Living in London

In London, unemployment is 6.5% (2026).

In 2024, the city had 3,822,330 dwellings. A monthly estimate placed private kindergarten fees at €2,332 in July 2026.

Last checked 2026-09-2420 sources

Median gross salary (region)4,224EUR/month30 Apr 2025Official source · Office for National Statistics — ASHE Table 7.1a, 2025 provisional

Average rent2,724EUR/month31 Aug 2026Regional figureOfficial source · ONS Price Index of Private Rents, UK: monthly price statistics, Table 1, Rental price

Unemployment rate6.5%country median 3.4% — 91% aboveOfficial source · Office for National Statistics — Labour market in the regions of the UK: July 2026

Which United Kingdom-wide rules apply when you move to London?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in United KingdomNational rates and thresholds that apply in London.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

In 2024, the city had 3,822,330 homes.

No city-level rent figure is published for London. The available city-level cost figures remain below.

What recurs every month6 published recurring costs, € per month

€ / month

Private kindergarten€2332

Utilities, 85 m² flat€337

Transport pass€234

Fitness club€54

Internet, 60 Mbps€35

Mobile plan, 10 GB€16

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Fitness club membership, monthly	53.86 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Lebenshaltungskosten in London¹⁹Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Col Groceries Index Basket Eur Month	94.05 EUR/month	3 Aug 2026	Numbeo¹⁸Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited	35.36 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Lebenshaltungskosten in London¹⁹Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly	2,332 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Lebenshaltungskosten in London¹⁹Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant	23.16 EUR	31 Jul 2026	Lebenshaltungskosten in London¹⁹Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB	16.21 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Lebenshaltungskosten in London¹⁹Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Monthly transport pass	233.6 EUR/month	3 Aug 2026	Numbeo¹⁸Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home	336.9 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Lebenshaltungskosten in London¹⁹Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Dwellings	3,822,330 dwellings	2024	Greater London dwelling stock / homes total⁵Official
Rent price index, mean	2,713 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR), UK: monthly price statistics¹⁷Official
Average monthly rent (whole dwelling)	2,724 EUR/month	31 Aug 2026	ONS Price Index of Private Rents, UK: monthly price statistics, Table 1, Rental price¹⁴Official · regional context

Is London a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile

Remote worker26%strong on work, weak on safety · range 17–35%

Skilled employee40%strong on work, weak on safety · range 32–48%

Student38%strong on education, weak on safety · range 29–47%

Family37%strong on family, weak on safety · range 28–46%

Retirement27%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 16–38%

Work and income

The city employment rate was 74.3% in 2025. The unemployment rate was 6.5% from March to May 2026.

Unemployment across cities in United KingdomUnemployment in London is 6.5%. Of 999 cities with data, 652 have unemployment of 2 to under 4%.

652

263

0–22–44–66–88–1010–1216–18

London 6.5%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Employment rate	74.3 %	2025	ONS mid-year population estimate for London¹²Official
Median gross salary (regional)	4,224 EUR/month	30 Apr 2025	Office for National Statistics — ASHE Table 7.1a, 2025 provisional⁸Official · regional context
Salary Net Avg Eur Month	3,987 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/uk/london/¹⁹Community estimate · Supplemental context
Unemployment rate	6.5 %country median 3.4%	31 May 2026	Office for National Statistics — Labour market in the regions of the UK: July 2026⁹Official

Unemployment rate over time8 published observations, 1996–2026

4.5%

6.9%

9.3%

11.7%

7.4%1996200420162026

Unemployment rate fell 34.1% between 1996 and 2026, from 11.2% to 7.4%.

What does a salary buy in London?

Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.

