Every year, hundreds of thousands of people make the move to London both from within the UK and from overseas.

If you’re looking to do the same, the costs below should help you create a realistic budget of what it costs to move to and live in London.

Quick London Facts:

Population: 8.866 million (2022 estimate)
Official Language: The official language is English. However, over 300 other languages are also spoken in the city.
GDP Per Capita: £63,407 (2022 estimate)
Consists of: 32 boroughs, plus the City of London.
Currency: Pound Sterling or Great Britain Pound (£, GBP). As of 2024, £1 = $1.30, €1 = £1.19, $1 CAD = $1.78, $1 AUD = $1.93

1. Moving and Shipping Costs to London

The table below shows the estimated cost of hiring a 20- or 40-foot container from some of the largest cities around the world and shipping it to London:

Origin City	20FT	40FT
Beijing	$2,500 - $2,800	$4,200 - $4,500
Berlin	$1,800 - $2,100	$3,200 - $3,500
Chicago	$2,100 - $2,400	$3,600 - $3,900
Chongqing	$2,300 - $2,600	$3,800 - $4,100
Delhi	$2,200 - $2,500	$3,700 - $4,000
Dubai	$2,600 - $2,900	$4,300 - $4,600
Houston	$2,200 - $2,500	$3,700 - $4,000
Los Angeles	$2,300 - $2,600	$3,800 - $4,100
Madrid	$1,950 - $2,250	$3,450 - $3,750
New York City	$2,000 - $2,300	$3,500 - $3,800
Paris	$1,850 - $2,150	$3,250 - $3,550
Phoenix	$2,150 - $2,450	$3,650 - $3,950
Rome	$1,900 - $2,200	$3,300 - $3,600
Shanghai	$2,400 - $2,700	$4,000 - $4,300
Sydney Australia	$2,900 - $3,200	$4,800 - $5,100
Toronto	$1,900 - $2,200	$3,400 - $3,700
Vancouver	$2,000 - $2,300	$3,500 - $3,800
Vienna	$2,000 - $2,300	$3,400 - $3,700

All figures are in USD;
The rates above are estimates only and may have changed since this article was updated (July 2024). They are based on the lowest estimated rate from either Freightos, iContainers, or SeaRates;
To get a more accurate idea of the cost for you, please use the quote form at the top of this page;
Please also see our guide to international container shipping.

2. London Housing Costs

London housing and rental prices are among the highest in the world and can eat up to 50% of your after-tax income if you’re not careful. Below are some typical rental prices for individual flats (apartments) but they can vary widely from borough to borough.

Monthly Rental Prices in London

1 bedroom flat (apartment) in the city centre: £1,300+
1 bedroom flat outside the centre: £950+
3 bedroom flat in the city centre: £2,150+
3 bedroom flat outside the centre: £1,500+

London Home Purchase Prices

Price to buy in the city centre: from £10,000 per square meter (10.7 sq ft)
Price to buy outside the city centre: From £4,000 per square meter (10.7 sq ft)

London Housing Cost Comparison

Here’s how London rents stack up against other major world cities:

Edinburgh is 46.5% cheaper
New York is 42.3% more expensive
Los Angeles is 7.8% cheaper
Toronto is 35.8% cheaper
Sydney is 26.8% cheaper
Paris is 43.6% cheaper
Dubai is 28.6% cheaper

Source: Numbeo

Bonus tips for cheaper housing:

Flatshares: It’s very common in London to share a flat with other people. Generally speaking each person or couple will have their own bedroom and share a common area (living room, kitchen, bathroom, etc). While flat shares are generally significantly cheaper than renting your flat, you do lose out on privacy. Websites such as SpareRoom, Easyroommate and Gumtree make finding people to live with a little easier.
Inner vs Outer London: London is made up of 32 boroughs, plus the City of London. Not surprisingly, living in inner London is generally more expensive than living in outer London.
- Inner London boroughs include Camden, City of London, Greenwich, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Lambeth, Lewisham, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Wandsworth and Westminster.
- Outer London boughs include Barking and Dagenham, Barnet, Bexley, Brent, Bromley, Croydon, Ealing, Enfield, Haringey, Harrow, Havering, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Kingston upon Thames, Merton, Newham, Redbridge, Richmond upon Thames, Sutton and Waltham Forest.

