Budget · London · United Kingdom
London on a budget
What a trip to London really costs, and where the savings are.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Fuzzypiggy, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
London is very expensive for most international visitors. Budget roughly $110–$170 per person per day on a tight budget, $260–$420 mid-range and $650–$1,600 for luxury, excluding flights. Hotel prices are usually lowest in January–February.
Key facts
- Budget traveller
- $110–$170 a day
- Mid-range
- $260–$420 a day
- Luxury
- $650–$1,600 a day
- Local currency
- GBP
- Free sights
- 12
Daily budget and trip cost
AMZBooking estimates per person in US dollars, excluding flights, reviewed October 2026. Accommodation is the biggest variable; prices rise in peak months.
| Style | Per day | 3 days | 5 days | 7 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | $110–$170 | $330–$510 | $550–$850 | $770–$1,190 |
| Mid-range | $260–$420 | $780–$1,260 | $1,300–$2,100 | $1,820–$2,940 |
| Luxury | $650–$1,600 | $1,950–$4,800 | $3,250–$8,000 | $4,550–$11,200 |
Typical prices
Approximate prices in London, October 2026. They change; use them for planning, not as quotes.
| Item | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Tube journey in central London (contactless) | about £2.80–£3.20 |
| Bus or tram journey | about £1.75–£2 |
| Pint of beer in a pub | about £6–£8 |
| Flat white or cappuccino | about £3.50–£4.50 |
| Fish and chips | about £12–£20 |
| Pub Sunday roast | about £18–£30 |
| Major paid attraction (Tower of London, London Eye) | about £30–£40 |
| West End theatre ticket | about £25–£150 |
| Supermarket meal deal | about £4–£6 |
Money-saving tips
- The national museums and galleries, including the British Museum, National Gallery, Tate Modern and Natural History Museum, are free.
- Use one contactless card or phone for every journey; daily and weekly caps limit what you pay automatically.
- Buy same-day theatre seats at the TKTS booth in Leicester Square or through theatres' official day-seat and lottery schemes.
- Book paid attractions online in advance; many are cheaper than buying at the gate.
- Eat your main meal at lunchtime, when pub lunches and set menus cost less, or picnic in a royal park with a supermarket meal deal.
- Free views are plentiful: Sky Garden (booked ahead), Primrose Hill, Parliament Hill and the Millennium Bridge.
- Hotels in Camden, Greenwich or around King's Cross are usually cheaper than the West End and still well connected.
Free things to do
- British Museum — Two million years of human history fill the British Museum, from the Rosetta Stone and Egyptian mummies to the Parthenon sculptures and the Anglo-Saxon Sutton Hoo helmet.
- Houses of Parliament and Big Ben — The Palace of Westminster, rebuilt in Gothic Revival style after a fire in 1834, houses the House of Commons and the House of Lords.
- Buckingham Palace and Changing the Guard — The monarch's official London residence faces the Victoria Memorial at the end of The Mall.
- National Gallery — Western European painting from the 13th to the early 20th century hangs in the National Gallery on the north side of Trafalgar Square: Van Gogh's Sunflowers, Turner's The Fighting Temeraire, Constable's The Hay Wain, Velázquez's Rokeby Venus and Van Eyck's Arnolfini Portrait among them.
- Natural History Museum — Alfred Waterhouse's terracotta building, decorated with carved animals and plants, holds some 80 million specimens.
- Tate Modern — Britain's national museum of modern and contemporary art fills the former Bankside Power Station, with its 99-metre chimney and a vast Turbine Hall used for large-scale commissions.
Where to stay on a budget
$$$ · Best for first-timers, budget, culture and solo travellers
Bloomsbury and King's Cross
Georgian squares, the British Museum and Eurostar on the doorstep
$$ · Best for budget, nightlife and solo travellers
Camden Town
Markets, live music venues and the Regent's Canal
$$ · Best for families, quiet stays and culture
Greenwich
Maritime history, a hilltop royal park and river boats
Eating well for less
- Full English breakfast — Traditional cafés ('caffs') and pubs across the city; vegetarian versions with meat-free sausages are easy to find.
- Afternoon tea — Hotels in Mayfair and Piccadilly, department stores such as Fortnum & Mason, and museum cafés for lower-priced versions.
- Salt beef beigel — The 24-hour beigel bakeries at the northern end of Brick Lane in Shoreditch.
- Scotch egg — Gastropubs and stalls at Borough Market.
Getting around for less
Contactless and Oyster capping
Tapping the same contactless card, phone or Oyster card caps your daily and Monday–Sunday weekly spend automatically, so most visitors do not need a separate travelcard.
Bus and tram Hopper fare
Unlimited bus and tram journeys within one hour of the first tap are covered by a single fare.
London Pass
A paid sightseeing pass covering entry to many paid attractions; it only pays off if you visit several paid sights a day, since the major museums are already free.
Questions travellers ask
+How much does a trip to London cost?
About $1,300–$2,100 per person for five days mid-range, excluding flights (estimate), or $550–$850 on a tight budget.
+Is London expensive?
It is very expensive for international visitors. The national museums and galleries, including the British Museum, National Gallery, Tate Modern and Natural History Museum, are free.
+How much money do I need per day in London?
Roughly $110–$170 on a budget and $260–$420 mid-range (estimates).
+When are hotel prices lowest in London?
Usually in January–February.