Left over each month€35of €3,381 take-home

Rent
Utilities
Transport
Internet
Mobile
Left over

Line-by-line breakdown and sources

Each month	€
Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions; euro amounts at the ECB average for 2026-08.	€3,381
Rentaverage rent of a whole dwelling · official · ONS Price Index of Private Rents, UK: monthly price statistics, Table 1, Rental price · 2026-08-31	− €2,724
Public transport pass€234 · market price · Numbeo · 2026-08-03	− €234
Utilities, 85 m²€337 · market price · Lebenshaltungskosten in London · 2026-07-31	− €337
Internet€35 · market price · Lebenshaltungskosten in London · 2026-07-31	− €35
Mobile plan€16 · market price · Lebenshaltungskosten in London · 2026-07-31	− €16
Left over	€35

Take-home pay for other salaries and households

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to London. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Jobcentre Plus — Public employment service

Department for Work and Pensions

Job SearchUnemployment Claim

Open official service

Open the United Kingdom service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in London. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Family and education

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Public language course providers	1 count	31 Dec 2026	ESOL Beginners for Everyday Life (Entry 1) — Golden Lane²Official
Primary School Count	993 count	3 Aug 2026	Department for Education (GIAS)¹Official
School Count	1,843 count	3 Aug 2026	Department for Education (GIAS)¹Official

School for children who move here. School is compulsory from age 5 to 16, and public school is free.

A country-wide rule for United Kingdom; London's school authority applies it locally.

Sources: legislation.gov.uk · 1996–2026.

Healthcare

Metric	Value	Period	Source
GP practices	1,120 count	30 Sept 2026	ODS GP Practices report (epraccur)⁶Official
Pharmacies	1,075 count	30 Sept 2026	ODS Pharmacy/Dispensaries report (edispensary)⁷Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in London under the national coverage rules.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide

Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Mobility and administration

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Destinations from nearest airport	35 count	3 Aug 2026	OpenFlights¹⁵Official
Nearest airport	LCY	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports¹⁶Official
Distance to nearest airport	13 km	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports¹⁶Official
Public transport monthly pass	233.6 EUR/month	3 Aug 2026	Numbeo¹⁸Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context

Language courses and integration in London

1 exact private or nonprofit provider record is linked to this city as supplemental evidence. Check the linked source for dates, availability and enrolment.

Provider-supplied information

1publicly funded course provider

1provider-supplied leads

Private and nonprofit providers

Provider-supplied records stay separate from government-verified services.

Provider-supplied record · supplemental The London School of English — Holland Park

15 Holland Park Gardens, Kensington, London W14 8DZ

+44 (0)20 7605 4123

Open provider website

Check courses in London How the country programme works

Exact city-linked records checked 2026-08-10. Provider-supplied records are supplemental and are not presented as official accreditation.

Climate and air quality

Monthly mean temperature moved from 6°C in January to 19.2°C in July. Monthly precipitation ranged from 37 mm in March to 66.9 mm in October. Annual PM2.5 was 11.2 µg/m³ in 2019. Average July highs reached 23.6°C.

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C

9°3°

12°5°

15°7°

18°10°

21°12°

24°15°

23°15°

20°12°

16°9°

12°6°

9°4°

JFMAMJJASOND

Night-time low to daytime high

Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm

JFMAMJJASOND

Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³

NO₂36.7WHO 10 · EU 40

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

NO₂ across cities in United KingdomWhere London lands among 940 measured cities

2–33–44–55–66–77–88–99–1010–1111–1212–1313–1414–1515–1618–1919–2020–2136–37

London 36.7

annual NO₂, µg/m³ · cities per band

Metric	Value	Period	Source
NO₂ — annual mean	36.7 µg/m³country median 7.2	31 Dec 2013	Eurostat³Official
Average daytime high by month	Jan 8.6 · Feb 9.1 · Mar 11.9 · Apr 15.1 · May 18.4 · Jun 21.4 · Jul 23.6 · Aug 23.3 · Sep 20.2 · Oct 15.9 · Nov 11.6 · Dec 9 °C	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV²⁰Independent
Average night-time low by month	Jan 3.5 · Feb 3.5 · Mar 5.1 · Apr 6.9 · May 9.7 · Jun 12.5 · Jul 14.7 · Aug 14.6 · Sep 12.3 · Oct 9.5 · Nov 6.1 · Dec 3.9 °C	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV²⁰Independent
Average temperature by month	Jan 6 · Feb 6.3 · Mar 8.5 · Apr 11 · May 14 · Jun 17 · Jul 19.2 · Aug 18.9 · Sep 16.2 · Oct 12.7 · Nov 8.8 · Dec 6.4 °C	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV²⁰Independent
Average precipitation by month	Jan 58.1 · Feb 43.6 · Mar 37 · Apr 42.5 · May 44.7 · Jun 50.5 · Jul 43.1 · Aug 54.9 · Sep 49.8 · Oct 66.9 · Nov 65.7 · Dec 58.6 mm	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV²⁰Independent