3. London Food, Grocery & Restaurant Costs

Being a major global city, you can find food from around the world in London. However, the UK does import a large quantity of its food and recent drops in the value of the pound are starting to push prices up.

Inexpensive Restaurant: £10-£20
Takeout Coffee: £3.00-£4.00
Bottle of Coke: £2.00-£3.00
1L of Milk: £0.70-£1.30
Loaf of Bread: £0.66-£1.50
12 Eggs: £1.30-£3.00
1kg Chicken: £5.00-£10.00
1kg Beef: £5.00-£12.00
1kg Apples: £1.00-£3.00
1kg White Rice: £0.90-£2.00

In terms of restaurant and grocery prices here’s how London compares to some other similar cities.

New York restaurants are 16.2% more expensive and groceries are 48.3% more expensive.
Toronto restaurants are 16.9% cheaper but groceries are 4.2% more expensive.
Sydney restaurants are 23.8% cheaper but groceries are 20.4% more expensive.
Paris restaurants are 13% cheaper but groceries are 22.4% more expensive.
Dubai restaurants are 21.6% cheaper and groceries are 30.5% cheaper as well.

Source: Numbeo

Bonus tips for cheaper food, restaurants and groceries:

Know your supermarkets: In the UK, there is an extensive range of supermarkets for almost any income level. The most expensive supermarkets are Marks and Spencer (also called M&S), Waitrose, Whole Foods and Ocado (online only). Mid-market brands include Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons. The cheapest options include Aldi, Lidl, Asda and Iceland.
Eat out for less: Most of the big chain restaurants (Nandos, Pizza Express, Zizzi, etc.) offer deals and discounts if you check out their website, sign up to their e-mail lists and/or download their app. For other restaurants be sure to check out Tastecard for even more choices.
Finally, if you’re looking to have food delivered but you’re not sure what you’re in the mood for, you have a few options. At the high end, you have Deliveroo and Uber Eats. For more basic takeaways you have Just Eat.

4. London Alcohol Costs

The cost of going out to drink in London is the highest in the UK. However, if you know where to go it doesn’t have to break the bank.

Here are some typical costs for alcohol in London and a few ideas on how to drink for less.

Pint (0.5L) domestic beer at restaurant/pub: £4.00-£8.00
Bottle of imported beer at restaurant: £5.00-£6.50
Pint (0.5L) domestic beer at supermarket: £1.50-£2.50
Bottle of imported beer at supermarket: £1.75-£3.00
Mid-range bottle of wine at supermarket: £6.00-£10.00

How to drink for less in London

Many central London pubs are now charging well over £7 per pint. However, deals can still be found especially in Wetherspoons and Sam Smiths pubs. Wetherspoons pubs tend to be relatively nondescript but offer an excellent selection of drinks. Sam Smith’s pubs on the other hand are often great venues (e.g. Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese) but they only serve their own brand of beers/drinks.
If you want to spend less on your pint, go for a hand-pulled pint of ‘real’ ale instead of lager as they tend to be cheaper at pubs.
Keep an eye out for events that include free alcohol such as art events, book launches, networking events, etc. You can find many of these events on Eventbrite, Londonist and Time Out.

5. London Public Transportation Fares

Train and Tube map of London, from TFLPublic transport fares in London are among the highest in the world. it can also be difficult to figure out the best deal since there are so many different options.

The main distinction is between TFL (Transport for London) services and non-TFL services. The Tube, Overground, TFL Rail, DLR and Busses are all run by TFL. Non-TFL services primarily consist of commuter trains which are the main transport option in South London.

For most rail-based transportation (Tube, Overground, DLR and National Rail Trains) you pay based on the zones you travel through. Busses, South London Trams and the Cable Car all charge a flat fare irrespective of distance.

