Bristol 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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Bristol
You save approximately £702/month living in Bristol vs London — about £8,424 a year on essentials.
Where the money goes
Monthly spend per category. Cheaper bar is highlighted.
- RentΔ £550Bristol£1,300London£1,850
- BillsΔ £18Bristol£388London£370
- FoodΔ £30Bristol£290London£320
- TransportΔ £100Bristol£80London£180
Side-by-side monthly breakdown
Bristol vs London on the same salary, same household assumptions. The cheaper city in each row is highlighted.
| Category | Bristol | London |
|---|---|---|
| Take-home pay | £3,293 | £3,293 |
| Rent / housing | £1,300 | £1,850 |
| Bills | £388 | £370 |
| Food | £290 | £320 |
| Transport | £80 | £180 |
| Lifestyle & misc | £240 | £280 |
| Total essentials | £2,298 | £3,000 |
| Disposable left | £995 | £293 |
- Take-home payTied
- Rent / housing-£550Cheaper in Bristol
- Bills+£18Cheaper in London
- Food-£30Cheaper in Bristol
- Transport-£100Cheaper in Bristol
- Lifestyle & misc-£40Cheaper in Bristol
- Total essentials-£702Cheaper in Bristol
- Disposable left+£702More for Bristol
How Bristol and London stack up
Bristol. Bristol's rents have risen sharply over the last decade and now sit closer to London than to other regional cities. Housing is the squeeze point — bills and groceries are roughly UK average, so the budget lives or dies on rent.
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.
Compare Bristol with another city
Reality Score weighs take-home pay against essentials and any savings commitment to gauge how sustainable the setup is.
What this means
Comfortable. You can manage your expenses and maintain moderate savings.
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
- Bristol: You could realistically save around £498/month. Over 5 years that's £29,880 before any investment growth.
- 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: 78/100 — Comfortable
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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