Cost of Living · US vs GB
🇺🇸 New York vs 🇬🇧 London: what everyday life costs
Monthly essentials: $2,410 in United States vs $2,037 in United Kingdom — 15.49% cheaper.
Biggest differences
Much cheaper in United Kingdom
- 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center: -17.32%
- 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center: -17.32%
- 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center: -17.32%
Closest to United States prices
- 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle: -5.25%
- ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L: -5.26%
- 👟 Running shoes (brand): -5.29%
The full basket (32 items)
| Item | United States | United Kingdom | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center | $1,750 | $1,447 (1,098 GBP) | -17.32% |
| 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center | $1,400 | $1,158 (879 GBP) | -17.32% |
| 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center | $3,200 | $2,646 (2,008 GBP) | -17.32% |
| Food out | |||
| 🍜 Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $18.00 | $15.50 (12 GBP) | -13.89% |
| 🍽️ Dinner for two, mid-range | $75.00 | $64.59 (49 GBP) | -13.88% |
| 🍔 Fast-food combo meal | $11.00 | $9.60 (7 GBP) | -12.73% |
| Groceries | |||
| 🥛 Milk, 1L | $1.10 | $0.99 (1 GBP) | -10% |
| 🍞 Bread, fresh loaf 500g | $3.20 | $2.87 (2 GBP) | -10.31% |
| 🥚 Eggs, dozen | $3.40 | $3.05 (2 GBP) | -10.29% |
| 🍗 Chicken breast, 1kg | $10.00 | $8.97 (7 GBP) | -10.3% |
| 🍚 White rice, 1kg | $4.00 | $3.59 (3 GBP) | -10.25% |
| 🍎 Apples, 1kg | $4.80 | $4.31 (3 GBP) | -10.21% |
| 🧀 Local cheese, 1kg | $12.00 | $10.76 (8 GBP) | -10.33% |
| 💧 Water, 1.5L bottle | $2.00 | $1.79 (1 GBP) | -10.5% |
| Drinks | |||
| 🍺 Domestic beer, pint (draught) | $6.00 | $5.17 (4 GBP) | -13.83% |
| 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle | $8.00 | $7.58 (6 GBP) | -5.25% |
| ☕ Cappuccino | $5.00 | $4.31 (3 GBP) | -13.8% |
| 🥤 Coke/Pepsi, 330ml | $2.30 | $2.06 (2 GBP) | -10.43% |
| Transport | |||
| 🚇 Public transport, monthly pass | $65.00 | $56.75 (43 GBP) | -12.69% |
| 🎫 Public transport, one-way | $2.75 | $2.40 (2 GBP) | -12.73% |
| 🚕 Taxi start (normal tariff) | $4.00 | $3.44 (3 GBP) | -14% |
| 🛣️ Taxi, per km | $1.80 | $1.55 (1 GBP) | -13.89% |
| ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L | $0.95 | $0.90 (1 GBP) | -5.26% |
| Utilities & comms | |||
| 💡 Basic utilities, 85m² apartment | $200 | $175 (133 GBP) | -12.7% |
| 🌐 Internet, 60Mbps+ unlimited | $70.00 | $61.11 (46 GBP) | -12.7% |
| 📱 Mobile plan, 10GB+ data | $45.00 | $39.28 (30 GBP) | -12.71% |
| Lifestyle | |||
| 🏋️ Gym membership, month | $50.00 | $43.06 (33 GBP) | -13.88% |
| 🎬 Cinema seat | $14.00 | $12.06 (9 GBP) | -13.86% |
| 💈 Men's haircut | $30.00 | $25.84 (20 GBP) | -13.87% |
| 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand) | $55.00 | $52.09 (40 GBP) | -5.29% |
| 👟 Running shoes (brand) | $90.00 | $85.24 (65 GBP) | -5.29% |
| 💻 Coworking hot desk, month | $250 | $215 (163 GBP) | -13.88% |
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 cheaper is United Kingdom than United States?
- A single person's monthly essentials run about $2,037 in United Kingdom versus $2,410 in United States — 15.49% less. Rents differ the most; world-priced goods like petrol and electronics the least.
- What does a beer cost in United Kingdom?
- A domestic draught pint is roughly $5.17 in United Kingdom (≈ 3.92 GBP), versus about $6.00 in United States.
- How much is rent in United Kingdom compared to United States?
- A 1-bedroom city-center apartment is estimated at $1,447/month in United Kingdom versus $1,750/month in United States (-17.32%). 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.