Busses and Trams also now automatically offer hopper fares if you use your Oyster or contactless cards. These allow you to catch a second bus or tram for free if you do so within 1 hour of the start of your journey.

Below are some sample fares as of 2024:

Zones 1-2 Tube, Overground DLR, or TFL Rail fare: £6.70 (cash) or £2.80 (off-peak) to £3.40 (peak) with a contactless card or an Oyster card
Bus/Tram: £1.75, but you can no longer pay cash and must use an Oyster / contactless card
Monthly Zone 1-6 Travel Card: £299.60
Thames Clipper (central): £9.00 (contactless or Oyster) or £7.60 with a travelcard
Cable Car: £6.00 one-way or £12 return (paid in cash or using contactless / Oyster)

This is honestly just a small sample of how much you may have to pay. To get a better idea use TFL’s Single Fare Finder tool here.

Ways to pay less for transportation in London:

Whenever possible use an Oyster card or contactless credit/debit card to pay for your journey. It’s almost always the cheapest option. If you’re going to be travelling on a certain route regularly, look into buying a monthly or annual travel card as they can work out to be cheaper.
For shorter journeys take a bus rather than the Tube/Train as the fares can work out to be far less, especially if you’ll be travelling through multiple zones.
Walk! If you’re in central London walking can be a great way to get around and it’s often faster than you think. Plus, it’s a great way to see more of London.

6. Cost of Internet in London

Internet in the UK is one of the few things that is cheaper than the US, Canada or Australia. Here are some sample broadband internet prices from 2024 for unlimited downloads, based on a 24-month contract:

Sky: £27 a month (standard broadband up to 61 mb/s)
TalkTalk: £26 a month (fibre up to 38 mb/s)
BT: £29.99 a month (standard broadband up to 16 mb/s)
Virgin Media: £26 a month (fibre up to 132 mb/s)

7. Cost of Clothing, Personal Items, Gym & Leisure

London has a relatively temperate climate both in the winter and summer. The average daily high in January is 8°C and in July it’s 24°C. While it will occasionally get significantly warmer and cooler than these temperatures, it does not tend to be for long.

Another thing to be aware of in London is that while it rarely rains hard, it does rain often. So you’re advised to invest in a good umbrella and rain jacket.

Below are some average costs of clothing and a few other personal items:

Pair of Jeans: £45-£85
Summer Dress: £20-£50
Running Shoes (trainers): £50-£90
Formal Shoes: £50-£120
Short Doctor’s visit (private GP): £69
Deodorant: £2.00
Shampoo: £4.00
Toilet Paper (4 rolls): £1.75
Gym membership: £63 per month
Movie (cinema) ticket: £12

Source: Numbeo and Expatistan.com

8. Cost of Owning a Car & Driving in London

Traffic in City of London

Like the rest of the UK, Londoners drive on the left. However, only 54% of London households own a car, and that number has declined in recent years.

That is partly caused by the fact that driving in London is not cheap.

If you drive into central London between 07:00 and 18:00, Monday to Friday or 12:00 to 18:00 on the weekend you will have to pay £15 per day for the congestion charge. On top of that, you may also be charged an emission surcharge of £12.50 per day if your car does not meet minimum exhaust emission standards.

If you’re moving to London from elsewhere in the UK, you can keep your license but need to update your address to your new London one.

If you want to exchange your foreign driving license you have to follow the process here. Just be aware that if you can’t prove that you took your driving test in a manual transmission car, you’ll only be able to exchange your license for an automatic license.

Here are some other sample costs of owning and operating a car in London:

Volkswagen Golf: £27,035
Gas (petrol): £1.42 per litre (1/4 gallon)
Registration fee (if any): £55 one time
Other fees (if any): No more than £54.85 for an MOT fee, after cars are 3 years old.

