London vs San Francisco - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

London San Francisco
🚶 Cost of living one person
$3662
$4110
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$8238
$8814
🏠 One person rent
$2434
$2859
🏘️ Family rent
$4002
$4660
🍽️ Food expenses
$632
$850
🚐 Transport expenses
$409
$179
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$4720
$7874
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
13 km
18 km
🎓 Higher education
100
97
😀 Quality of life
97
95
🏙️ Population
8.8M
874K

The cost of living in London is 11% less expensive than in San Francisco. Cities ranked 28th and 7th ($3662 vs $4110) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 1st and 4th in the United Kingdom and the United States, respectively. Check the United Kingdom vs the United States comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.3 months in London compared to 1.9 months in San Francisco. London ranked 1st best city to live in the United Kingdom vs San Francisco ranked 4th in the United States, while ranked 4th and 22nd among best cities to live in the world.

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Prices in London vs San Francisco

Prices for goods and services in London and San Francisco are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

London San Francisco
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$22.6
$22.6
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$98.8
$109
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$11.9
$15.2
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$9.64
$8.33
☕ Cappuccino
$5.66
$6.31
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.99
$3.33
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$2743
$3199
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$2091
$2521
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$4437
$4951
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3517
$4247
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$171
$132
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$260
$202
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$40.6
$69.8
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
4.79%
6.23%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$20829
$10798
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$9663
$9079
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$4.01
$2.98
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$106
$97.1
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$31.5
$19.5
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.98
$1.42
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.85
$1.66
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$2.1
$5.16
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.23
$5.66
🥚 Eggs, x12
$5.47
$7.3
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14
$20.9
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$10.9
$15.9
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$17.2
$24.4
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.99
$6.55
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.49
$3.01
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.76
$5.69
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.82
$5.93
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.39
$3.51
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.66
$3.19
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.25
$1.98
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$3.6
$3.52
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$13.9
$18
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.18
$3.33
🚬 Cigarette pack
$23.8
$12.6
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$4.71
$14
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$5.95
$8.02
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$3.12
$6.96
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$3.33
$2.93
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$79.6
$118
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$18.9
$18.1
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$91.4
$149
💇 Haircut, simple
$17.4
$31.3
👖 Brand Jeans
$114
$74.8
👟 Brand Sneakers
$125
$110
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$2713
$2190
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$25686
$21216

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near London

Distance City Cost of living
1.3 km or 0.8 mi Westminster
$3042
11 km or 7 mi Wimbledon
$2520
13 km or 8.3 mi Richmond
$2447
15 km or 9.3 mi Croydon
$2563
16 km or 10 mi Greenford
$2399
19 km or 12 mi Ewell
$2382
21 km or 13 mi Coulsdon
$2396
23 km or 14 mi Esher
$2349
24 km or 15 mi Walton-on-Thames
$2326
25 km or 15 mi Watford
$2630
27 km or 17 mi Upminster
$2308
28 km or 17 mi Rickmansworth
$2384
31 km or 19 mi St Albans
$2451
32 km or 20 mi Grays
$2205
32 km or 20 mi Hertford
$2214
32 km or 20 mi Slough
$2290
32 km or 20 mi Brentwood
$2627
35 km or 22 mi Harlow
$2117
35 km or 22 mi Gravesend
$2253
35 km or 22 mi Hemel Hempstead
$2294
37 km or 23 mi Woking
$2545
38 km or 24 mi Harpenden
$2244
40 km or 25 mi Billericay
$2234
41 km or 25 mi Maidenhead
$2820
43 km or 27 mi East Grinstead
$2234
43 km or 27 mi Basildon
$2159
43 km or 27 mi Guildford
$2634
44 km or 27 mi Crawley
$2289
44 km or 27 mi Stevenage
$2235
44 km or 27 mi Bracknell
$2309
44 km or 28 mi Rochester
$1842
44 km or 28 mi Tonbridge
$2188
45 km or 28 mi High Wycombe
$2200
46 km or 28 mi Bishop's Stortford
$2164
46 km or 28 mi Luton
$2196
47 km or 29 mi Chatham
$2559
49 km or 30 mi Chelmsford
$2109
49 km or 30 mi Gillingham
$2363
49 km or 30 mi Godalming
$2476
49 km or 31 mi Farnborough
$2178

Cities near San Francisco

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 6.9 mi Daly
$3264
14 km or 8.4 mi South San Francisco
$3252
14 km or 8.8 mi Alameda
$3559
15 km or 9.2 mi Oakland
$3273
16 km or 10 mi Albany
$3049
17 km or 10 mi Berkeley
$3204
17 km or 11 mi San Bruno
$3261
18 km or 11 mi El Cerrito
$3070
18 km or 11 mi Pacifica
$3245
19 km or 12 mi Richmond
$3102
20 km or 12 mi Millbrae
$3276
21 km or 13 mi San Pablo
$3086
22 km or 14 mi Burlingame
$3310
24 km or 15 mi San Leandro
$3043
24 km or 15 mi San Rafael
$4178
26 km or 16 mi San Mateo
$3797
28 km or 17 mi San Lorenzo
$2822
28 km or 18 mi Foster
$3588
29 km or 18 mi Lafayette
$2906
29 km or 18 mi Hercules
$2893
31 km or 19 mi Belmont
$3577
32 km or 20 mi Hayward
$2822
32 km or 20 mi Castro Valley
$2968
34 km or 21 mi San Carlos
$3357
34 km or 21 mi Walnut Creek
$2900
36 km or 23 mi Redwood
$3728
37 km or 23 mi Martinez
$2905
37 km or 23 mi Danville
$3873
37 km or 23 mi Pleasant Hill
$2796
38 km or 24 mi Union
$3075
39 km or 24 mi San Ramon
$2848
39 km or 24 mi Vallejo
$2393
39 km or 24 mi Novato
$3181
39 km or 24 mi Benicia
$2804
41 km or 25 mi Concord
$2748
42 km or 26 mi Menlo Park
$3357
42 km or 26 mi East Palo Alto
$3356
43 km or 27 mi Newark
$3234
45 km or 28 mi Dublin
$3088
46 km or 28 mi Palo Alto
$3808