Moving to United Kingdom from India

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from India to United Kingdom — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from India to United Kingdom, you would find that United Kingdom is 7.4 times more expensive than India overall. A ₹7,160,385 salary in India would need to be roughly £234,507 in United Kingdom to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — London averages 60°F vs 88°F in Delhi, making it significantly cooler.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from India to United Kingdom.

What does your salary buy?

₹7,160,385 £234,507

To maintain the same standard of living in United Kingdom

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 6.9 times more

Groceries

pay 3.3 times more

Transportation

pay 5.6 times more

Housing

pay 9.1 times more

Childcare

pay 20.1 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 3.9 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 INR = 0.0078 GBP (July 2026)

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

Cost of living by city

Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).

On average, cities in United Kingdom cost about 230% more than cities in India.

India

Mumbai 24%
Gurgaon 21%
Pune 20%
Hyderabad 20%
Delhi 19%

United Kingdom

Bath 63%
Slough 61%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from India to United Kingdom, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2019
92,000 ↑ 48% vs 2018

people moved from India to United Kingdom · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to United Kingdom?

Top countries of origin for United Kingdom's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How India and United Kingdom stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

IN
2.8
GB
1.0
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

IN
15.4
GB
2.4

United Kingdom performs significantly better than India across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

IN
$346
GB
$6,606
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

IN
7.3
GB
31.7

United Kingdom generally does better on health & wellbeing, though India leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

IN
83.0
GB
13.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

IN
2.2t
GB
4.2t

India generally does better on environment, though United Kingdom leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

IN
2.4
GB
41.4
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

IN
66.5%
GB
14.3%

United Kingdom performs significantly better than India across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

IN
4.2%
GB
4.1%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

IN
$9,200
GB
$54,100

United Kingdom generally does better on employment & economy, though India leads in top income tax rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

IN
67.2 yrs
GB
81.9 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

IN
30.3
GB
3.8

United Kingdom performs significantly better than India across all family life metrics.

Data: Ministry of Finance, Government of India, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Delhi Rain: 28.2 in/yr (716 mm)
88° / 66°F

Avg. annual high / low

London Rain: 22.0 in/yr (558 mm)
60° / 46°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Delhi London
Jan–Mar 76°/52°F (25°/11°C) 49°/38°F (9°/3°C)
Apr–Jun 101°/78°F (38°/25°C) 64°/48°F (18°/9°C)
Jul–Sep 93°/79°F (34°/26°C) 72°/56°F (22°/13°C)
Oct–Dec 82°/56°F (28°/14°C) 53°/43°F (12°/6°C)
View all months
Month Delhi London
Jan 69°/46°F (20.8°/7.8°C) 47°/38°F (8.1°/3.1°C)
Feb 75°/51°F (23.7°/10.3°C) 47°/37°F (8.6°/2.7°C)
Mar 85°/60°F (29.6°/15.4°C) 53°/40°F (11.6°/4.6°C)
Apr 97°/71°F (36.0°/21.5°C) 58°/43°F (14.6°/5.9°C)
May 104°/79°F (39.8°/26.2°C) 65°/48°F (18.1°/8.9°C)
Jun 103°/83°F (39.4°/28.3°C) 70°/53°F (21.0°/11.8°C)
Jul 95°/81°F (35.2°/27.0°C) 74°/57°F (23.4°/13.7°C)
Aug 92°/79°F (33.6°/26.2°C) 74°/57°F (23.1°/13.8°C)
Sep 93°/76°F (34.0°/24.7°C) 68°/53°F (20.0°/11.4°C)
Oct 91°/67°F (32.9°/19.4°C) 60°/48°F (15.5°/8.8°C)
Nov 82°/55°F (28.0°/12.8°C) 52°/42°F (11.3°/5.8°C)
Dec 73°/47°F (22.7°/8.4°C) 47°/38°F (8.4°/3.4°C)

Data: India Meteorological Department India Meteorological Department, Met Office Met Office

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between India and United Kingdom. To live, work, or study long-term in United Kingdom, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United Kingdom's immigration authority.

India passport

India passport holder visiting United Kingdom

Visa Online (e-Visa)
India passport holders need to apply for an e-Visa before travelling to United Kingdom.
United Kingdom passport

United Kingdom passport holder visiting India

Visa Online (e-Visa)
United Kingdom passport holders need to apply for an e-Visa before travelling to India.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in United Kingdom than India?

Day-to-day costs in United Kingdom run about 319% higher than India on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to United Kingdom?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a ₹7,160,385 comparable salary, that's around £58,627 in United Kingdom for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from United Kingdom?

With 41.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, United Kingdom can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in India and United Kingdom.

Is United Kingdom safe for expats?

United Kingdom performs significantly better than India across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in United Kingdom is 1.0 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.8 in India.

How is healthcare in United Kingdom compared to India?

United Kingdom generally does better on health & wellbeing, though India leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 31.7 doctors per 10,000 people in United Kingdom, compared to 7.3 in India. United Kingdom scores 88 on the WHO universal health coverage index (India: 63).

What's the weather like in United Kingdom compared to India?

The average high temperature in London is 60°F, compared to 88°F in Delhi. London receives around 22.0 in of rainfall per year, while Delhi gets 28.2 in.

What language do they speak in United Kingdom?

The official language in United Kingdom is English. In India, the official languages are English, Hindi and Tamil.

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At a Glance

IN GB
Population 1,389,637,446 67,791,400
Currency Indian Rupee (₹) British Pound Sterling (£)
Languages English, Hindi, Tamil English
Driving side Left Left
Calling code +91 +44
Time zones 1 9
Emergency number 112 999