Source: Expatistan.com, Gov.uk

Ways to save money on driving in London

Car Clubs/Shared Cars: Using car share or car club services such as Zipcar can be a cheaper way of driving without actually owning a car.
Taxis: Often it can be easier and cheaper to take taxis than driving in London. But, if you want to save money don’t use Black Cabs as they are extremely expensive. Instead consider using Uber, Addison Lee and/or other local minicab companies.
Ride Sharing/Carpooling: Finally, you may also want to consider carpooling/ride-sharing options such Bla Bla Car or Liftshare.

Need your car/vehicle moved to London? Then read our guide to Car Transport & Vehicle Shipping

9. Taxes in London

In terms of income, self-employment, business, capital gains, etc. taxes, you pay the same rates as the rest of the UK. To learn more about those have a look at our moving to the United Kingdom guide.

Most goods and services sold in London include VAT (sales tax) at a rate of 20%. This is included in the marked price, so you don’t tend to notice it.

Whether you own your home or rent, you will also be subject to council tax based on the London borough where you live.

Westminster has the lowest council tax rates in London whereas Kingston Upon Thames has the highest. The amount you pay depends on what band your property falls into, which in turn is based on your what your home was worth in April 1991. It can range anywhere from £450-£3,000+ per year. You can learn more on GOV.UK.

Finally, if you decide to buy a flat or house in London you’ll have to pay stamp duty. While there’s no tax on the first £125,000 of home value, the marginal rate increases to 12% on the value above £1.5 million.

10. Flight Costs From London

If you do make the move to London, here’s approximately how much it will cost to fly to other major world cities based on lowest, one-way fares from Skyscanner as of 2024:

New York: £299
Los Angeles: £301
Toronto: £394
Vancouver: £663
Dubai: £766
Sydney: £654
Melbourne: £542
Cape Town: £871
Hong Kong: £551

Other Tips On Moving To London

The costs above should give you a pretty good idea of how much it will cost to live in London. However, you may also be interested in a few extra tips to help make your move easier.

11. Moving to London Alone

Moving to London alone can be quite scary, since London can be a lonely place to live if you don’t know anyone. Here are a few tips on how to meet people in London:

Meetups: London has hundreds of free meetup groups you can find on Meetup.com – There’s everything from hiking and walking groups to book clubs to board game groups to club nights and every possible other thing you can imagine. And if for some reason you can’t find what you’re looking for, you can likely start your own group. With 8.6 million people in London, there’s a good chance someone else will have the same interests.
Social Clubs: Very similar to meetups, social clubs usually have a membership fee associated with them. Popular options include: Citysocializer, Thinkingbob and Spice.
Pubs: Pubs used to be the hub of social activity in the UK, but their importance has waned somewhat in recent years due to decreases in the amount people are drinking and the vast increase in alternative activities available in London. Nevertheless, there are still a huge number to choose from in London and a good local boozer can still be place to meet new people if you enjoy a pint.

12. Moving To London With A Family

London is an amazing place to raise kids with it’s free museums, city farms and huge range of parks. However, moving with kids is never easy, so here are some tips:

Ofsted: This is the Office for Standards in Education and it rates all schools throughout the UK. You can check their reports here and will definitely want to do so before choosing a school for your kids.
Understand catchment areas: Schools rated ‘Outstanding’ are often oversubscribed. When this happens people living closest to the school, within the ‘catchment area’ are given priority for enrolment.
Do your homework: Before moving to London with your family, you’ll need to explore different areas to understand what feels right to you and fits within your budget. The Family Moving To London blog, while no longer being updated, contains a huge amount of very useful information on moving with a family and kids.

13. Moving To London For Work

Moving to London for work is one of the most common reasons people choose to move. While it is possible to move without a job, this is generally not advisable since London can be very expensive and eat through your savings quickly.

That said, London’s economy, despite Brexit, continues to perform strongly and there are lots of jobs available.

