Month Cost Of Living In The UK vs US | All You Need To Know
The Cost of Living in The UK vs The US differs in many aspects. Both London and New York City are two of the most dreamed-of cities that many want to live in. However, earning a living in such cities is no joke. You have to take care of the mortgages and know how much food costs, healthcare expenses, and the price of some of the most essential commodities.
While many essentials like food, beverages, and mortgages are somewhat cheaper in the UK, some other stuff is also not too pricey in the US. If you want to live in either of these big cities, you need to first understand the expense of basic living standards; only then can you decide which city is better for a living.
In this article, I have made a comparative analysis of the cost of living in the UK and the US. If you are interested, keep following this article.
Cost of Living in The UK vs The US
In the UK, lots of things are cheaper than they are in the US. For example, food, mortgages, used vehicles, phone contracts, universities, and healthcare are a lot cheaper in the UK.
On a larger aspect, you need to have an earning of £3663 or $4700 per month if you want to afford a decent living in the UK compared to the more expensive US where you need a minimum income of £4559 or $5850.
If you want a home in the middle of London you need to pay around £1793 or $2300 compared to a home in New York City costs much more ( around £2338 or $3000). Here is the competitive analysis–
Restaurant Foods
If you want to have meals outside rather than cooking at home you may have to pay a little more in the UK than in the US. restaurant foods are slightly ( 3.4%) costlier in the UK compared to the US.
| UK | USA | |
| Basic Food in the cheaper restaurants | £13.88 or $17.81 | $14.25 or £11.11 |
| Fast Food | £6.21 or $7.97 | $7.75 or £6.04 |
| Coca Cola | £1.45 or $1.86 | $1.90 or £1.48 |
As you can see, if you want to eat outside in the restaurants you will have to pay more in the UK.
Groceries
Now, comparatively, the UK offers groceries at much lower prices than the US. you have to pay a whopping 22% more money for grocery items in the US compared to the UK. Here is another comparison of the Cost of living in the UK vs the US.
| UK | USA | |
| 1 Loaf Bread | £1.07 or $1.37 | $2.71 or £2.11 |
| Local cheese | £2.98 or $3.82 | $5.56 or £4.33 |
| Milk | £0.99 or $1.27 | $0.85 or £0.66 |
Transport
Since food is out of the way, let’s talk about transport. In the case of the price of the vehicles and other costs related to transporting the US has beaten the UK. Equivalent living standards cost you much less in the US compared to the UK. You have to spend way too little money on transport in the US. Surprisingly, less than 60% of the cost is needed for transport in the US.
| UK | USA | |
| Gasoline | £1.39 or $1.78 | $0.69 or £0.54 |
| Monthly public transit pass | £78.70 or $100.97 | $63.05 or £49.14 |
| new Car | £20,989.09 or $26,928.94 | $23,189.08 or £18,074.15 |
Housing
You also pay less money in the UK in terms of living/ housing. The housing cost in the UK is surprisingly low– 8.2% low. Here is a comparison –
| UK | USA | |
| Internet connection | £33.91 or $43.51 | $67.11 or £52.31 |
| Bedroom Apartment in the downtown | £827.27 or $1,061.39 | $1,225.46 or £955.15 |
| Bedroom apartment outside the city | £683.92 or $877.47 | $1,034.80 or £806.55 |
As you can see, the cost of living in apartments, bedrooms, and other costs associated are more expensive in the US compared to the UK.
Analysis of Living Standards and Expenses in The UK vs The US
If you want to make a decent living in the US you need to earn quite more than you will need for an equivalent lifestyle in the UK.
Such comparisons for living standards and the expenses needed are usually measured based on the amount of money one will need to meet an overall expense of a month.
If you break down the whole expenses into the level of regular expenses most of your needs are based on food, clothing, shelter, fuel, transport, education, and miscellaneous others.
If we sum it all up–
(i) Your monthly spending is 0.50% less in the UK compared to an equivalent living standard in the US. A 22.55% less expense can be expected in home rentals in the UK.
(ii) An overall monthly expense of £3718 or $4770 is needed if you want to live decently in the UK, for an equivalent living standard you will pay £4583 or $5880 or a similar amount of monthly expense in the US.
If you compare the UK to the US in terms of living standards, you have a lot less to spend for a similar life. However, here are some questions and answers that you may find interesting.
How is The UK better Than The US?
Is UK Education Better Than The USA?
Is The UK A Good Country To Live in?
Bottom Line
For a middle standard and healthy lifestyle with minimum expenses, the UK offers more flexibility and equivalent services in all aspects compared to the US. If you are looking for a comparison of the Cost of living in the UK vs the US, I hope this article may help you. If you have any questions related to this topic please comment below.
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