Population and city profile

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

By nationality

National passport60.7%
Foreign residents39.3%

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Foreign-resident share	21.6 %	31 Dec 2011	Eurostat⁴Official
Foreign residents	3,575,719 people	21 Mar 2021	ONS Census 2021 TS012 country of birth, London local authorities¹¹Official · Greater London
Population	9,089,736 people	30 Jun 2024	ONS population count, Local Statistics API¹³Official · regional figure

Additional context

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Residents born abroad	41 %	2021 Census	ONS mid-year population estimate for London¹²Official · Greater London; residents
Median age	35.7 years	2024	ONS mid-year population estimate for London¹²Official · Greater London
Universities	21 count	3 Aug 2026	Office for Students¹⁰Official

Alternatives for people set on London

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

Prague as a London alternative in another country

Better on 3 of 3 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0. Median gross pay, region and foreign residents cannot be compared like for like.

Transport pass: €23 Prague vs €234 London−90%
Median gross pay, region: €2,138 Prague vs €4,224 Londonno percentage
A meal out: €10 Prague vs €23 London−59%
Basic utilities, 85 m²: €272 Prague vs €337 London−19%
Foreign residents: 15.9% (2021) Prague vs 21.6% (2011) Londonno percentage

Full comparison More about Prague

How does London compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays London's.

Open the full comparison

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

What is the typical salary around London?

The median gross salary is 4,224 EUR/month. Source: Office for National Statistics — ASHE Table 7.1a, 2025 provisional.

What is the unemployment rate in London?

The unemployment rate is 6.5 %. Source: Office for National Statistics — Labour market in the regions of the UK: July 2026.

How many foreign residents live in London?

3,575,719 people residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: ONS Census 2021 TS012 country of birth, London local authorities.

How much is public transport in London?

A monthly transport pass is 233.6 EUR/month. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: Numbeo.

Is London a good place to live?

London may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation

ImmigrationDB. (2026, September 24). London, United Kingdom: population, rent, salary, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 19a0ba6b02a74e38c8e6cb8d0d6fcb0f]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/london/ Retrieved 2026-09-24. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_london-united-kingdom-population-rent-salary-jobs_37400d147171,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {London, United Kingdom: population, rent, salary, jobs},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-24},
  version = {19a0ba6b02a74e38c8e6cb8d0d6fcb0f},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/london/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-24. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[London, United Kingdom: population, rent, salary, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/london/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 19a0ba6b02a74e38c8e6cb8d0d6fcb0f; retrieved 2026-09-24; built 2026-09-24.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown

Department for Education (GIAS) get-information-schools.service.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-03
ESOL Beginners for Everyday Life (Entry 1) — Golden Lane ESOL Beginners for Everyday Life (Entry 1) · newsite.cityoflondon.gov.uk · checked 2026-09-15
Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-03
Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-02
Greater London dwelling stock / homes total data.london.gov.uk · checked 2026-07-16
ODS GP Practices report (epraccur) odsdatasearchandexport.nhs.uk · checked 2026-09-15
ODS Pharmacy/Dispensaries report (edispensary) odsdatasearchandexport.nhs.uk · checked 2026-09-15
Office for National Statistics — ASHE Table 7.1a, 2025 provisional Office for National Statistics · ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-07-29
Office for National Statistics — Labour market in the regions of the UK: July 2026 Office for National Statistics · ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-07-29
Office for Students officeforstudents.org.uk · checked 2026-08-03

Show 10 more sources

ONS Census 2021 TS012 country of birth, London local authorities static.ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-07-29
ONS mid-year population estimate for London apps.london.gov.uk · checked 2026-07-16
ONS population count, Local Statistics API ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-09-11
ONS Price Index of Private Rents, UK: monthly price statistics, Table 1, Rental price ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-09-24
OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR), UK: monthly price statistics ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-09-12
Numbeo numbeo.com · checked 2026-08-03
Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/uk/london/ Numbeo city cost-of-living page · de.numbeo.com · checked 2026-09-05
WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-26

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