Here are a few things to consider when moving for work:

Work permits/right to work: When you first get a job in London you should be asked to prove you have the legal right to work. If you’re a British Citizen a copy of your passport is fine. If you’re an EU national a copy of EU passport should also be fine (NB: Until the UK actually leaves the EU, the rights of EU nationals to live and work in the UK will not change). And if coming from outside the UK your work permit/visa and a copy of your passport will be required.
Salary: While salaries in London are, on average, higher than the rest of the UK they are not always higher than in other major international cities. The costs we outlined above should give you a rough idea, how much more you’ll want to be making to make the move worthwhile. You can also check salary ranges on sites such as Glassdoor and Payscale.
How to find work: If you want to have a job lined up before you move to London, but aren’t sure where to begin, the following sites are good places to start: Monster, Total Jobs, Gumtree, Reed.co.uk, Guardian Jobs, Indeed. You may also want to google recruiters in your industry, as they can often help land you some intial interviews as well.

14. Moving To London from Australia

According to the 2021 Census there are around 43,000 Australians living in London, which means they make up around 0.5% of the population. If you’re Australian and would like to join them here are some tips:

Living around other Australians: You may or may not want to live near other Australians. If you do, the following areas are quite popular with Aussies: South London: Clapham, Streatham, and Tooting, North London: While Earl’s Court, Shepherd’s Bush and Acton all used to be very popular with Aussies currently you’ll find more in Willesden or Kilburn. If you don’t then you may want to steer clear of these areas.
Youth Mobility Visa: Besides a work visa this is the easiest visa for young Australians to live and work in the UK for up to 2 years. Basically if you’re between 18 and 30 and hold an Australian passport you should be able to qualify. You can learn more about the Tier 5 (Youth Mobility Scheme) visa here.
Coffee: Antipodeans have basically taken over London’s coffee shops in the last decade or so, which means finding a good cup of coffee has never been easier. The following sites may be of use: The London Coffee Guide, London’s Best Coffee App, TimeOut guide Coffee and Cafes guide.

15. Moving To London From Canada

Surprisingly, given it’s historical connections and commonwealth ties, there are relatively few Canadians living in London. According to the 2021 census there were just over 21,000 Canadians living in London which means they only make up around 0.2% of London’s population.

Nevertheless, if you are among the few considering making the move the following tips may be useful:

Weather: London is much warmer than almost any other Canadian city in the winter (expect Vancouver or Victoria), with typical winter temperatures well above freezing. It’s also much cooler in the summer, with summer highs rarely going above about 25C. Finally, the city can’t handle snow, public transport more or less stops working at the first sign of a snowflake.
Canadian Food and Drinks: London only has one Canadian themed pub and two Second Cup locations. Poutine became trendy in London a few years ago, but few places serve authentic poutine as cheese curds are hard to find. Gerry’s Hot Subs in Exmouth Market is a good option for real poutine and is owned by an expat from Ottawa.
Accent: People will often assume you’re American based on your accent. While this can be a little tiring at times, people are generally apologetic when they find out you’re Canadian and will then tell you how much they love Canada (whether or not they’ve been).

16. Moving To London From The United States

There are nearly 71,000 Americans living in London as of 2021, which means they make-up around 0.8% of London’s population.

Here are a few tips about moving to London from America:

Healthcare: While you can find private doctors and hospitals in London, the majority of people use the NHS (National Health Service). It’s free at the point of service, which makes things like medical bills a non-issue, although as a foreign citizen, you will have to pay the healthcare surcharge, which currently costs up to £1,035 per year, depending on the type of visa you have.
Vacation time: Unlike the US, almost all employees in the UK are legally entitled paid holidays. The current requirement is 5.6 weeks per year, which for full-time employees works out to 28 days, although bank (public) holidays are often included in this total.
British Spelling and Vocabulary: Finally, it may take you some time to get used to how the British spell things (e..g replacing Z’s with S’s and adding U’s into words). They also use a slightly different vocabulary to American English, Oxford University Press has a good guide here or you can check out these illustrated examples and Wikiepedia’s List of words having different meanings in American and British English.

Hopefully, the tips and costs above are helpful. If want to get started pricing out how much it will cost you to move to London, you can start by comparing moving quotes.

Moving To London? 2025 Living Costs & Relocation Tips