdom prices
- 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center: +20.94%
- 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center: +20.94%
- 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center: +20.94%
The full basket (32 items)
| Item | United Kingdom | United States | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center | $1,447 | $1,750 | +20.94% |
| 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center | $1,158 | $1,400 | +20.94% |
| 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center | $2,646 | $3,200 | +20.94% |
| Food out | |||
| 🍜 Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $15.50 | $18.00 | +16.13% |
| 🍽️ Dinner for two, mid-range | $64.59 | $75.00 | +16.12% |
| 🍔 Fast-food combo meal | $9.60 | $11.00 | +14.58% |
| Groceries | |||
| 🥛 Milk, 1L | $0.99 | $1.10 | +11.11% |
| 🍞 Bread, fresh loaf 500g | $2.87 | $3.20 | +11.5% |
| 🥚 Eggs, dozen | $3.05 | $3.40 | +11.48% |
| 🍗 Chicken breast, 1kg | $8.97 | $10.00 | +11.48% |
| 🍚 White rice, 1kg | $3.59 | $4.00 | +11.42% |
| 🍎 Apples, 1kg | $4.31 | $4.80 | +11.37% |
| 🧀 Local cheese, 1kg | $10.76 | $12.00 | +11.52% |
| 💧 Water, 1.5L bottle | $1.79 | $2.00 | +11.73% |
| Drinks | |||
| 🍺 Domestic beer, pint (draught) | $5.17 | $6.00 | +16.05% |
| 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle | $7.58 | $8.00 | +5.54% |
| ☕ Cappuccino | $4.31 | $5.00 | +16.01% |
| 🥤 Coke/Pepsi, 330ml | $2.06 | $2.30 | +11.65% |
| Transport | |||
| 🚇 Public transport, monthly pass | $56.75 | $65.00 | +14.54% |
| 🎫 Public transport, one-way | $2.40 | $2.75 | +14.58% |
| 🚕 Taxi start (normal tariff) | $3.44 | $4.00 | +16.28% |
| 🛣️ Taxi, per km | $1.55 | $1.80 | +16.13% |
| ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L | $0.90 | $0.95 | +5.56% |
| Utilities & comms | |||
| 💡 Basic utilities, 85m² apartment | $175 | $200 | +14.55% |
| 🌐 Internet, 60Mbps+ unlimited | $61.11 | $70.00 | +14.55% |
| 📱 Mobile plan, 10GB+ data | $39.28 | $45.00 | +14.56% |
| Lifestyle | |||
| 🏋️ Gym membership, month | $43.06 | $50.00 | +16.12% |
| 🎬 Cinema seat | $12.06 | $14.00 | +16.09% |
| 💈 Men's haircut | $25.84 | $30.00 | +16.1% |
| 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand) | $52.09 | $55.00 | +5.59% |
| 👟 Running shoes (brand) | $85.24 | $90.00 | +5.58% |
| 💻 Coworking hot desk, month | $215 | $250 | +16.11% |
Estimated from World Bank — Consumption price levels with per-item elasticity — model figures, not quotes. Compare any pair in the interactive tool.
Related
Frequently asked questions
- How much more expensive is United States than United Kingdom?
- A single person's monthly essentials run about $2,410 in United States versus $2,037 in United Kingdom — 18.33% more. Rents differ the most; world-priced goods like petrol and electronics the least.
- What does a beer cost in United States?
- A domestic draught pint is roughly $6.00 in United States, versus about $5.17 in United Kingdom.
- How much is rent in United States compared to United Kingdom?
- A 1-bedroom city-center apartment is estimated at $1,750/month in United States versus $1,447/month in United Kingdom (+20.94%). Housing is the most locally-priced item in the basket.
- How are these prices estimated?
- Curated US baseline prices scaled by each country's purchasing-power price level with per-item elasticities (housing 1.4, services 1.1, groceries 0.8, world-priced goods 0.4) — model estimates for orientation, not quotes.