GB flag
Cardiff

United Kingdom

vs
GB flag
London

United Kingdom

Climate

Cardiff logs 10 frost days a year to London's 18 — Cardiff wins by 8. London also leads on outdoor-dinner months by 1.

CardiffLondon
Sunny days
111111
Hot days
00
Frost days
1018
Rain days
175141
Outdoor dinner months
2/123/12
Avg wind
4.6 m/s4.0 m/s
Sunshine hours
1,5761,565
Darkest month sun
48 hrs/mo38 hrs/mo
UV peak month
4.44.7

Cardiff

Feels-like °C

-5
-4
1
7
11
14
16
15
12
8
1
-3

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

London

Feels-like °C

-4
-2
1
6
14
17
18
18
14
8
2
-3

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Cost of Living

Cardiff is $1722/mo cheaper

Cardiff runs about $2,015/mo for a balanced lifestyle against London's $3,737/mo — Cardiff comes in $1,722 cheaper each month, roughly 85% less.

Cardiff

$2,015

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $1,575Comfort $3,140
Top 53%in Among 217 Europe cities

London

$3,737

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $2,983Comfort $5,936
Top 94%in Among 217 Europe cities

Mobility

On mobility, London scores 4.0 vs Cardiff's 2.8 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on flight connectivity. Cardiff still holds an edge on car efficiency.

2.8/5
vs
4.0/5
CardiffLondon
WalkabilityTransitCar EfficiencyAirport
WalkabilityTransitCyclingFlightsAirport
London leads

Culture

London's culture score of 4.9 sits well above Cardiff's 3.7, with the biggest gap on arts & culture.

3.7/5
vs
4.9/5
CardiffLondon
ArtsHistoryTheatreVenuesNightlife
ArtsHistoryTheatreVenuesNightlife
London leads

Nature & Outdoors

Cardiff's nature & outdoors score of 4.2 sits well above London's 3.8, with the biggest gap on mountain access. London still holds an edge on forest access.

4.2/5
vs
3.8/5
CardiffLondon
SeaMountainsForestGreen AreasLakesRunningHikingCampingBeachSurfingDivingClimbing
ForestGreen AreasLakesRunningCamping
Cardiff leads

Safety

Cardiff's safety score is ~1.4× London's — in the middle of the scale, while London lands in the middle of the scale, with the biggest gap on property crime safety. London still holds an edge on flooding safety.

3.4/5
vs
2.5/5
CardiffLondon
Property Crime
Cardiff leads

Career

London's career score of 5.0 sits well above Cardiff's 3.3, with the biggest gap on career opportunities.

3.3/5
vs
5.0/5
CardiffLondon
JobsEconomyStartupsCoworking
JobsEconomyStartupsCoworking
London leads

Social & Community

London's social & community score of 4.0 sits well above Cardiff's 3.6, with the biggest gap on expat-first community. Cardiff still holds an edge on local-first community.

3.6/5
vs
4.0/5
CardiffLondon
Everyday EnglishExpat-First CommunityMulticultural MixExpat Integration ExperienceUrban EnergyStreet AtmosphereLocal-First CommunityGovernment Immigration FriendlinessAdmin English Support
Everyday EnglishExpat-First CommunityMulticultural MixExpat Integration ExperienceUrban EnergyStreet AtmosphereGovernment Immigration FriendlinessAdmin English Support
London leads

Food & Dining

On food & dining, London scores 5.0 vs Cardiff's 3.0 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on restaurant variety.

3.0/5
vs
5.0/5
CardiffLondon
BrunchVeganDelivery
RestaurantsBrunchVeganDelivery
London leads

Family

On family, London scores 4.6 vs Cardiff's 3.1 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on international schools.

3.1/5
vs
4.6/5
CardiffLondon
UniversitiesAmenitiesPlaygroundsGroceriesGymYogaTennis
Intl SchoolsUniversitiesAmenitiesSportPlaygroundsGroceriesGymYogaSpaTennis
London leads

Healthcare

On healthcare, London scores 3.4 vs Cardiff's 2.7 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on private healthcare quality.

2.7/5
vs
3.4/5
CardiffLondon
Private Healthcare
Private Healthcare
London leads

Air Quality

Cardiff averages 8.5 µg/m³ (good) PM2.5 annually versus London's 8.6 µg/m³ (good) — Cardiff breathes ~2% cleaner air (0.1 µg/m³ lower).

Cardiff

London

8.5µg/m³
8.6µg/m³

PM2.5 annual average

Good
Good

WHO classification

City Scale

Both maps at the same real-world scale — 1 cm on either map is the same distance.

Cardiff (388K) and London (10.4M) are 27x in population — London is the larger metro, Cardiff the smaller; on land area London spans roughly 15x more ground.

20x

London is roughly 20x the scale of Cardiff

Combined population & area comparison

GB flagLondon
20x
GB flagCardiff
1x

City Scale Rankings

Population
1.GB flagLondon10.4M27x
2.GB flagCardiff388K1x
Area
1.GB flagLondon1,649 km²15x
2.GB flagCardiff113 km²1x
© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
13 km15 km

GB flagCardiff

© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
63 km55 km

GB flagLondon

Who Thrives Here

Frequently asked about Cardiff vs London

Which is cheaper, Cardiff or London?
Cardiff is approximately $1,722 per month cheaper. Cardiff averages $2,015/mo while London averages $3,737/mo.
How does the climate compare between Cardiff and London?
Sunny days: 111 vs 111 d — Similar Annual sunshine: 1,576 vs 1,565 hrs — Similar Winter sunshine: 48 vs 38 hrs/day — Similar Hot days (>30°C): 0 vs 0 d — Similar Frost days: 10 vs 18 d — Cardiff lower Rainy days: 175 vs 141 d — London lower
Is Cardiff or London safer?
Cardiff scores higher on safety. Cardiff rates 3.4/5 while London rates 2.5/5, based on street safety, property crime rates, and natural hazard exposure.
Should I move to Cardiff or London?
Cardiff and London are both popular relocation destinations with distinct characteristics. Cardiff is generally more affordable, while London may offer different lifestyle advantages. The best choice depends on your priorities — climate preferences, career opportunities, cost constraints, and lifestyle needs. Take the personalized quiz to find your ideal match, or explore the map to compare cities by region and lifestyle factors.

The best city depends on what matters to you

This comparison shows how Cardiff and London stack up on the data. But your climate preferences, budget, career needs, and lifestyle priorities can shift the picture entirely. A personalized diagnostic finds what fits your life.

Take the free diagnostic

10 minutes, no account needed