When looking at New York vs London what are the key differences?
So you may be in the extremely fortunate position of choosing between living in New York and living in London.
For reaching this point in your life, it’s definitely worth patting yourself on the back for the hard work you’ve done to get to this point.
New York vs London
It’s a big step moving into these smart cities and they are notorious for being two of the world’s most expensive and competitive places to live.
Fear not! For we can guide you through the noise and give you the straight facts as to why London might top New York or the Big Apple has it nailed better than the Big Smoke.
New York
The Big Apple! One of the most iconic cities on the planet. The Empire State Building and Flatiron in Manhattan, the iconic streets of Brooklyn, or the fashionable mansions of long island.
As far as urban planning goes, there are so many different spots in this gargantuan city that the locals are so proud of.
Here is what to expect in New York:
Weather in New York
New York is in the prime spot for snowy winters and scorching summers.
Expect a merry Christmas with low temperatures enough to create snow and sleet, with Summers that sometimes get unbearably hot like in the classic Spike Lee movie Do the Right Thing from 1989.
Highs of 29 degrees Celsius (84.2 Fahrenheit) hit the city streets in July and August, but the January blues makes New York hit lows of -3 degrees Celsius (26.6 Fahrenheit).
This makes the city one of the most moderate places in The USA, as it has everything you can expect similar temperatures to wherever you’re traveling or coming from.
February has on average over 9 inches of snowfall every year (233 millimeters) and average rainfall sits around 4-inches (100-120 millimeters) a month all year round.
For us, this is the perfect climate and weather for any new place to visit or stay!
Cost of Living in New York
If you’re looking to live in New York, you may come across some financial setbacks. Compared to the national average, the price of rent in New York is astronomical.
According to the 2019 report conducted by Apartment List, the median rent for a two-bedroom apartment is $2,499 per month.
When a two-bedroom apartment in the rest of the US is at a median of $1,175, you can bet that the rent price in New York City and house prices are through the roof.
This doesn’t even factor in the cost of living when it comes to the price of food, utilities and health insurance.
The average cost for someone without health insurance in New York State is $2,475 per day, and only 6% of residents of NYC don’t have insurance.
According to Numbeo.com data from May 2019, groceries in New York City usually cost about $471.34 a month, per person. For the U.S. as a whole, the average is almost $150 cheaper, at $324.20.
Cost of Living NYC vs London
These statistics from Numbeo.com that explain the major average and median differences in the cost of living between London and New York:
- Consumer Prices in London are 16.52% lower than in New York, NY (without rent)
- Rent Prices in London are 30.45% lower than in New York, NY
- Restaurant Prices in London are 13.79% lower than in New York, NY
- Groceries Prices in London are 37.92% lower than in New York, NY
- Local Purchasing Power in London is 16.47% lower than in New York, NY
It may be hard for many to believe, but except for milk and cigarettes, New York has groceries at least 60% more expensive than in London. Read more on the cost of living in London right here on this blog..
For someone living day to day depending on low-priced items at the supermarket, New York is not the place for you.
Most people who work in New York tend to find lodgings in neighboring New Jersey and queue at the Turnpike.
Neither of the two cities made it onto our list of sustainable travel destinations but they both have many sustainable projects going on.
Is New York Safe?
If we were living in the 1970s, we would probably say definitely not.
Back in the golden era of the Studio 54 nightclub, prostitutes on Times Square, arson on the streets, and oil slick in the Hudson river; New York was a different place.
Now, however, it’s honestly one of the safest major cities to visit in the world. How did it get this way? Well, that’s another post for another time, but for the most part, it’s all down to the gentrification of the city.
House prices soaring and increased implementation of public services inherently makes areas safer.
There are some parts of Brooklyn and the Bronx that could be seen as less than safe, but most visitors to the city never venture outside of Manhattan.
If traveling soon, we recommend getting the New York City Explorer Pass so you can get access to a host of activities throughout the city.
London
The Big Smoke! The largest and (in our opinion) best city in the U.K. What can you say about London that already hasn’t been said?
The iconic city has so much landmass that it honestly doesn’t feel like a city but a miniature country.
The big question is though, is it better to live here or New York?
Weather in London
The weather in London has an obviously negative connotation. Everyone associates the weather of England with cold, wintery and rainy conditions conducive to warranting blankets and mugs of tea.
Why do you think so many people drink tea and coffee on the same day in this country?
Because it’s bloody cold, they’ll say. However, London isn’t the blustering and rainy place you may think it is.
Realhomes.com ranks Central London as the fourth nicest place to live in the UK for weather.
Truth is, compared to the rest of the UK, London is pretty warm and has the least amount of rain.
That doesn’t mean it’s completely bad-weather free, but at least it’s better than other cities in the country.
The average climate in London for the month of July is a temperate 23 degrees Celsius (73 Fahrenheit).
London vs New York Population
8.4 million people live in New York, with 1.6 million people living in Manhattan alone. This means there is a population density of 27,000 people per square mile, the highest density in all of America.
Compare this to London, with a total population of 9 million. London has a higher population which to some people may seem sort of scary, but the population density is completely different.
Almost half the amount of people live per square mile in London than New York, as London has a population density of 15,328 per square mile.
This makes London a more comfortable place to live, despite housing being perhaps quite minimal.
The London Boroughs reflect the pricey places to live, as the population decreases based on how expensive the housing is.
The City of London and Kensington & Chelsea are the least populated boroughs, whereas Barnet and Croydon are the highest populated despite being classed as ‘suburban’ boroughs.
The good news is that both cities invest in community garden, spaces and land designed for people who wish to grow their own plants, etc.
Is London bigger than New York?
The amount of ground that London covers is vast, so technically it is the bigger city. However, there are a lot more high-rise buildings in New York so the amount of man-made space is higher.
New York City has over 6,000 high-rise buildings in total, 274 of which are classified as ‘skyscrapers’, as they stand over 150m tall.
London only has 33 skyscrapers, which is still a lot compared to other European major cities, but New York has a lot of stacked space.
When you compare the streets of London to the streets of New York, there is the visible differences that some visitors and natives cannot get past.
London has narrower streets with narrow pavements (sidewalks) and the Roman-era/Tudor-era/Edwardian-era road systems are both chaotic and confusing.
In Manhattan, on the other hand, the roads are numbered and the traffic system is easy to grasp. The roads and sidewalks are wide and the buildings are far apart.
Get yourself a London City Pass which gives you access to over 80 attraction to be able to get a feel for moving around the city.
Is London safe?
Just like New York, the central areas of London are gentrified and are thus the safest.
If you find yourself in places such as Marylebone, Fitzrovia, Seven Dials, Westminster or Hyde Park; expect some of the most beautiful architecture and safe spots for getting something to eat or chilling out.
Some of the more ‘unsafe’ spots can be found in south and east London.
However, London as a whole is becoming safer by the month as the police crackdown on knife crime between gangs and youngsters.
London has its fair share of petty crime, as do all major cities, but you can count on London being safer than other European cities.
Conclusion: Which is Better?
This is a difficult decision. Both of these cities have some incredible opportunities and amazing landscapes.
However, if we had to pick one city, it would be London.
It has expensive living arrangements, but it’s still a lot cheaper than New York.
It’s also a bit more spacious in London, even if the amount of space in your living quarters is small, even a bit of privacy is valuable.
Also, we enjoy London’s vast history and melting-pot status that rivals New York’s heritage of immigrants ‘making it.’
We love London and New York equally, but if we chose one spot to live, it has to be London.
If you are thinking of traveling to England for the first time, why not try visiting one of the major cities to make a well-rounded comparison?
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