Cost of living comparison
London is 66.9% more expensive than Des Moines.
- Restaurants
-
pay 14.6% more in London
- Groceries
-
pay 1.4% less in London
- Transportation
-
pay 2.8 times more in London
- Housing
-
pay 91.6% more in London
- Childcare
-
pay 2.0 times more in London
- Entertainment and Sports
-
pay 50.9% more in London
- Clothing
-
pay 28.1% more in London
The cost of transportation, childcare, housing, entertainment and sports, clothing, and restaurants in London are more expensive than in Des Moines. Notably, transportation, childcare, and housing are significantly more expensive in London.
If you lived in London instead of Des Moines, you would:
pay 14.6% more for restaurants
|
Des Moines
|
London
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic meal with drink at inexpensive restaurant |
$16.00
|
$25.83
£19.95
|
|
|
Fast food combo meal
McDonalds, or similar
|
$10.00
|
$10.33
£7.98
|
|
| Bottle of Coca-Cola (11 fl. oz) |
$2.36
|
$2.46
£1.90
|
|
| Bottle of water (11 fl. oz) |
$2.06
|
$1.85
£1.43
|
|
pay 1.4% less for groceries
|
Des Moines
|
London
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Bread
1 loaf
|
$2.86
|
$2.07
£1.60
|
|
| Local cheese (8 oz) |
$5.99
|
$5.65
£4.36
|
|
| Milk (1 gallon) |
$3.92
|
$6.31
£4.88
|
|
|
Eggs
1 dozen
|
$3.09
|
$4.45
£3.43
|
|
| Boneless chicken breast (1 lb) |
$4.38
|
$4.26
£3.29
|
|
| Apples (1 lb) |
$2.10
|
$1.56
£1.21
|
|
| Bananas (1 lb) |
$0.73
|
$0.75
£0.58
|
|
| Oranges (1 lb) |
$1.59
|
$1.44
£1.11
|
|
| Tomatoes (1 lb) |
$1.74
|
$1.79
£1.38
|
|
| Potatoes (1 lb) |
$0.75
|
$0.69
£0.53
|
|
| Onions (1 lb) |
$1.36
|
$0.70
£0.54
|
|
pay 2.8 times more for transportation
|
Des Moines
|
London
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline (1 gallon) |
$3.07
|
$7.39
£5.71
|
|
| Monthly public transit pass |
$58.00
|
$258.31
£199.53
|
|
| New Volkswagen Golf 1.4 (standard edition) |
$26,000.00
|
$36,531.14
£28,219.17
|
|
| Taxi trip in downtown area (5 miles) |
$11.94
|
$35.26
£27.24
|
|
pay 91.6% more for housing
|
Des Moines
|
London
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Internet connection
50 mbps or faster, cable/dsl
|
$53.50
|
$41.63
£32.16
|
|
| 1-Bedroom apartment in downtown area |
$1,215.00
|
$2,834.46
£2,189.54
|
|
| 1-Bedroom apartment outside city center |
$912.50
|
$2,063.73
£1,594.17
|
|
|
Utilities for two
(700 sq ft apartment)
including electric, gas, water, heating
|
$115.16
|
$263.90
£203.85
|
|
pay 2.0 times more for childcare
|
Des Moines
|
London
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Private preschool for 1 child, monthly |
$1,357.76
|
$2,333.60
£1,802.63
|
|
| Middle school for 1 child, two semesters |
$11,812.00
|
$27,892.30
£21,545.94
|
|
pay 50.9% more for entertainment and sports
|
Des Moines
|
London
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic/local beer (1 pint) |
$5.00
|
$8.27
£6.39
|
|
| Cappuccino in mid-range area |
$4.51
|
$4.80
£3.71
|
|
|
Pack of cigarettes
Marlboro or similar
|
$7.14
|
$19.76
£15.26
|
|
| Monthly membership at local gym |
$66.67
|
$65.66
£50.72
|
|
| Movie ticket to theater/cinema |
$15.00
|
$16.14
£12.47
|
|
pay 28.1% more for clothing
|
Des Moines
|
London
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Regular jeans
Levi's brand
|
$56.43
|
$96.94
£74.88
|
|
|
Regular dress
from H&M or similar store
|
$42.50
|
$50.55
£39.05
|
|
|
Running shoes
Nike or Adidas
|
$90.50
|
$114.87
£88.74
|
|
| Men's business shoes (leather) |
$143.00
|
$135.36
£104.56
|
|
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