Brighton vs London: cost of living compared
On a £50k salary, the cheaper of the two saves you hundreds a month on essentials. Adjust the salary slider below to see how the gap shifts at your income — everything else (single renter, public transport, UK 2024/25 tax) is held constant.
Based on current UK tax rules and city cost benchmarks. Updated regularly.
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Brighton
You save approximately £472/month living in Brighton vs London — about £5,664 a year on essentials.
Where the money goes
Monthly spend per category. Cheaper bar is highlighted.
- RentΔ £350Brighton£1,500London£1,850
- BillsΔ £28Brighton£398London£370
- FoodΔ £25Brighton£295London£320
- TransportΔ £90Brighton£90London£180
Side-by-side monthly breakdown
Brighton vs London on the same salary, same household assumptions. The cheaper city in each row is highlighted.
| Category | Brighton | London |
|---|---|---|
| Take-home pay | £3,293 | £3,293 |
| Rent / housing | £1,500 | £1,850 |
| Bills | £398 | £370 |
| Food | £295 | £320 |
| Transport | £90 | £180 |
| Lifestyle & misc | £245 | £280 |
| Total essentials | £2,528 | £3,000 |
| Disposable left | £765 | £293 |
- Take-home payTied
- Rent / housing-£350Cheaper in Brighton
- Bills+£28Cheaper in London
- Food-£25Cheaper in Brighton
- Transport-£90Cheaper in Brighton
- Lifestyle & misc-£35Cheaper in Brighton
- Total essentials-£472Cheaper in Brighton
- Disposable left+£472More for Brighton
How Brighton and London stack up
Brighton. Brighton has some of the highest rents outside London and a chronic supply shortage close to the seafront. Rent dominates the budget. Most other categories are close to UK average, but the housing line item is hard to escape.
London. London is the UK's most expensive city to live in, with rent typically the single biggest factor in any budget. Housing is the dominant pressure point — most other categories (food, bills, transport passes) sit only 10–20% above the UK average.
Reality Score weighs take-home pay against essentials and any savings commitment to gauge how sustainable the setup is.
What this means
Stable. Your essentials are covered, with some room left over — though savings progress may be slow.
Reality Score weighs take-home pay against essentials and any savings commitment to gauge how sustainable the setup is.
What this means
Stable. Your essentials are covered, with some room left over — though savings progress may be slow.
What this actually means
- Brighton: Housing eats 46% of your take-home in Brighton — well above the 30% healthy benchmark. A cheaper area or a flatmate would unlock real breathing room.
- London: Housing eats 56% of your take-home in London — well above the 30% healthy benchmark. A cheaper area or a flatmate would unlock real breathing room.
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Reality Score for this scenario: 69/100 — Stable
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These figures are estimates and may vary based on individual circumstances.
- Based on UK cost benchmarks
- Updated regularly
- Indicative estimates, not financial advice