Cost of living · London · United Kingdom · 2023
🇬🇧 Cost of living in London
What it costs to live in London — rent, groceries, utilities and getting around — in local euros, plus how the city compares with United Kingdom and the rest of Europe.
- City price index
- 165
- Rent, 1-bed centre
- €2,150
- Monthly essentials
- €2,205
- Transit pass
- €195
Estimated monthly essentials
€2,205 / month
A single person renting a one-bedroom flat outside the centre: rent + groceries + utilities + a transit pass. This is a core-costs estimate and excludes discretionary spending such as eating out, leisure and travel.
Rent in London
London — average monthly rent (EUR)
Average advertised monthly rents in London. Living outside the centre typically saves €700 a month on a one-bedroom flat.
Living costs in London, in context
London's overall city price level is index 165 on the EU-27 = 100 scale, about 51% above United Kingdom's national average of 109. As almost everywhere, the capital-or-major-city premium is real: national figures average the whole country, so they understate what you actually pay in a country's largest and most in-demand cities, and London is no exception. When you compare destinations, the city figure is the one that matches the life you would actually live.
Rent is the line that dominates a city budget. In London a one-bedroom flat runs €2,150 in the centre and €1,450 outside it — a gap of €700 a month — so where in the city you live can matter as much as which city you choose. A family-sized three-bedroom flat in the centre is around €4,200, a useful benchmark if you are not moving alone.
The steadier costs fill out the rest of the budget. Groceries run about €320 a month for one person and utilities €240, while a monthly public-transit pass at €195 is almost always cheaper than running a car once fuel, parking and insurance are counted. Add those to rent and you have the core of a monthly budget; what you spend beyond it on eating out, leisure and travel is where personal lifestyle, rather than the city, takes over.
Cities with a similar cost of living
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to live in London?▼
For a single person renting a one-bedroom flat outside the centre, core monthly essentials in London — rent (€1,450), groceries (€320), utilities (€240) and a transit pass (€195) — come to about €2,205 a month, before any discretionary spending. On the EU-27 = 100 price scale, London sits at index 165.
How much is rent in London?▼
A one-bedroom flat in the city centre averages €2,150 a month, €1,450 outside the centre. A three-bedroom flat in the centre is around €4,200. Rent is the largest part of any city budget.
Is London expensive compared to the rest of United Kingdom?▼
London's city price index of 165 is about 51% above United Kingdom's national average of 109 (EU-27 = 100). Capitals and big cities almost always cost more than the national figure.
Where does this London data come from?▼
Figures are drawn from ONS + Eurostat urban audit (2023). The city price index is on the same EU-27 = 100 scale used across the site; rent, grocery, utility and transit figures are local monthly amounts in euros.
Explore more
Source: ONS + Eurostat urban audit ONS + Eurostat urban audit City cost-of-living figures, 2023. City price index on the EU-27 = 100 scale; rent, grocery, utility and transit figures are local monthly amounts in euros.
Important: these are average figures for general information, not personal financial advice. Real costs depend on your neighbourhood, flat and lifestyle; the monthly-essentials figure is a core-costs estimate, not a full budget. Verify current local prices before any move.
Read our methodology — how these figures are sourced and computed.